Would buying a boxer from a breeder reduce the chance of health problems?

My parents have an awesome boxer. I love him to death. But we bought him off an add on craigslist for $300 and the vet bills for this dog are outragous. I really want a boxer but I don't think I could afford the vet bills. If I bought from a breeder instead of off the street would the health problems be reduced?

purchasing any pet no matter breed or size, pure or mut it will always require vet bills.At the beginning you will need to vaccinate, microchip and desex. then the following 2 months they will nees 2 vaccinations, then a annual one after that.If they get hurt of injured or grow up with medical problems then you will need to pay for them, you need to be prepared for any suprises that may cost hundreds.If you are not prepared to pay vet bills, before you even own the dog then you are a irresponsible person and should not own any pets until you are prepared to pay for any costs.

if your purchasing from a breeder ask to see the bloodlines for the parents. you want the bloodlines to be very far apart, the closer the bloodlines the closer the dogs are related, it is this that causes a lot of health problems with pedigree dogs. i raised Boxers for over 4 years and made sure that within a 7 generation bloodline their were minimal over laps in related dogs.

Yes and no. If you go through a reputable breeder who tests for the genetic defects specific to the breed, and only breeds dogs that pass these tests, you have a pretty good chance of getting a quality dog who will not suffer from the ailments your boxer does. If you just open the newspaper and find a backyard breeder, then you might me in the same boat you are now.

if you buy from a registered breeder who has medical histories, certificates etc for BOTH the pups parents then u will lessen the risk of getting a 'dud'. there are many 'breeders' out there who have a dog of a particular breed, not certified as a purebred, who decide it would be great to make a bit of extra money by mating their dog with their mates 'purebred'. u have to be very careful of this. these people know nothing about breeding and are usually in it for the money, not love of the breed itself. they often end up breeding certain health problems etc into their pups without even knowing it. my advice, buy from a registered breeder and ask to see all the documentation for the parents and make sure you get some sort of health guarantee for 6mnths-1year since u will be paying top dollar.

Of course. Good breeders are screening via xrays and genetic tests, for health problems common in the breed. Good breeders also guarentee against genetic issues, so if one should crop up (nothing can be 100% certain, that's why they use written health contracts) you will likely get a refund of the puppy's purchase price (without returning the puppy, but the puppy will have to be spayed/neutered under most contracts as breeders don't want problems passed along).One of my friends told me (and it was about a boxer) that she'd never pay $2,000 for a dog. She adopted a boxer from a local pound (I support dog adoption, but you don't get a guarentee with a pound pup). She spent $5,000 in surgery to fix his luxating patellaes. Yes well.

Essentially you'll be tipping the odds of getting a trouble free Boxer in your favor but by how much is impossible to say. Given your parents' expereinces it would pay to insure the dog, this will cover not just 3rd party bona fide accidental injuries but also long term medical conditions that may develop. It doesn't pay for shots or one off treatments like stitches for a wound, but say the dog ends up with organ diseases then insurance will be a godsend even though as they move into old age the amount the insurer will pay out may reduce incrementally. At age 12 I'd say 50% of a $10,000 vet bill is more than helpful. You may be able to find more expensive policies that do not reduce when the dog gets over 10.

buying one that's not bred by kennel club breed standards is healthier than buying one bred from kennel club breed standards...to much relative to relative breeding in kennel club breed standard purebreds...i have 9 purebreds none have any relative to relative breeding in them my oldest is 5 years old and due to have her 3rd litter of pups in march...

Don't listen to "Show Breeders Sell Mutant Pups" as it's her that sells mutants, she is against health certifications and breeds indiscriminantly, trying to put doubt in the minds of reasonable people about buying pups from backyard breeders, which is what she is. So yes, buying from a breeder who has certifications of health testing done on their sire and dam will greatly tip things in your favor to getting a healthier dog. That is exactly what I did when I bought my Rottweiler. I found a breeder who competes with her dogs, have proven temperaments, OFA'd for hips and eyes and hearts are all verified healthy. I paid pretty well, but I save in the long run as I don't have crazy vet bills, only the usual stuff. Buying responsibly is the way to go, and is the only way that responsible people will shut down backyard breeders. If everyone refused to by from BYB then they wouldn't profit and would stop their ways that are harmful to not only the pups they produce, but dogdom at large.

I agree, don't pay any heed to Show Breeders; she is completely off her rocker and seriously could do with some therapy.A GOOD breeder will show their dogs (through the American AKC or UKC, or the Canadian Kennel Club) and work them if they're a working breed. They will not only get the routine veterinary care that's required (shots, worming meds, etc.) but will go the extra mile to ensure that they are breeding TRULY healthy dogs, which can only be accomplished by research. The breeder will know of the common genetic diseases their breed is prone to and will only buy and mate dogs that have low instances or NO instances of those diseases. They get their dogs fully screened for congenital disease (think hip and elbow dysplasia, genetically programmed blindness, thyroid problems, heart malformations, nervous system diseases, etc.) and will sell their pups on a spay/neuter contract (so pups with conformation faults cannot reproduce). They guarantee the health of their dogs from 2 years to a full lifetime. They breed purebreds of correct structure, not 'designer' mutts or 'teacup'/'toy'/'Imperial' runt dogs.A bad breeder, who sell their pups in the newspaper, sites like kijiji or craigslist, sell their pups to pet stores, and will ship their puppies from a website to any random person who has the $$$. Health guarantees, if they exist, will only cover from 72-hours to 1 year, which means nothing because the majority of genetic diseases will not surface until the dog fully matures around 2 years of age. They will deliberately create mutts and runts and sell them to unsuspecting people as somehow more special and desirable.Those are the biggest differences. It's actually quite easy these days to find a well-bred dog that will provide you with years of joy and will be easy on the wallet; you just have to muddle through the poor sickly dogs first. Try going through the boxer breed club first to find a reputable breeder: http://americanboxerclub.org/I hope this is helpful! : )

