Boxers

Clodagh

Clodagh

Playing chess with pigeons
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My boss's boss (who is a bit of a dick...but that's by the by) has just bought a Boxer puppy. Now I assume he is an intelligent man, he certainly earns lots of money.
I don't know much about Boxers but his pup is white, and I think that means they can be deaf? I asked him that and he said the breeder told them that was an Old Wives Tale and not true. All the pup's hearing was fine. (No test to show, and he couildn't tell. He picks the pup up next week).
I asked what health tests Boxers should have, and he said none. I said how lucky that was as Labs need so many it is a minefield.
I asked what colour the mum was and he hadn't seen her.
Its all good though as the pups are only £600 and Boxer pups would normally be £1500 (apparently). The breeder had two litters at the same time so had discounted the price to move them all on quickly.

Now, as I said I know nothing about Boxers but this does all sound a little unlikely. The breeder is from Masham, near Norwich. I now wonder if it could be that dodgy woman that has been mentioned on here? TBH he is not the sort of man who is ever wrong so there is no point telling him.
 
Look, people hate to be told, when they're bumming and blowing about the dog they've bought/they're about to buy, that they are being taken for a ride. And when it goes wrong, they will not blame the breeder, or themselves, they will blame the person who tells them that they've done the wrong thing, however diplomatically they attempt it.
You're supposed to say WOW and be really impressed at how clever they are.
And when it is a woman trying to tell a man, well, it's even worse. I've seen it over and over again, you're best just to wish him luck and smile in sympathy when the proverbial hits the fan.

(Cynical, moi?)
 
CorvusCorax said:
Look, people hate to be told, when they're bumming and blowing about the dog they've bought/they're about to buy, that they are being taken for a ride. And when it goes wrong, they will not blame the breeder, or themselves, they will blame the person who tells them that they've done the wrong thing, however diplomatically they attempt it.
You're supposed to say WOW and be really impressed at how clever they are.
And when it is a woman trying to tell a man, well, it's even worse. I've seen it over and over again, you're best just to wish him luck and smile in sympathy when the proverbial hits the fan.

(Cynical, moi?)
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That is so right. I did just admire the photos of her and say how lovely. You can't educate stupid.
 
ester said:
Like horses the resultant deafness is linked to the lack of pigment cells in the inner, which of course you can't see. Nothing about old wives :p

I'm loling slightly at makes lots of money = intelligent.
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I know, I know, but he must have a certain amount of cunning to have avoided all the forced redundancies that have taken place!
 
Clodagh said:
My boss's boss (who is a bit of a dick...but that's by the by) has just bought a Boxer puppy. Now I assume he is an intelligent man, he certainly earns lots of money.
I don't know much about Boxers but his pup is white, and I think that means they can be deaf? I asked him that and he said the breeder told them that was an Old Wives Tale and not true. All the pup's hearing was fine. (No test to show, and he couildn't tell. He picks the pup up next week).
I asked what health tests Boxers should have, and he said none. I said how lucky that was as Labs need so many it is a minefield.
I asked what colour the mum was and he hadn't seen her.
Its all good though as the pups are only £600 and Boxer pups would normally be £1500 (apparently). The breeder had two litters at the same time so had discounted the price to move them all on quickly.

Now, as I said I know nothing about Boxers but this does all sound a little unlikely. The breeder is from Masham, near Norwich. I now wonder if it could be that dodgy woman that has been mentioned on here? TBH he is not the sort of man who is ever wrong so there is no point telling him.
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He’s an idiot. I have no doubt that he thinks he’s the DB’s but he is still an idiot.
 
We had a white boxer bitch - she wasn't deaf but her brother was, and this was made clear to us by the breeder. We also got her at a vastly reduced price because of her colour (don't think white is a breed standard?).

As far as I am aware Boxers do not require health tests, but are prone to heart murmurs and hip problems.

Ours was a character, but a real handful and could be very unruly, and we often put it down to the fact she was white. I would not have another.

Regarding the buyer, he should have at least seen the mother, but as you state, sounds like the type that can't be told........just hope he doesn't learn the hard way, or at cost of the dog.
 
In the USA white is a disqualifying fault in boxers. White is also linked to deafness and all white pups should be BAER tested. Hips and hearts are also checked by responsible breeders. At least he doesn't need to worry about whether or not to crop ears. I hate that it is so hard to find breeders here that won't dock tails or sell to homes that don't plan on cropping ears. A friend had to look long and hard to find a breeder that left tails and ears on.

