My background, my experience and my approach

About me

My name is Justine and I live in Normandy, more specifically in Calvados.

I’ve been a Boxer fanatic ever since I was doing a BEPA (vocational diploma) in canine and feline breeding on a sandwich course.

On Wednesdays, I used to do dog training as an activity, and I had a boxer as a ‘pupil’.

His name was Brasko, and he was a wonderful dog, very calm and gentle.
I had him with me for the whole of my BEPA year, and a bond developed between us.

I realised that this breed had caught my eye.

Iz, my first boxer

A few years after discovering my passion for this breed, I decided to take the plunge and get my own boxer.
In 2013, IZ, a light brindle male with white markings, came to live with me.
It's a boxer that comes from a private home and unfortunately, after various examinations, it turns out to be dysplastic stage E (severe), His back is twisted and so is his pelvis.
IZ suffers from a rare congenital malformation in boxers.
He suffers from degenerative microphthalmia, which results in eyeballs that are smaller than average, cataracts, deformed and immobile pupils and poor eyesight.(in his case, he's almost blind).

Massaï, the world of LOF

After what I experienced with Iz, I wanted to put all the chances on my side by taking on a LOF boxer from a serious kennel..
Then you'll understand why there are so many articles on my website about the health of our boxers and my experiences with natural remedies.
I've become uncompromising about the health of the dogs I produce!

After taking a year to choose the kennel where I would take my dog, I decided on the Chemin Des Bringés kennel, which seemed serious.
In fact, I found a great deal of professionalism, respect for the dogs and, above all, real enthusiasts! Adult dogs who are well in mind and body, with screening tests carried out.
I quickly fell in love with the little single-coloured brindle baby on a copper-red background, who will be called Massaï. With him and the precious help of Alain, his breeder, I discovered the world of dog shows, the good things and the not so good.

My vision of breeding

What is breeding?

Dog breeding is the agricultural activity of breeding the species Canis lupus familiaris or dog with a view to producing and marketing puppies.

Dog breeding must be carried out with pedigree dogs in order to be LOF registered….’

From my point of view…

… and that of a good number of breeders, is above all to promote and improve the breed, both physically and in terms of behaviour and health, while respecting the breed standard as faithfully as possible.

The standard, the cradle of the breed

My aim is to respect the standard as much as possible and to counter the appearance of certain deviations in the boxer.
Boxers are sometimes too small or too big for their sex, with bodies that are not very bony (increasingly light), and heads/skulls that are losing a lot of substance, such as muzzles that are too long (Great Dane type) and muzzles that are not full (lack of width).

The boxer is a ‘Dogue’ and must have the appropriate build without being too heavy either. I don’t want to breed hypertypes (too short a muzzle like a bulldog), or very heavy dogs.

In France we don’t have many boxers that meet the ‘basic standard’, so you have to go abroad to find them, and that’s what I intend to do, as far as possible: go back to the sources of the standard.

If I’m embarking on this great adventure, it’s because I believe (without pretension) that I can make a contribution to this magnificent breed.

I want to produce dogs that are as healthy as possible, taking care to have my breeding stock screened and to choose stallions that have also been screened (for diseases common to the boxer) before breeding.

Otherwise, they won’t breed…. Working on character is just as important, and will be taken into account when choosing the male and female.

The birth of the breed

The bullenbeisser

A large, bony, rather stocky dog with a generally molossian appearance.

English Bulldog

Medium-sized dog, less compact and fairly tall, with a shorter muzzle than the bullenbeisser.

The first Boxer

Smaller than the Bullenbeisser, also a little lighter in the bone (one can imagine the influence of the English Bulldog).

My course of action

Genetic cross-fertilisation

I find it interesting to mix pedigrees and bloodlines, and in this way avoid stagnation in the breed and bring about improvements.

I give priority to stallions from outside France (it must be understood that this has an additional cost) or a foreign pedigree that is not widely used, depending on the characteristics of the mare, while keeping this aim in mind:

‘A return to the sources of the standard’.

Breeding

Just like my adult dogs, the puppies live at home and are with me every day, so they are desensitised to the noises you might encounter in a house.

They are also socialised as much as possible with their fellow dogs. For the first few days of their lives, the babies are given a room in order to provide them with a calm and soothing environment, so that they can gradually open up to the ‘outside’ world.

Puppies develop at their own pace and I always adapt to their needs. Babies are ready to join their families from the age of 2 months (8 weeks), if I consider them ready to go.

Of course, they will be identified, primo Vaccinated and will have the certificate of good health, made by the veterinary surgeon.

Natural remedies

I like to give as little allopathic (traditional) medication as possible to my animals, both puppies and adults.

However, when I cannot do otherwise (for the well-being of my dogs), the allopathic treatment provided by the vet will always be respected.

I would like to make it clear that before giving anything to my dogs, they will always be seen by their vet (you should do the same, if you wish to follow what I do).

Is living in a flat a problem?

I don't have any preconceived ideas about people who live in flats, as long as they're well aware that they'll need more outings than a dog with a garden, and that they'll need to stimulate the puppy/dog more with occupational games, whether you're there or not.

Don't forget that getting a puppy means making a commitment for at least 10 years.

You are obliged to provide for its physiological and behavioural needs.

Feeding my dogs

Our adult breeding dogs are unfortunately on dry food, and the puppies will also be weaned on this diet.

After 16 years of feeding BARF and RM (home ration), I had to resign myself to putting my dogs on dry food for several reasons.

The first was the quality/price ratio...
Ever more expensive meat for a considerable loss in quality.
I wouldn't risk using cheaper meat that I had doubts about meeting hygiene standards.

The second reason is that the laws are changing and the classification of animal products (necessary for good BARF (RM) practice) has moved to cat 3.

As a result, 3/4 of the suppliers of raw meat for animals are closing down, because they can no longer sell to people who don't have the authorisation certificate issued by the DDPP.

And finally the third reason, which is linked to the other two.
Stable (quantity) and reliable (quality) suppliers are becoming increasingly rare, so I have to spend hours scouring the net and making calls to find the right supplier for me. As a result, I have to travel further and further from home to get my supplies, and that's not sustainable.

Maybe in other regions it's easier these days, but not in Normandy.

So my dogs are fed ‘low grain’ kibbles.
Why ‘low grain’ and not ‘grain free’?
An article will soon be devoted to explaining my choice.

The Facebook groups I manage

Boxer LOF de France : Proposition de Saillie

This group is designed for anyone with a LOF and tracked stallion (heart and hip), to post an advert for the latter and for people looking for a stallion in France.

Please note: owners of LOF and tracked stallions often refuse to cover a non-LOF bitch!

Délégation AFB Île-de-France

Alain is the breed club delegate for Ile de France, so I help him manage this group.
This group contains all the photos and events from the Ile-de-France region.

My dog training courses

- SECONDE AGRICOLE EN ÉLEVAGE CANIN ET FÉLIN
1Élevage canin de grande envergure + de 100 chiens (Multi race de petits chiens)
2Élevage de Terre-Neuve ET DE COCKER AMÉRICAIN
- ACACED
- Formation TAV (Transport Animaux Vivants)
- Formation premiers secours animaliers
- Formation prévention morsure.

Inscription au réseau NEOCARE
WEBINAIRE ET CONFÉRENCE :
- Évolution de la législation en élevage (SCC et Royal Canin)
- Programme de dépistage de la Sténose Aortique et autres cardiopathies chez le Boxer. (Constat et bilan).
(Organisé par l'AFB et tenu par le Professeur Valérie CHETBOUL.)

*Page translated by Deepl