[Drayken]

I have been in contact with many breeders. I am in Ohio. It seems that it is about $400 for a non tested backyard breeder, $750 for one breeder who "claims" all is well, and is higher up, but still BYB IMO, and then the show dog type breeders at $950. I found one that only breeds every other year or so, for show dogs, but ofcourse, the rest get sold as pups. These are the tests I asked if she had done. (She owns the Dam, but the Sire is owned by another breeder, who I actually have already spoken to, and both have been friendly and answer all questions I have asked. The owner of the Sire is also holds office in the Ohio Boxer Club)

Anyways, here are the tests I asked about:

1) Holter Monitoring

2) Auscultation/Doppler Tests

3) Full Thyroid Panel

4) Hip X-rays

This is the response i got:

"The Stud's are 24hr. halter monitor our Girl's are Given an E.K.G. by a LC. Card. Vet. in house [Vet's office]

A Doppler is usually given after a problem, However, I have with some Pup's I have purchased to rule out any problem from a pup mummer Have had Eco's ran on that pup. So It depends on the breeder but all people who breed a Boxer should run an E.K.G. And yes our girl's are thyroid tested, fecal tested Barcelona's tested hip checked but only x-ray ed if there is a question or for O.F.A. cert. we don't all way's O.F.A. any more for different reason's it is not prevalent in the boxer breed, Most of the bloodline in the past or even close is O.F.A. Usually a vet can exam a boxer and tell you if there is a problem, if not then you need x-ray's.

I hope I have helped if you have any question's please feel free to ask."

I also asked if I could get copies of the tests, and show to my vet, she said ofcourse. She is breeding for another show dog, and will be keeping the best one out of the litter. I just want a good, HEALTHY family pet. I have also been in brief contact with the Dam's mother's owner. All have been informative and open. Besides taking the tests to the vet, and actually looking at the pups, is there any thing else I should be looking for?

Oh, and about the hip X-rays. I have been told by 4 different breeders that it is not that previlent in Boxers anymore, and most don't get them done. These are from others I have talked to, even one who was not selling pups, just giving info. Is this all true?

 

[HannaBanana]

http://americanboxerclub.org/health-screening.html

I would follow the outline for Health testing as defined by the American Boxer Club.    Most reputable breeders do not have the perfect stud dog in their back yard hence why a majority of breedings are done between two kennels.  I always ask why they selected the mate they did and what are they hoping to get out of the mating (ie - stong topline, square head, etc).     I like to see hips xrayed, thats just me.  I know some dont do it, but if I were breeding, then I want all and any confirmation that I am producing the healtiest boxers I possible can.   HD IMO I do not take as lightly as some do, but that's me.    I am training my two dogs in agility, and would hate to find out they could have HD in their genetics , however IMO HD is not 100% genetics either.  

All breeders breed with the goal in mind to produce great boxers.  To have these puppies prove their greatness that is why they show them.  The pups that do not have show potential, then become pet pups, mostly with a non-breeding agreement.   That is the good thing is that not all pups are show quality, and a majority are placed in pet homes that allow families to have a healthy pet.  

As far as selecting a breeder, you at the end of the day need to feel comfortable with what they are doing IMO.   Just because they are reputable, does not always mean they are responsible.  What may be reputable and responsible to me, may not be to you.   Best bet is to find a breeder who is open to all and any questions about their dogs and their program, and one that you feel like you can trust and have a friend in case you ever need them.   One that just does not take your check, give you the dog and say thanks have a good one!

The time and research in the beginning maybe hard, but IMO you get what you put into it - Congrats on a good start to finding a breeder.   I am sure Jennifer (Newcaslte) and Jess (BurningRiver) will have more input on tests, what is standard and what is not.

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[HannaBanana]

http://www.newcastleboxers.com/breederquestions.shtml

Jennifer has a great section on her website on good questions to ask breeders.

 

[Newcastle]

An EKG is better than nothing, but as far as screening for ARVC is concerned it's basically worthless.  Doppler is not required if the dog doesn't have a murmur, but you need an auscultation by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist to make that determination.  Thyroid testing is not necessarily the same as an OFA-type thyroid panel; the latter looks at more levels, which are more important to the genetic form of hypothyroidism.  I seriously doubt that 'most of the bloodline' is OFA certified for hips, because most Boxer breeders do not check hips.  Despite this, only about 11% of the breed is diagnosed with HD so it is not the prevailing health concern at this point in time.  That said, a vet exam would generally only detect the worst cases of dysplasia; many dogs with mild dysplasia, and even some with moderate to severe dysplasia, are clinically normal for several years - an x-ray would reveal the condition, but an exam would not.

If a breeder were doing Holter and Doppler and opted not to x-ray hips, knowing that there weren't any diagnosed cases of HD in the last few generations, that would not be a deal-breaker for me.  A breeder who doesn't Holter, doesn't have a cardiologist auscultation/Doppler, *and* doesn't hip x-ray would be a deal-breaker.  (I'd also be a little concerned about the "Barcelona's" test; the correct term is 'brucellosis' or perhaps 'Brucella' - that's a rather large difference, though there a slight chance that might be a spell-checker error.  Still, I'd personally rather know that the breeder knew what they were screening for....)

As far as hips, as I mentioned it is not extremely prevalent in the breed.  It is more of a problem in some lines than others (in general pet lines are more affected than show lines, but this does not at all mean show lines are unaffected) - and as Heather mentioned, if you're interested in agility, coursing, herding, etc., it's probably of higher importance than for the typical dog owner.  (Some, maybe many, agility breeders x-ray elbows, too - since the elbows take a lot of impact from jumping, this is not a bad idea, though thankfully so far there is zero incidence of elbow dysplasia in the breed.)  On the flip side, only about 3% of Boxers are graded Excellent for hips; about 56% are Good and about 29% are Fair (which is considered "Normal"/unaffected); the remaining 1% are Borderline, which is indeterminate and should be re-evaluated - most of these dogs end up as normal (usually Fair) on follow-up.

 

[BurningRiver]

As an individual who owns a (spayed) bitch from show lines who xrayed in the lower 30th percentile for hips, I can honestly say that HD can and does happen in our breed, and it does happen even in show lines. As a result, I will always test hips of any dog that enters my program and require it of the stud dogs that I use with my bitches.

Ultimately, when looking to purchase a puppy, you can do nothing more than educate yourself as best as you possibly can and make the decision that you feel most comfortable with. I think that it's wonderful that you're asking questions and doing your research ahead of time as it will only serve to benefit you in the long run and make you much more comfortable with whatever decision that you ultimately end up making.