Puppy Dilemma

[kassa]

Another route you could go would be to get an adult or young adult from a reputable breeder. Sometimes they have a dog that isn't working out in the show ring for whatever reason (its bite ended up looking funny, it doesn't like the ring and mopes around when asked to show off but loves to go for walks and cuddle and do all the pet stuff and would be a terrific King or Queen of the household) Some breeders even place retired champions in the right home.

And I agree - not all rescues have "issues" beyond needing a basic round of obedience classes and a family that loves them enough to integrate them into the household and say "NO!" in a firm but loving way.

Up here we even are getting an 8 year old very well loved girl into rescue - the child of the family was allergic, so the dog went to live with Grandma, whose health years later prohibits her from keeping the dog. Mom is taking the dog back until it can be placed, but the kid is still allergic, so...

There are LOTS of well bred boxers looking for homes. And as everybody has said, the few hundred you save now can be wiped out in ONE vet visit. Choose carefully!

I'd also add that getting a pup from the breeder who spent time talking with you could pay off down the line when you ARE ready to show. Somebody who has kept up with you and knows you have taken excellent care with one of their pet puppies is far more likely to trust you with a show prospect when the time comes.

 

[br54_9]

I think you need to go with your heart

I may get some bad responses but I got my Max from a professional breeder. I have been lucky as he has been healthy (knock on wood) of course he is fixed now and I would definitely do that. It all sounds good that they are health checked, but what good is that guarantee? Is it for a year, two years what. If you have really fallen for the 300 dollar baby see if they will let you take it to a vet to have it checked out! I would be more apt to do it with the more expensive ones than the three hundred dollar baby. Also check out pet health insurance and such. A health guarantee is great but what good is it if your heart is broken and they will take the pup back. Again go with your heart. The reason I say this I spoke to a lady at our local pet store, they just sell fish and she had a cute boxer pup, it was a 7 month old and she paid 800 hundred dollars for it but she stated it had been fairly sick since she got it. It was cute mostly fawn but see what you pay doesn't mean a thing. It is your gut reaction, all in all best of luck to you this is just my two cents worth.

 

[SoleilBxrs]

I may get some bad responses but I got my Max from a professional breeder. I have been lucky as he has been healthy (knock on wood) of course he is fixed now and I would definitely do that. It all sounds good that they are health checked, but what good is that guarantee? Is it for a year, two years what. If you have really fallen for the 300 dollar baby see if they will let you take it to a vet to have it checked out! I would be more apt to do it with the more expensive ones than the three hundred dollar baby. Also check out pet health insurance and such. A health guarantee is great but what good is it if your heart is broken and they will take the pup back. Again go with your heart. The reason I say this I spoke to a lady at our local pet store, they just sell fish and she had a cute boxer pup, it was a 7 month old and she paid 800 hundred dollars for it but she stated it had been fairly sick since she got it. It was cute mostly fawn but see what you pay doesn't mean a thing. It is your gut reaction, all in all best of luck to you this is just my two cents worth.

IMHO, i think youre missing the point here.. you MAY be lucky enough to avoid getting a "bargain basement" puppy that does not come with future ailments, but why take that risk? why, by supporting these BYB's, would you continue to urge these people to continue breeding? There are sooo many great dogs/puppies out there that need homes. Price does play a factor here, but you can also spend lots of money (up front) on a poorly bred dog. there are TONS of BYB's using catch-phrases like "Champion Lines", "AKC Registered", "Show/Flashy/Champion Markings" they sell these pups to uninformed buyer (who they know will think w/their hearts) for $800, $900, or even more! heck! i've seen a white puppy going for $700! (you know, cuz they're soooo rare and all :rolleyes: ) BYB's also often use "1yr Health Certification" (or 2, doesn't make a difference) as another catch phrase... but these don't mean much since most dogs won't get sick until 2 or older. Why not side-step as much of this as possible by getting a pup whose parent's have had their Hearts, Hips, Thyroids, and eyes cleared and certified as healthy? (this is much more than just a vet's 22pt inspection) You far reduce the chances of getting a sick pup in the first place.. you reduce the chances of your dog coming down with heart or hip problem as it ages, and above all, you have the friend/mentorship of a responsible breeder who will be with you the span of your pups life, and probably longer than that. (so basically a LIFETIME guarentee and then some! :D ) so again, best of luck with whatever decision you make.. i really hope you learn much from this site.

-Kat, Cassius and Nikita

 

[SoleilBxrs]

correction

the first line should read.. "you may be lucky enough to GET a "bargain basement" pup that does not come with future ailments..."

-Kat

 

[Chicagosarah]

I volunteer with Boxer Luv rescue and we get some of the best, well train most loving boxers in the world!! I look at them and think to myself" how are you in rescue, you are the best dog ever)Either their familys couldnt keep them because they were moving, getting a divorce, didnt want to deal with a hyper puppy, did feel they had enough time for the dog or many other silly reasons. Some people even have spent the money and time on a show crop for their boxers just to turn them over to use because they dont want a dog anymore!!!
These "rescues" are healthy, happy and in real need of a forever home!!! I posted some of our boxers in rescue in my gallery as you can see they are BEAUUUUUTIFUl!!! I wish I could foster them all!!!! And of course adopt a few of them
Not all rescues are starved, abused or neglected, those are the ones you mainly hear about because rescues need donations to pay medical costs for them. Heck, even those that were neglected are the best pets because they realize their new home saved them!!!
I rescued my boxer at 8 months, she was locked in a tiny yard 24/7 no toys, no bedding, etc. She is the most adoring, loving sweet obedient boxer in the world. I think she knows that I saved her and she loves me for it!!!
We get all ages in rescue, not even born yet via pregnant rescues!! I know that in the local shelter there is a 10 week old boxer that was dumped in someones back yard!
The great thing about a rescue is that if you adopt one 6 months or older they are already house trained, crate trained, know basic obedience, etc. It saves you from the yucky potty training ruined carpet phase!!LOL
However, if you do want a puppy and have the time for one(pups cant be alone for more then 4 hours during the day because they need to be fed many times a day and let out to potty as their bladders are teeny tiny), I would look into your local rescues and county shelters first to see what they have in the young catergory.


