How to buy a Boxer dog puppy from a breeder

If you have set your heart on owning a Boxer dog, congratulations! You have a long life of fun, entertainment and affection ahead of you with one of the nicest, most comical and most loyal breeds of dog. Boxer dogs are enduringly popular within the UK, thanks to their distinctive appearance and kind personality traits, and it should not be too hard to find a Boxer dog breeder to buy your new addition to the family from.

However, it is important that you pick the right breeder for your new pup, and choose one that is responsible, knowledgeable and helpful. It is also of course vitally important to avoid being taken in by scams and irresponsible operations, such as puppy farms and backyard breeders.

In this article, we will guide you through the steps to follow to find yourself a good Boxer dog breeder, and ultimately, the perfect Boxer puppy.

Find some breeders!

Check out classified ads like our own Boxer Dog classifieds section and word of mouth recommendations for Boxer dog breeders in your region. Remember, you might have to travel to find the perfect pup, so do not limit your search just to breeders in your immediate hometown. If you know of any other Boxer owners, try to find out from them where they bought their dog, if they know of any good breeders, and their thoughts on the breeders that they do know about.

Another good way to find good quality boxer breeders is to go to a Kennel Club affiliated dog show, where breeders of all types of dogs are likely to exhibit, as well as promoting their breed lines to the show’s visitors.

You can also contact the British Boxer Dog Club for their advice, and a list of recommended breeders within the UK.

Start assessing Boxer breeders

Build up a list of potential breeders that you are considering buying from, and start talking to them and finding out more about them. Remember that most breeders are unlikely to just happen to have a litter ready to go at the time of your initial enquiry, and that sometimes, even expected litters may already be reserved by other buyers even in advance of the birth.

It is a great idea to build up a relationship with a breeder ahead of time, and accept that you may have to wait to find the right puppy, or for the right Boxer pup to become available.

Call up some of your short listed breeders, and tell them that you wish to plan the purchase of a Boxer pup. Good breeders should be interested in your enquiry, and willing to discuss your requirements with you, as well as feeling out your understanding of the breed and answering any Boxer-specific questions that you might have. Breeders should be able to tell you about the ancestry of their breed lines, the health and longevity of dogs they have previously sold, and the type, health and temperament of the parent dogs that they use for breeding.

Good breeders care about every pup in their litters, and will want to know a lot about you before allowing you to purchase one of their pups; if the breeder appears disinterested, take this as a warning sign.

Arrange some visits

Once you have spoken to a few breeders, arrange to visit two of three of them, whether they currently have an available litter or not. This will allow you to get a feel for the type of environment that the puppies are raised in, the temperament and care of the adult Boxers, and whether or not you like the look of the dogs that the line is producing.

Check that the premises are clean and safe, that the dogs are in good condition, and that there does not appear to be too many dogs or litters present, potentially indicating a large-scale commercial operation.

Pick and reserve

Once you have visited a couple of breeders, you will almost certainly find that you respond well to at least one of them, and like the Boxers that they own and breed from. At this stage, it is time to make a commitment to arrange to purchase a puppy from one of the breeders!

This might mean that you can take a puppy from an existing litter when it is ready to go, or in some cases, that there will be a puppy coming of age very shortly.

However, popular, well-regarded breeders are unlikely to be able to keep up with demand while still maintaining the integrity of their operation and the care of the dogs, and so, you might have to join a waiting list for your future pup.

As breeders cannot dictate how many pups are produced from each litter, and some people will be waiting for a pup with specific traits over which they have first refusal, you might not be able to get a firm date for when you can expect to get an available puppy. However, it is infinitely preferable to wait for the perfect Boxer pup from the perfect breeder for you, than to rush into a decision or buy the first puppy that you see.