Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get on the waiting list for a boxer puppy?
PLEASE NOTE THIS POLICY CHANGE IMPLEMENTED JANUARY 2011> For anyone wanting on the wait list for a puppy a $100 wait list deposit will now be required to guarantee a place on the list for a specific pairing. This policy change has been needed due to the fact of to many families changing their minds and making it very difficult for me to schedule families to choose their puppy. Please keep in mind this wait list deposit will be applied to the cost of your puppy when you do choose and is non-refundable.What are the steps involved in getting a new Boxer puppy for my family?
If we do not have puppies available when you first contact me, you are welcomed to put your name on our waiting list for a puppy from the next available litter. If you do decide to get on the waiting list please keep in mind you may be waiting up to 6 months or so for a planned litter to be born & ready to go to their new homes. If we have available puppies when you contact us, you will be emailed pictures of the pups if you are unable to visit us. You then choose your puppy, at that point the Holding Deposit is due to reserve your chosen puppy for your family. The Holding Deposit is half of the full cost of the puppy (after the $100 wait list deposit,if you paid one, is subtracted from the full cost), you may pay this holding deposit by using PayPal. I have a Pay Now button on the main page of this website, this takes you to an invoice where you can pay the holding deposit. The final step is waiting those long weeks until your chosen puppy is ready to go home. When the puppy is ready to go then the final balance is due when you pick your pup up to go home, or we can also meet you part way for gas expense added to that final balance. If you've made arrangements with me for shipping the puppy you will need to pay the final balance plus the $350 shipping cost 10 days prior to the expected shipping date. You will be sent a confirmation email with all flight information you will need.What is the price for a puppy?
Costs range from $500- $900Our puppy prices vary according to the registration of the puppy & puppys' parents. At our small kennel we have CKC registered ( $500 + price range), APRI ($600 + price range), AKC ($650 + price range), and UKC (also $650+ price range) registered dogs. Most of our adults are AKC registered and those boxers are then registered with UKC & possibly APRI. The cost also varies a little by the markings of the puppy , a flashy puppy with excellent white markings will be priced higher than a classic more dark faced fawn without white markings. Female pups are also priced a bit more than males.
Does this cost include AKC breeding rights?
NO, these costs mentioned do not include breeding rights in most cases. I place 95% of our Boxer puppies in Pet Homes only. No breeding.Why do you limit registrations, no breeding rights?
Put as simply as possible, the average family does not understand what is involved in breeding a boxer & providing a healthy puppy for any prospective new families, health testing is involved first off, 2nd, boxers must be mature (fully grown) before breeding. In most cases this is a minimum of 18 months (a year and a half) for females, 16 months + for a male to sire a litter. Most families who think they can purchase a puppy at 8 weeks, breed a pup at a yr old and provide care for those pups and the immature UN-health tested mom are just wrong, and will not be buying a puppy from me. I do not want to be accused of placing puppies with breeding rights to only contribute to the over population of sub-standard boxer puppies (after our pups are bred to young or to sub-standard un-qualified, un-health tested dogs) in the general boxer population. Breeding rights will only be given to exceptional families, families that can demonstrate to me their knowledge of the boxer breed and what is involved in purchasing an exceptional puppy. And also willing & financially able to health test that boxer (at maturity) before even considering breeding..I will never place a puppy knowingly with a possible breeder that does not health test their dogs or health test the potential mating partners to the puppy purchased from me. I've done this twice in our 8 yr history with 2 pups & have learned my lesson. I've since bought both of those puppies back because I learned they were going to breed to non-health tested partners. This was unacceptable to me.Why are your boxer puppies so expensive?
We feed our dogs well, we do not feed Sports Mix or any other food with first ingredient on the list is CORN which is what most breeders feed because CORN based foods are cheap, we feed our adults either Diamond Naturals, or various Taste of the Wild formulas Dog Food depending on what works best for each individual Boxer. Also our pregnant moms are placed on Royal Canin food . Then the pups when they are started on their food are started with Royal Canin. Our food bill for our boxers is one of the expenses that must be figured in for the cost of a healthy puppy. We feed our dogs well with a good quality food to insure nice sized puppies with strong immunities & to keep our adult boxers at a healthy weight. I believe you get out what you put in...if you want mountains of poopoo put in mountains of poo food..If the dog is not benefiting from it why feed it..Have you ever seen a dog in a corn field going to town on an ear of corn? Make sense?Then we visit our vet with our boxers on a regular basis for teeth cleaning, health check-ups, vaccinations and fecal exams to determine if we are doing a good job on parasite control. Fleas in a kennel environment are a constant battle, WE use Comfortis chewable monthly FLEA CONTROL for non breeding Boxers & Frontline PLUS topical applicators for the actively breeding dogs for flea control. Then of course and should go without even thinking about it for any breeder or any new puppy owner: all of our boxers are on MONTHLY HEARTWORM PREVENTION..Your new puppy should be started on HW prevention by the age of 3 months PERIOD no if's ands or buts.. this is vitally important. Heartworms are KILLERS. Heartworms intermediate hosts are MOSQUITOES if you've seen a mosquito in your yard your dog could have been exposed to heart worms.
