| Editor’s note: In light of the recent
discussions on the SB-L about the difficulties the novice encounters in trying to purchase
his or her first show prospect, we decided to reprint this article - originally published
in 1984. 
by Jason & Virginia
Zurflieh
Scarborough Boxers
Believe it or not, the first step to
take is to pre-qualify yourself. Show prospects of any merit are generally only
sold to serious show homes. To determine the amount of time, effort, and money you are
willing to expend to qualify as a show home, can you answer "yes" to the
following questions?
 | Are you willing to regularly take your puppy
to training classes or leave him with a trainer/handler from time to time? |
| Can you part with your puppy for a week or
so (or accompany him) to be shown at specialties or in the Futurity? |
| When your puppy is mature - "ready for
Open" - can you leave him with a handler for several weeks at a time over a period of
four to eight months (or more, if necessary)? |
| Can you afford it? The cost of showing a
competitive male Boxer to his championship in the U.S. can run as high as $2500-3500; more
for a bitch because of the stiffer competition in bitches. We agree that showing would be
much more fun and less expensive if everyone handled his own dogs in the US as they do in
the UK, or if Boxers were not a "handlers’ breed." But unfortunately,
professional handlers are a fact of life that the novice exhibitor will have to accept, at
least in the beginning. |
| Are you knowledgeable enough to choose the
right handler? If you’re not, the breeder from whom you purchased your puppy may be
your best bet for advice; the two of you are the only people who really care whether your
dog finishes or not. |
| Can you live with the fact that your puppy
has not "turned out"? If you are a real show person, you will be disappointed
but you will resign your Boxer to being a beloved pet, either in your home or someone
else’s, and you’ll keep on looking. Of course, if your first purchase was a
well-bred bitch that falls just short of championship caliber, you could start planning to
breed your own show prospect at this time. At any rate, all is not lost. If you have made
an earnest effort with your first dog, you will find that your breeder and others will be
a lot more willing to sell you a better puppy, sometimes at a lower price. |
| Finally, are you serious enough to spend the
money up front for an older show prospect? If you buy an older Boxer - 8-18 mos. - that
has won some points or several large puppy classes, you will pay two to three times as
much, but will have greatly increased your chances of acquiring a finishable dog. Many
beautiful puppies from beautiful parents do NOT end up as beautiful - or even showable -
adults; and even the most reputable, experienced breeder with the best will in the world
toward you cannot predict with 100% accuracy the future of a 3 mos.-old puppy. Unfortunately,
even if you’re willing and able to pay the price, these are harder to find. Usually
people who sell an older show prospect are breeders with several that they’ve been
sorting out, and the one you’re offered may not be the best. Of course, some breeders
will ask (and a few will get :-) a great deal more than others, based on their
kennel’s reputation and track record. You can deal with that issue by taking the
second step, which is to pre-qualify your breeder. |
To determine if you are dealing with
someone who is going to help you after the sale, you need to find out the following:
| Has the breeder bred and owned Boxers that
have finished? How many litters did he breed to produce those champions? An exception to
look for here is the novice who co-owns his bitch with a successful breeder. Frequently, a
nice, but not finishable bitch (often plain) is placed with non-show homes or beginners
who agree to breeding terms. The offspring of that bitch could have just as much potential
as the more experienced breeder’s own puppies. It might be wise to have a third
party, not connected to the breeder, supply an independent evaluation of the puppy or
young adult you are considering. The handler you plan to use for your new puppy would be a
good person to make such an evaluation. |
| Is the breeder willing to offer you guidance
and spend time and effort showing you the ropes after you’ve made your
purchase? One of your best bets here is to buy a puppy from or through a breeder who is
also a professional handler or a successful amateur. This type of breeder will almost
certainly insist on the right to exhibit your puppy and may give you a break on fees. |
| Is the breeder interested in why you want
the puppy - if it’s the right age and sex for you, how you plan to care for and train
it, and how willing you’re going to be to work with the breeder when it’s time
to start showing your dog in earnest? In other words, does the breeder exhibit at least as
much interest in what kind of home and show career you are going to provide for his puppy
as in whether your check is good? |
| To illustrate how times have changed (for
the good), we did NOT include the following point in the 1984 version of this article: |
| Does the breeder have verifications of
health checks for all his breeding stock? At the very least, his dogs should be certified
clear of hip dysplasia (HD) sub-aortic stenosis (SAS), and have normal thyroid function.
Will he guarantee your puppy against those hereditary defects? |
| Last but not least, is the breeder asking
for any harsh or unreasonable terms, such as a high price and puppies back from two or
three litters for a show bitch? In our opinion, it is unreasonable to ask the purchaser of
a potential foundation bitch to give up her best progeny from several litters, more than
likely leaving the novice with nothing in return for his investment of time, money, and
emotion. It is reasonable for the seller to ask for one puppy from her first
litter; and in the case of male show prospects, that you allow the seller free use of the
dog at stud to bitches owned by the seller. |
The breeder of your first show prospect
also has the right to expect that you’ve been exposed to enough "show biz"
to have a good idea of what’s going on, and he most certainly has the right to expect
you to live up to your promise to show to its championship the dog he has sold you.
Above all, remember that for most of us,
breeding and showing Boxers is an enjoyable - albeit expensive - hobby. As with any large
expenditure, do your homework before, not after, you part with your money and sign a
contract; and as with any hobby, if you find yourself no longer enjoying it, reassess your
commitment to the conformation ring. There are plenty of other exciting competitive
activities you can enjoy with your Boxers. |
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