If you buy a BYBer puppy you will be shooting yourself in the foot. You will save money up front but you almost 100% guraenteed will pay over 1000 in vet bills for kennel cough, giardia, worms, mange, etc as the puppy will get something. And if it gets a genetic disease like a thyroid problem, heart murmor, or worse it ends up dying, you will be broken hearted and broke on top of it.
It is a way safer bet to spend the 700+ for a puppy from a reputable breeder that knows what they are doing and breeding to better the breed. I really cant think of anything better(other then rescue) then being able to support a reputable breeder that does all the health testing and shows their boxers. Reputable breeders and rescue are the only means I personally would ever get another boxer, or two or three.....

A boxer is a 13-16+ year committment, make sure you are ready for that!!!

 

[Kiile47]

I went the cheaper route.....and it was bad....

Just so you know, back in college I got a boxer pup....inexpensive, not AKC registered, nice people but backyard breeders. Kayla was the most amazing dog ever and at 3 she got cancer. She died 3 months later from mediastinal lymphosarcoma. A number of her siblings ended up with various forms of cancer as well. I spent $7,000 in chemotherapy, not to mention the unbelievable heartache...so trust me when I say, the extra $400 is well worth it.

I now have a very well bred, registered boxer that I adopted. (lucky for me someone else paid the high price for him and couldn't manage a boxer...) He is 6 years old and is nothing short of priceless. I'm getting another one in the next month or two and will only purchase a puppy from a well known, experienced, AKC registered breeder.

Learn from my misfortune!

 

[Bart's Momma]

Our first Boxer was a newspaper ad dog - he didn't make it to his 4th birthday. Our second was a mix - mom was a pet, dad belonged to a breeder. He made it to 10 years but had various problems throughout his life. This time around, and it's been 12 years since our last one, we looked for three years before find the right puppy for us. Our baby came from a breeder who had originally intended to keep him as he had "show potential" - an injury (to the breeder) forced him to give this guy up (lucky for us though). I would recommend that you look into rescue and that you take more time to search for the right pup. There is one out there and you won't regret the time or the money. As the other posters have said, there is no guarantee for health - but that's true of every living thing. So you do the best you can, rescue or buy from reputable breeders who breed for the improvement of the breed - not a "greeder" who's breeding for the bucks. Our little guy is worth every cent we paid and then some. Good luck to you.

 

[PawPrintBoxers]

Hey, you wanna hear a dog we had in our rescue 2 years ago? Incredibly brindle male. Natural ears that laid perfectly. Head to die for. Better than 50% of the ones I see in the show ring and even better than some that win The sire side was 100% UK import. The breeder had bred a very nice bitch to an imported sire. This male I could have put into the ring, ears and all. LOL--of course, except for the fact we neutered him

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. A Rescue Boxer is a dog that for reasons usually unrelated to the dog itself, it has lost his home. Divorce, military deployment, person who buys a puppy and does not think their choice through, illness of owner, death of owner, loss of home, pregnant, new baby, 2nd new baby, etc.

All these scenerios have nothing to do with the dog. But still a wonderful dog has lost his/her home and needs a new one. They are not "used". They are homeless. They are not baggage. They are orphans.

Put a human face on their situation and you can understand it a bit better.

 

[hanley]

Christina beautifully said!!!!!!!!!!

Most all of the time it is the owner not the the dog. Just sweet smooshy faces that need a home & love. Hanley

 

[Apollobxr]

puppy dilema

From my experience with boxers... I got my first boxer puppy in 1999. Here is the story... My friend was looking for a boxer and I, loving animals in general, went with her to look at them. After our first visit, not thinking I was going to get one, we went back and found that the breeder was not taking care of them like a good breeder should. So we took the 5 or 6 puppies, got them checked out by a vet and I ended up taking the runt to my home to nurse her. ( they were only 4 or 5 weeks old at that time.) After selling all of the puppies, with the consent of the "lazy" breeder, I ended up getting my first boxer, the runt brindle female for $50, which I had to pay the breeder. After 8 months or so, we took her to get spade (which never happened due to the fact her kidneys were not strong enough) and found out she had CRF, chronic renal failure/ under developed kidneys which cost us about $800, that was just the diagnosis by biopsies and so forth. Over the next 4 years she was with us we have spent well over $5,000 on vet bills, special food and medicine. She soon began to space herself from us and after consultations from the vet, we decided to put her to rest. About a month later, after talking to a family memeber who shows boxers and knows well-known breeders throughout the state, we found a breeder with a litter that were only 5 weeks old. We contacted her and found out she did health testing, had AKC, champion blood lines and the whole nine yards. Only this boxer we found from her was $1200 ( the other puppies were only $800 and of course the "show prospect" puppy was the one we bonded with. I paid it and I think it was well worth every penny. I have had him for about a year and a half and have had no problems with is health, just the usual check-ups and shots. So, it's up to you but I know how it feels, seeing the prices of some of the puppies, they are all cute and you want all of them but really think about the breeders, bloodlines and such before you pick one. Good luck!