Then of course we health test our boxers for heart issues before breeding this can include but not just limited to Holter monitoring (24 hr EKG), ARVC testing, sonagrams for blood flow rate. ETC. ETC. Testing costs money. You get the idea. Pregnancy testing, thyroid testing, brucellosis testing etc. Our 3 separate veterinarians love to see us walk in the door
Why are your boxer puppies so inexpensive, is there something wrong with them?
I get this odd question from the occasional northern states family where they are accustomed to seeing purebred boxer puppies advertised for $1000 plus, I am not certain why northern boxers are more expensive than our southern raised boxers, but I THINK it's because the overall care & feeding of "northern" boxers cost more. The overall cost of living & wages are higher in the northern states.. Plus its a supply & demand scenario, if there are few breeders those few breeders can then price their Boxer puppies for more and actually receive that price for their puppies no questions asked. If someone (there) wants a great boxer they will pay the cost. Boxers are normally in high demand no matter where families live simply because they are some of the BEST Dogs ON Earth :-)
Will you ship Boxer puppies?
When will my puppy be ready to go home?
Our puppies are not ready to go to new homes until right around the 8th week of life.. This timing depends a little on the Moms of each litter and when the moms start their weaning process. I let the moms of the litter lead us in this. Some mothers wean a little earlier than others. I believe, after watching the different moms that this depends on when the pups get their first pup teeth, how far advanced they (the pups are), health of the pups and the overall demeanor of the moms and pups)..
What if I can't pick my puppy up at 8 weeks?
Once the puppy is ready to go (vaccinations started, vet checked and declared healthy and ready) I allow 1 week for you to make arrangements to either meet me part way or drive here to pick your puppy up. After the puppy is 9 weeks old I charge $7 a day for boarding, this is due along with your final payment when you get the puppy. If I am the one wanting to keep the puppy a few extra days for health reasons, I do not charge you the boarding fee. This boarding of the pup can come in handy for families wanting to finish up a vacation or to have a few days to get their home puppy proofed. Contact me with any questions.What will I get with my new boxer puppy?
You will receive your new pups registration application from one of the following registries , AKC, UKC, APRI, CKC . You will also receive in your puppy pack : a sample of the food your puppy is started with. IF you have already bought a bag of puppy chow that you want to use with your pup you will use this sample supplied while you slowly over a weeks + time add more of your bought food to your pups sample food. DO not switch your puppy over to the new food to fast, you will create problems (diarrhea, upset stomach, possible refusal to eat) . In the puppy pack you will also find the pups vaccination / deworming record, your new puppy will have at least 1 age appropriate vaccination. The vaccination / worming record is provided so you can take that to your vets office on your pups first visit. This way, your veterinarian knows what has been done & when, and can then continue the pups booster vaccinations on schedule. You will also receive a print-out on basic commands training. Please read these tips, they will help with the basics and immediately implement some of these tips in your everyday training of your new pup. I also suggest enrolling your new Boxer pup in a basic obedience class. Petco, Petsmart offer these basic training sessions at a very reasonable cost, or you can contact your local area Kennel Clubs for a list of dog trainers in your area. These lessons usually run 6 weeks with 1 or 2 sessions per week,a small time commitment for a better trained Boxer puppy is a win-win situation in my opinion. These lessons will give you the basic tools to help in all aspects of training your new puppy.
What can I expect the first weeks?
Your new puppy will crave attention. Giving your new pup lots of attention during these early weeks will strengthen the bond between your new puppy and you . You can expect a brand new puppy to sleep quite a few hours a day and night. If its possible for you to,please let your pup have plenty of exercise during the daytime hours and set a bedtime for him at night. He may still need out to potty during the wee hours of the morning for at least the first month or 2. Do NOT expect a new puppy to never have an accident in the house.. There will be potty accidents. Expect this, and do not be alarmed.
