Themba is a delightful little Boxer dog.
He is highly intelligent, spirited, even naughty. And he packs a punch. He’s tough. Which is
just as well, given his health issues. He was advertised in the local paper.
The Breeder wasn’t all that friendly but a little research turned up that she
is a top breeder of Boxers and has been a judge at Crufts. Themba has a
pedigree as long as my arm. He was also crypt-orchid, has a broken tail and has
aortic stenosis. But apart from that, he’s ace.
There is nothing we can do about his tail.
I think it must have been damaged during rough and tumble with his littermates.
He was born shortly after the ban on tail docking was implemented in the UK.
And then there is the aortic stenosis.
This is a problem in Boxers, but there is a register, which is supposed to
provide prospective Boxer puppy buyers with information. I only found this
register by chance this year. Themba’s dam and sire were tested for aortic
stenosis. The bitch has it. That in itself doesn’t preclude her from breeding
(based on pure Mendelian genetics), but it should mean that the breeder tells
buyers about it. She didn’t, but our vet is very good and picked it up straight
away. And he has been seen by a cardiologist. There is no treatment required at
the moment, but he may suffer from heart failure as he gets older. He has
collapsed a few times due to over-exertion but there is no evidence that this
is related to his heart problem.
The Breeder did offer to take him back,
but as he could not be used for stud, I worried that he would be destroyed. So
we kept him, warts and all, and I so glad we did. Brin adores him.
This story raises two important issues.
One, dog breeders need to be brought to account. This breeder was highly
successful. We saw both Themba’s parents and they were fine dogs. She was not a
puppy farmer. We felt confident in our purchase. We asked all the right
questions. Our puppy was Kennel Club registered. Shouldn’t the Kennel Club have
told us that his mother was registered with aortic stenosis, albeit mild?
Secondly, our two puppies, both pedigree
Boxers, came from very different backgrounds. Brin was bred in a family home.
We met his mother and grandmother, both beautiful animals. We were interviewed
by the breeder’s young children! He was completely socialized to dogs, cats,
horses and children. A clear example of nature versus nurture.
We have had the Boxers in our lives for
five years, and we couldn’t honestly say which one we love more. They are part of
our family, and in case you are wondering, Themba means ‘hope’ in Zulu.
You can read Brin's story at Christmas Pie Crafts, where I am guest blogging today.
You can read Brin's story at Christmas Pie Crafts, where I am guest blogging today.