Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics

We subscribe to a code of ethics which includes important goals such as producing Boxers that are within the official standard for the breed, longevity, good health, and giving clients assistance and advice as needed.

WE BREED FOR QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY OR PROFIT.

WE ARE NOT BACKYARD BREEDERS.

We show our dogs in conformation and obedience, and this gives us the feedback we need to continue to breed Boxers that are beautiful and live up to the standard written for the breed. However, with my background in animal physiology and genetics, I have always had an equal interest in becoming knowledgeable about the health problems of the breed.

All purebred dogs have inherent health problems because they are inbred to a certain degree to keep the traits of the breed. This limited gene pool unfortunately allows inherited health problems to proliferate, and I have made it my major focus to eliminate these health problems to the best of my ability. There are numerous health tests that can be performed on Boxers throughout their lives to determine if they carry inherited health problems, and I have spared no expense in 30 years of breeding to carry out these tests.

I lived in California for many years, and each year I would load up all of my Boxers and transport them to UC Davis Veterinary School where they were X-rayed for Hip Dysplasia, examined by an ophthalmologist for inherited eye diseases (corneal dystrophy being an issue in Boxers), Doppler Ultra sounded and Holter Monitored by their Cardiology Department, and checked for Thyroid problems. This was extremely expensive, but kept my breeding program free of health problems that could be tested for. As a result, I never had a client put in a claim for a health guarantee and no Gentry dogs were ever diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy, a major killer of Boxers.

Cardiomyopathy is one of the most serious inherited diseases in the Boxer. It causes the heart to beat erratically some of the time (to have arrhythmia). These arrhythmias may or may not be detected by listening to the heart with a stethoscope and require more sophisticated and expensive methods to detect. An abnormal number of boxers inherit this disease, which can manifest anywhere from an early age up to late in life. This disease can cause any range of symptoms from fainting to sudden death, even in very young Boxers, a real tragedy to the loving owner.

Therefore, Gentry Boxers has been following the guidelines of the American Boxer Club’s Health and Research Committee since long before they were published, Holter monitoring all of our breeding animals once a year until they passed away. This is much more aggressive screening than is recommended. A new test has been made available to test for one of the genes which is responsible for right ventricular Cardiomyopathy. All Gentry breeding dogs are ARVC gene tested, DNA profiled, and must be normal to be bred.

MY SOLUMN VOW REGARDING DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY:

Recently we lost a very loved boxer named Petie who passed away from Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). Many breeders have DM in their lines and haven’t known it because we didn’t have a gene test until recently. Unfortunately, many breeders are still producing “At Risk” A/A boxer puppies who are at risk to develop this devastating and fatal disease; because they have the belief that it is a disease of only very old dogs. We lost Petie at the age of 11, and I vow that I will never produce another DM At Risk puppy. I do not want anyone to go through what Petie and my family did. DO NOT BE COMPLACENT—ask for DM test results and do not buy an “At Risk” puppy if at all possible!!

Member in good standing:

American Kennel Club

International Kennel Club

Houston Boxer Club

10 years in the

Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs Breeder Referral and California Breeders Referral (blind screened and voted in)

I subscribe to the American Boxer Club Code of Ethics

And breed to the ABC Standard