First your answer from "Show Breeders Sell Mutant Whatever" is obviously not educated. (!!!!)Buying a dog from a REPUTABLE breeder who supplies you with a health contract AND the clause they will take their dog back at ANY time is the best way to go. You will not get your money back but will have an option of choosing another pet.I just bought a 7 month old French Bulldog from a highly reputable breeder. She is small, her 'marbling' is not distinctive and therefore is not show quality. She is PET quality. I have the SAME contract the people who buy for 'show potential' Frenchies. I also have a spay contract. I cannot breed her. They will sue me. I would not breed her anyway. (And I got her for less than half the price)So, find a reputable breeder. Pay the extra $$$ to get a quality Boxer. Think of it this way: How much money has your parents put into this dog in vet bills?Exactly. Pay $1000.00 to whatever (I don't show what well bred Boxers are sold for) and save yourself another 2 or 3K in vet bills.Makes sense, doesn't it?

If you buy from a reputable breeder than yes the chances of the dog having health issues go down. But you would have to ask for proof that the following genetic health tests were done:Eye exams (CERF)Thyroid (OFA) Heart (OFA)Hips and elbows (OFA or PENN-HIP) - Hips and elbows are done once, after the age of two years. A panel of three vets reads the x-rays and grades themKeep in mind that ANY dog can end up with health issues - just like people. But you can do your best to try and prevent some issues from developing by purchasing a dog that has been bred to the best of its ability.ADD: Please don't listen to Show Breeders Sell Mutant Pups - she is a Backyard breeder (like the breeder you got the Boxer from online) and she will do anything to try and keep her business alive - including mentioning fiction, not fact.

Hmm, which dog would I chose?The puppy from parent who both had genetic testing done, OFA on hips and elbows, CERF on eyes, from a breeder who studies their lines and breeds for health, temperment AND standard, ie a reputable breeder.Or the puppy from a breeder who buys dogs out of the paper and petshops and breeds them without doing any health testing and has no knowledge of genetics, ie BYB. How could one even argue that Number 2 produces healthier dogs because they aren't show dogs? Yet, she does time after time. "kennel club standards" do not mean it was line bred. It means they fit the standard set forth by the parent club of the breed, ie size, coat, temperment, etc. It does not mean they are linebred. Not all purebreds are. FYI- the breeders featured in that link do not fit under catagory one. Yes, there are bad show breeders, just like anything else there is good and bad, but there are many good ones too. Yes, getting a Boxer from a REPUTABLE breeder would reduce the chance of health problems. It is not a guarantee but it certainly stacks the deck in your favor.

In a word, yes.A responsible purebred breeder would know the genetic inheritance of dogs of their breeding & have the experience to draw on not to double up on genetic hereditary faults when carefully planning a litter.The genetic inheritance of a poorly bred dog is a genetic lottery because the breeder would either has no idea why it's so crucial to breed genetically well matched dog/b*tch or is indifferent & only view that b*tch as walking cash machine.The objective of breeders who breed to the standard & prove their dogs against it by having them judged, is to breed dogs which are genetically sound in mind & body, with the ability to do the type of work the breed was originally created to do. By health testing the sire/dam before the mating, the breeder can minimize the risk of serious health conditions, which could have a negative impact on the quality of life of a pup or be life limiting.A terrible shame about your parents Boxer, but all credit to them for taking such good care of him.

Make sure to contact a lot of breeders and ask them a lot of question about their breeding program. Get references from others that have bought dogs from them in the past. Contact these people to find out how well their experience went with that particular breeder. This is the best way to ensure that you buy from a reputable breeder. Good luck.I saw a few boxer breeders on this web page: http://www.pets4you.com/boxer.html

Buying a dog from a reputable, responsible breeder could minimize the risk of hereditary, genetic illnesses because they usually test and screen all their dogs and only breed those that are 100% healthy. Such breeder should have all the papers, vet's reports and test results to prove it. However, even the dogs that come from healthy line of ancestors can get sick, especially when they're very young and as they grow older. Besides, boxers are pretty sensitive breed and are, for example, prone to rheumatism and arthritis. But there are ways to prevent that. So buying a puppy from a good, reputable breeder should guarantee its good health, and that's a good start but that's not all there is to it. You have to give him shots regularly and provide him/her with the best care, nutrition and exercise in order to build a strong immune system and a strong animal. But don't forget that even the top quality puppy from the best breeder cannot be immune to infectious diseases, etc. It should be free from genetic defects like hip/elbow dysplasia etc though. Besides, as the dog gets older his health naturaly deteriorates so visit to the vet's for a senior dog are innevitable.