Please remember a new puppy immediately upon waking up will need to go potty. Also within 10 -20 minutes of eating a meal the pup will need to go potty. Also, after playing for awhile the new puppy will need to go potty, watch for the tell tale signs of circling and
sniffing he's looking for a potty place, see this behaviour and take him to the potty place you have chosen for him (potty pad placed by an exit) or outside if the weather is nice.
A new pup in the house is work. Your new puppy will whine wanting attention. Don't give him attention when he does this , wait for a quiet moment then give him attention. This will teach him to quiet himself. I know you want to comfort him when he's whining but try to
resist this urge. NOW if the whining continues and continues with no quiet in between, then by all means, see if you can engage him while still in his crate by giving him a new toy.. or a tiny nibble of food to quiet him..then get him out of his crate for some playtime
(after potty trip of course).. DO NOT crate your new pup constantly, he needs exercise. The crate is a training tool , and a nice sleeping place, plus its a place to keep your new pup out of trouble when you cannot supervise him or you are out of the room.
With effort and training in the first few weeks home with that new pup you will benefit the rewards of having a great dog. The first 8 weeks home with a new pup is a very formative time. The pups are sponges and learn very quickly, take advantage of this time
and not let it slip by. They can learn basic light leash work, patience, who is boss, what you allow and don't allow (in the way of chewing behaviour).. Potty training should be well underway during these first 8 weeks with you . . praise your pup lavishly for appropiate potty behaviour during the first few weeks home ... Some of your adult dogs behaviors are ingrained during the first few weeks home with you .. please remember this fact..You as the new owner are responsible for continueing the efforts for your puppy. I do not and could not possibly in the short time I have them with me guarantee you a housetrained pup. I guarantee a very trainable puppy. A pup started with basics of crate training (holding their functions )..A puppy kept in a clean crate when not out playing will have the "basics" in place of not laying down in his own pp or poo ... our pups are never allowed to sleep in wet bedding, if they have had an accident it is cleaned as soon as it is discovered in other words almost immediately. A pup allowed to sleep in pee
or poo will not be bothered by it.. we want them to be bothered by IT so they learn to hold their functions until they are walked to go out to potty in a more appropiate area whether that be a potty pad by the back door or outside as the pup gets older.. THIS is
the basics of crate training/ house training.. A pup will "go" where it has gone before.. If a pup is accustomed to peeing on your floor it will continue to pee on your floor. If a pup is accustomed
to "going" on a potty pad NEXT to your front door, he/ she will head for your front door area to go potty it will be up to you to get that pup outside for an appropiate potty spot as needed when you see him circling and sniffing near your door..
This is how we start our pups, we put potty pads near our exits.. if the weather is nice, we then take the pup outside to eliminate.. if weather is to bad for a tiny pup we allow them to use the potty pad near the door. AT least the basics are then "set" in place where they will venture near the door to eliminate, IT is YOUR JOB as the new owner to observe your pup and take him out as he gets older and can better tolerate inclimate weather to potty outside... Praise that puppy lavishly for appropiate potty behaviour..
Keep in mind , the pup WANTS to do what is right.. he wants you to be happy with him. IF he/she knows what makes you happy he/she will try it's best to do just that.. Make a giant BIG DEAL out of any appropiate behaviours.. outside potties are WONDERFUL woohooooo moments.. yes you will look like an idiot out there going nuts over that pup when he poo'd and p'd outside.. but much better outside and have a housetrained pup at 4 or 5 months than having a giant 8 month sized dog poop in your house to pick up RIGHT???? so let the neighbors think you have "gone off the deep end" , who cares,.. unless THOSE neighbors want to come over and clean up your dogs giant poo in your livingroom floor..??? I didn't think so !!! lol..
What crate size is best for a boxer?
You should buy a crate in the 32" - 40" tall range. You want one that your adult boxer can lift it's head comfortably in while standing..and room to stretch out and lay down. If you can find them , buy one that comes with a wire divider that can fit side to side and cut the size of the crate down for your pup, this divider can be moved every couple of months as your pup grows. If you can't find one with the divider you may can devise one out of cardboard or wood that can be tied securely on the wires across the cage so you can move it. You will want a divider so your pup only has room to lay down comfortably and does not have a lot of extra space in which to "go potty" in an area. Yes, your young puppy will look lost & so tiny in that giant crate but you will be glad you bought the larger one and not have to keep buying crates as your pup grows over the next year. I suggest placing the crate near you , if possible in the room where you spend the most time. Boxers like to see what is going on and be near their family. I also suggest a cover over part of the crate for quiet time. Sometimes they feel more secure and comforted if the cover is over part of the crate but still allow them to see out. You can buy a crate cover to fit most crates or you can just use an old blanket or piece of heavy fabric draped over part of the crate.WAIT !! Aren't crates punishment for a puppy?