I once expressed interest in a boxer puppy and was told I wouldn't get one if I didn't do the ears. Blech. I didn't get the puppy.
 
Pinkvboots said:
My friend has 2 boxers they are lovely dogs but they are completely nuts, they need quite a bit of exercise and can be quite boisterous not for the faint hearted.
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He has had a boxer before, he got her as a rescue, she died at 8 from cancer. I don't know what colour she was.
Interstingly apparently half of this litter have no tails and half do.
 
I knew nothing about Boxers before I came to Scotland except they like people rather than other dogs so need lots of socialisation.
My Son in Laws family have bred boxers for generations, just a litter every so often when they wanted a pup to keep. His Aunt had a white that wasn’t deaf and his brother bred a litter a few years ago which had a couple of whites that weren’t deaf, but it’s always a possibility. The ‘in’ colour at the moment is brindle, at least for showing. They never spoke of health tests.His parents last one died age five from a brain tumour. Not wanting to breed again it has taken over a year to source a red one and it cost a fortune! She is now five months old and mad as a box of frogs. My poor daughter has to look after her frequently and we are trying to teach her how to behave and socialise her with my dogs. Oh dear, not my sort of dog at all!
 
There is an increased chance of deafness in white boxers, not as high as in an albino but still present. The colour is also a disqualifying fault so the dog likely won't be registerable bar on the limited register and of course, they should not be used for breeding. Pups from a white parent cannot be registered in Ireland regardless of their color I'm not sure of the UK policy.

They used to be a fabulous breed, met a lady lately who had one live to 16! when I expressed surprise..I've never met one older than 11! :( ..it turns out that was 30 years ago. She had shipped him from the UK to Oz.
Now they have some serious issues with heart disease including some congenital heart disease and a lot of cancer within the breed..lymphoma appears to be rampant in the middle-aged boxer to the point a genetic link is suspected similar to the golden. Hips are hit and miss. Eyes can have issues to...and, of course, they are brachycephalic with all of those issues as well, granted less extreme than the Bulldogs.

A real pity as they are fabulous dogs and usually very very sweet!

Hip scoring and heart testing is recommended and done by the responsible breeders within the breed. But is not on the required before they can be registered according to kennel club, so recommended but not enforced.
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/me...ific_requirements_and_recommendations_web.pdf

Given he's buying a "deal" from a puppy farmer or backyard breeder I doubt your boss really gives a crap about the above though. Hope he gets insurance for the pups sake.
 
He is not getting insurance. I said that we insure ours for at least the first two years and he did say (Shock! Amaze!) that that was a good idea.
He did see the bitch, I was wrong there, he didn't see both bitches. She is white!
I hope for the dogs sake that she will be fine.
 
Clodagh said:
He has had a boxer before, he got her as a rescue, she died at 8 from cancer. I don't know what colour she was.
Interstingly apparently half of this litter have no tails and half do.
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At least he has some experience of them fingers crossed everything works out ok, when I go round my friends the dogs are in the garden and all I see is there heads appear at the kitchen window, where they are jumping up to look in they do look funny with legs and ears flinging around, one of them will literally want to sit on your lap and his huge.
 
If I were ever to buy a boxer, as well as all the points made above, I would also be investigating the pedigree for instances of DISH and/or spondylosis. DISH is so very prevalent in the breed (c40%) that it is believed to be genetic. In the past many cases will have been misdiagnosed as spondylosis so I would want to take them into account too. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989211/
 
I've had two boxers, one brindle and a white rescue, he wasn't deaf although used to pretend he was! He had a black patch inside his ear which probably meant that at least one ear functioned normally.

White dogs/bitches SHOULD NOT be bred from.

Re tails, there is a gene that some boxers have which naturally gives them stumpy tails although most have tails. Both my dogs were docked.
 
Clodagh said:
He has had a boxer before, he got her as a rescue, she died at 8 from cancer. I don't know what colour she was.
Interstingly apparently half of this litter have no tails and half do.
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I keep hearing cancer and boxer in the same sentence.

The half have tails, half don’t suggests that not all of the pups belong to the same bitch. Super dodgy.
 
Thats a great phot, which one are you Lev?
As regards 'smart, wealthy' and boxers, I once worked for a very wealthy chap who owned a boxer, he took her to be mated and on the way home took her for her heart tests!!!
The pup he kept had an odd shaped head (like a road cone) she was found dead at just under 6 months.
Boxers are not my cup of tea but are generaly nice (if crazy) dogs.
 
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