need help, getting frustrated

[huxleton]

My wife and I were blessed with 7 great years with our very best friend, Huxley James, a beautiful brindle male with the kindest eyes you have ever seen. He stood tall and strong though he was convinced he was a lap dog. He truly was an amazing guy. Unfortunately, lymphoma took him from us much to early. He was diagnosed in march 2012 and went through two rounds of chemo and lived well until he passed this May. After some time to heal, we have decided its time to bring a new puppy home and welcome a new family member into our lives. I am finding it very tough to find any reputable breeder information online. I know that the rules of boxer world prevent anyone from giving me any names or direct breeder suggestions...however, can someone point me in the right direction to find some reputable breeders in my area. We are in the Kansas City area and I have been to both the heart of America boxer club and American boxer club but their information seems very outdated. Most of the breeder's sites that are listed aren't even functional any longer. So, if anyone out there has any tips or sites that can point me in the right direction, I would love to hear of them. Thanks.

 

[Cami]

Think outside the box!
You are near other states, other Boxer clubs. Go to Info Dog and find dates for upcoming shows in your area. Visit the dog shows, check out the Boxers entered there. See what kennels are showing their dogs. Talk to breeders. Research these breeders online via their kennel name. I know you are not particularly close to St. Louis but they have a Boxer club with members, (I'd assume) state wide and perhaps closer to Kansas. :D

A quick Google search showed there was a Boxer show in Topeka, KS just last month.
Find info on the show and it will list winners of the classes FOR SURE and perhaps runner's up, etc...Once you find the names of the kennel you can easily locate their websites. Also, if you look closely at the info listed from THAT show you will see a list of judges who are also Boxer breeders....just sayin. :D

Think of finding a great breeder as some serious time consuming, investigating work. It takes dedication and plenty of effort to get the job done OR......ADOPT! Rescues have puppies if that is your thing. appicon

 

[Oanhis]

Don't get discouraged!

Finding the breeder right for you is definitely a process and in my area the AKC list was also outdated or the listed breeders did not seem very savory once I got into contact with the individuals. We even had to switch breeders after paying half of our cost down half a year into the process due to "false pregnancies", changes of sires/dames, and mixed opinions/bad communication. It was a mess and I'm so thankful that I decided to be stubborn and go through the same searching process over again until we landed on a breeder that was a godsend. Had no problems with the gazillion questions that I asked, updates, and home inquires(first time boxer momma)!

Rescues are good to look at or even see about flying in your pup from one of the breeders? Our girl came from a Kennel about 2 1/2 hours away from us but the breeder was awesome about meeting us in the middle and we've kept in close contact.

Just don't give up! The wait is so worth getting smooches from your new baby!

Also I think there's a transport part of the forum to see if any fellow BW people would be able to help you in transport if flying your pup is out of the question.

Transport - Boxer Board
Good Luck!

 

[furrykidmom]

Someone once told me that you could register a chair with AKC so keep in mind that just because they are with AKC does not necessarily make them a reputable breeder. You still have to do your due diligence. Make sure you are asking all the proper questions about health and breeding.

Someone mentioned going to infodog and going to dog shows. We did this for quite some time. Just sidle up to someone and start talking and asking questions. Eventually people will give you very good information. If there is someone you are interested in ask to see their dogs. We found someone with stunning dogs who was doing all the proper health testing. Then we went to meet their Boxers and we were not pleased with their temperment. They were extremely timid.

Another breeder shared some info with us about another breeder. She said that the breeder has had a lot of heart disease in their line. That one of their dogs actually fell over dead in the ring. There are a lot of politics and backstabbing in my opinion in showing. I do not show but I have visited shows so this is just my opinion for what I have seen/experienced. I thought that maybe this person was being cut throat but I was actually able to look on the internet and found that this story was true.

It is not impossible and I do not mean to make it sound that way you just have to do your due diligence. Good Luck.