No , crates should never be used as punishment for a boxer puppy. Crates used CORRECTLY are NOT punishment. Crates are safe places, havens. A nice comfy bed, nice place to go to rest. They ONLY become punishment if they are overused. A brand new 10-12 week old boxer pup can hold his functions for around 4 hours. If your family
works, you should set your brand new puppy up in a PUPPY PROOFED room where he can have some space with a potty pad or 2 placed by the door to outside, then his crate also in same room with the door left open. He will learn to leave his "bed" (crate) to go eliminate
on the potty pad or newspapers by the door. Then when you are home, immediately take your pup outside to potty. Crates are best used to protect your puppy when you cannot watch him. It keeps your new puppy out of trouble. Please don't expect him to never have
an accident NOR punish your new puppy for soiling his bedding in a crate. Just change the bedding immediately , take pup outside to potty. You must let the puppy know what you expect. Rubbing his nose in his excrement will not help the situation it will make him HIDE
to eliminate.. you don't want a sneaky hiding to poo pup..this will not solve anything.
How large will my new boxer puppy be?
This is the MOST FAQ.. Your new puppy at the time you pick him/her up will weigh anywhere between 6 and 10 lbs this depends a little on birthweight of your new pup and age of the pup when you take him home ..but the pups weight at this age does not foretell his mature weight. I mention this because I get another question about "runt" pups weight at maturity.. There is no way to predict with any accuracy the grown weight of a boxer whether he is the "runt" puppy of the litter or not. We've had a few "little ones" over the years some have gone on to make large size boxers while others have always stayed on the small end of the boxer standard as far as weight and height.Your new puppy will grow until he/she is 14- 18 months. An 18 month old boxers size is considered grown..from there they fill out and get a little wider thru the chest and rump area and stop the height growth , they will add a couple of pounds of padding as they age..
You want your boxer to grow slowly. Growing slowly will allow his joints and bones to be healthy not weak. If your young pup is growing to fast at 6 months you can put him on a good quality adult maintenance food to slow his growth down just a little and allow his
joints and bones to form strongly. As a matter of fact I suggest this... You will not "stunt" his growth by doing this. It will allow your boxer to form a good strong cartilage and bones framework to build on. Your new puppy will mature very closely to the height and weight of the parents of the litter. Here at our small kennel we do not breed for monster 90 lb boxers. German- lined boxers are usually larger framed and will be heavier larger dogs than the American lined boxer. 90 lb boxers are not the breed standard as set in place with AKC (American Kennel Club) guidelines. We breed for average weight and height on boxers as set by those AKC standards. If you want a huge dog buy a great dane or an english mastiff. Boxers are considered a medium sized dog.
Go here to read all the AKC guidelines...
AKC Boxer Standards
Can we visit to make our decision on which pup is right for us? Or is everything done over the internet?
Yes you are welcome to visit and see the parents of the puppies & all of our Boxers by appointment. Or you are welcome to choose your puppy from the pictures and description I provide over the internet. I recommend visiting, but this is not absolutely necessary. This is your choice which you would rather do. If you live a far distance from us ,sometimes it is not feasible to visit first and then come back when it's time for the puppy to go home, so this is why we do offer both ways. If I don't feel a puppy is right for a certain family situation I will let you know ,say for instance a more reserved puppy going to a home with 3 children would NOT be the best fit. So I need to know your family dynamics to place the best puppy with your family. The more info you give me, the better choice I can help you make.
Summing Up
If you choose a puppy from us, we will always be here to answer any of your questions not answered here. If you need references or have any questions about us read our testimonial page or view our guestbook , many previous pups families have signed the guestbook and the comments on the testimonial page are taken from email updates from families of our past puppies. I can also give you my veterinarians name and number upon request. You can check with our vets on our commitment to our dogs welfare and extreme care we take with our breeding adults.Your new pup will be yours to continue training in the direction you want to go. If you need help with something I will be here.
Questions: Feel free to email or call.
Send E-Mail to: kjboxers@gmail.comCopyright © 2012 Pat Hinsley. All Rights Reserved