 Before you buy a puppy... |
| I would like to
take a moment to tell you a little about my breeding philosophy and how
I place puppies.
As a "Show Breeder" my goal is to produce puppies that conform to the Standard as closely as possible. The Boxer Standard was developed to give breeders a description of the ideal Boxer. By breeding to the standard, we are ensuring that future generations will continue to look like Boxers, and not lose the uniqueness that makes them stand apart. Dog Shows are competitions where breeders show their stock and get a judge's opinion on how well they are doing. In a dog show, the judge compares each dog to the standard, not to another dog. The dogs that he/she feels is closest to the ideal is the one that wins that day. So to show breeders, all puppies are evaluated on how they too, compare to the standard. When I evaluate a puppy, it is with an eye to the future, with the hopes of someday showing it. When a puppy does well in the show ring, it is a confirmation that I am on the right path in my breeding program. I do not breed often, but when I do I try to make the best match that will produce the nicest puppies. While not every puppy in a litter will make the grade, those that do look promising should be given the opportunity to shine. Therefore, when you see a puppy that is labeled "Show Potential" or "Available to show home", that means that I feel this puppy has qualities that will enable it to be competitive in the ring someday. While I may be willing to sell this puppy to a pet home, I would ideally like to find a home where the pup may be shown someday, if they continue to develop to their potential. Because I do not breed often, those pups I do produce are like gold to me. I really don't want to throw their potential away. I understand that this can be very frustrating to the person who is simply looking for a pet puppy. I have sold several promising pups to non-show homes, and though I don't regret the sales, it is difficult knowing that those pups are 'lost' to me, and their potential will never be known. So with this in mind, please be very careful before committing to buying a show-potential puppy, not just from me, but from any breeder. Do not be unfair by promising to show the dog, and then finding one excuse after another not to. Showing can be a very rewarding endeavor, and many people who try it end up getting 'bit by the bug'. Children can learn valuable lessons about responsibility and sportsmanship by competing in Junior Showmanship, Obedience and Agility. But having a show dog takes committment, time, and money. It is not a hobby to be taken lightly. Many Boxer Breeders are like myself, very small-scale, but dedicated. We do not have the resources to keep every promising pup ourselves, but are willing to let them go to others who want to get a good start. All that we ask in return is that the fruits of our efforts are not wasted. We will go to great lenths to help and mentor newcomers. We see you as the future in the breed. And we want to make sure that the breed is in good hands. So that means that we will be a little choosy about the homes that our pups go to. I hope you understand.Thank you and God Bless. |
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©2000-2005 Jovilea
Boxers, et al. All rights reserved. |