Show Me Boxers & Dachshunds

Hey everyone! I hope all of you are enjoying your summer. Our summer here, while full of fun and laughter, has been brutally hot and dry. Outdoor activities must be completed before 10 am or after the sun goes down to avoid the heat. If we are outside betwen 10 am and 7 pm, we are in or near some kind of water. I'm sure it's the same in a lot of places and we are looking forward to fall.

After 3.5 years spent in the work force as a paraprofessional and then teacher, I'm looking forward to being a stay at home mom again! With my return to working outside the home, we were forced to devote less time to breeding which resulted in fewer litters born due to a lack of time to devote to them. On the flip side of that, most of our girls have had a nice, long break from raising babies and have spent their time being our family pets. Sam will be a senior this year and we want him to enjoy his final year in high school, which means I need to be free to take care of all breeding related aspects of our dogs.

In puppy news, we will be expecting our next Dachshund babies to arrive around the end of September or first part of October! We don't have any Boxer baby arrivals anticipated quite yet, but hope to have some before the end of the year.

We've been looking over the website to make sure all the links work as they should and that all our information continues to be correct. You may see a few changes here and there over the site as we make the necessary adjustments.

If you have any questions or want to visit about Boxers or Dachshunds, I'm nearly always available to take a phone call or answer texts/emails. Don't hesitate to reach out!

Amanda
417-293-6061

Oh wow! I forget that I have this blog page on my site! LOL! Sorry everyone!

Things are fairly quiet for us around here. We still have five Boxer babies available from our August litters (we had 3 litters at the same time) and they are ready to join their new families! They are very sweet babies and are growing every day. If you know of anyone looking for a new family member, please feel free to pass our website or contact info on to them! 

We had to delete our old Testimonials app and start using our previous Guestbook app (which we renamed Testimonials). If you go take a look at it, you will see lots of comments and posts from years past. We welcome new comments/entries and hope that the change will allow our site to load quicker and work better for those attempting to visit our home on the web! If we had to delete your testimonial, we apologize!

In news and updates we don't have a lot to report. We currently are not expecting any additional litters. We expect to have our next Boxer babies on the way sometime in early 2018. 

Due to many comments in languages we are not able to read, we turned off the commenting capability on our blog posts. If you read something that you want to make a comment on, please feel free to contact us by email at showmeboxers@gmail.com or call/text us at 417.293.6061. I hope each and every one of you have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving! 

~Amanda

While I realize that this blog entry may be confusing to any new comers on our website, I just want to make the announcement to all our Show Me Boxers families from over the years that WE ARE BACK and we are so excited!

As an explanation...Jeff and I took the last three years (give or take a few months) off from raising Boxers while he made two job changes and we added a new baby to our family! My parents carried on our breeding program and maintained our website during this time. We consulted back and forth about any difficult decisions that had to be made and we feel that they did an excellent job providing quality Boxer babies to many new families, as well as some who returned to add another one of our babies to their family! We would like to take a few minutes to brag on all their hard work and express our thanks to them! So mom and dad, THANK YOU so very much for all your help!

We are hitting the ground running, so to speak, with two new litters that were whelped in November! We are so excited about these new Boxer babies and we can't hardly wait for them to get big enough for us to take pictures to share with all of you! Thanks so much for continuing to stay in touch and we look forward to catching up with anything that we may have missed!

God Bless! Have a wonderful evening! I'll be back to blog some more soon!

Amanda

The AKC Pet Healthcare Plan recognizes that veterinary care and treatments for your pet is ever changing. We try to keep up with these trends to ensure that you and your pet have the most comprehensive insurance plans available. Much like the human healthcare industry, every year old methodologies and processes are being challenged and newer technology and thought processes are introduced. One of the age old practices currently being challenged is the way we vaccinate our pets. It has sparked a heated debate over which method is better; giving annual vaccinations or taking a blood sample for vaccine titers? As a result, the AKC Pet Healthcare Plan now offers vaccine titer coverage on our Wellness Plus Plan.

What is a vaccine titer?

The term titer refers to the strength or concentration of a substance in a solution. A titer is a blood test that can identify the presence of antibodies induced by vaccinations. This test will determine if a pet really needs a vaccine prior to it actually getting one.

Why do a titer test?

Recent findings have shown that we might be over vaccinating our pets. Studies have shown some harmful side effects of over vaccinating, including minor allergic reactions such as facial swelling, itching, cancerous tumors in cats, autoimmune diseases in dogs such as anemia, platelet problems and joint disease has been linked as well.

Annual vaccinations have saved millions of dogs and cats lives. Prior to the days of effective vaccines, dogs frequently died from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and complications of upper respiratory infections. However, many states now take note that annual vaccinations are not always in the best interest of the pet. Some states have changed annual rabies vaccines to once every three years.

The actual number of dogs negatively impacted by over vaccinations is not known. There is no longer a national database in the United States that allows veterinarians to report adverse vaccine reactions. The U.S. Pharmacopeia's Veterinary Practitioners' Reporting Program lost funding in April of 2003. The AVMA.org website reports that adverse vaccine reactions may be as frequent as one in every thousand dogs.

The debate over vaccines and titers is ongoing. Enlightened pet owners are consulting with their veterinarians to decide on the best way to vaccinate their pet, based on factors such as their pet's age, health status, environment and potential exposure to infectious diseases. Veterinarians are leaning toward vaccination protocols that are tailored to each pet's individual needs and risk of exposure.

Veterinarians may recommend a titer test rather than booster vaccinations for some pets. Ask your veterinarian for details to determine the best alternative for your pet. Whatever choice is made, the AKC Pet Healthcare Plan has you covered with our Wellness Plus Plan or Wellness Plan. If you already have a dog or cat insured under the AKC Pet Healthcare Plan and were not aware of the titer coverage in the Wellness Plus Plan, call our Customer Service Team today toll free at 1.866.725.2747 for details.

Regrettably, some people still believe that the white Boxeror white Boxer puppy is the least favorable of the Boxer breed. Some will arguethat Boxers born white are more prone to illness or more aggressive than theother more traditionally colored dogs of the breed. For those of us who arelucky enough to love a white Boxer...this couldn't be further from the truth!

There is a lot of misinformation out there…so let’s clear it up by looking atthe facts.

The white boxer will behave exactly like most other, more traditionally colored,Boxers. Most, if not all, Boxers are comical, fun loving, and expressiveanimals with a strong craving to please.

Despite what some may think, a white Boxer is not automatically ill, deaf, blind,or rare.  In fact, 25% of all Boxers born are white! And the majority ofthem (about 70% - 90%, statistics vary) are born healthy.

What Causes White Boxers?

White Boxers are not caused by genetic birth defects.  The white color in Boxersis not a defect at all. Just as human hair color is the product of the combinedgenetics of the human parents, the color of a Boxer puppy’s coat is determinedby the genetics of both the father (sire) and the mother (dam). Also, color canskip a generation and a Boxer may have the color of his or her grandmother orgrandfather.  In some cases, color can go back as far as five generations.

For a Boxer to be white, both of the parents must carry the genetic code for white. In every way the puppy is the same as all of its siblings - with all theliveliness, traits, and spirit that make them Boxers.

A white Boxer is not an albino. A true albino entirely lacks pigment. Any dogbreed will infrequently have an albino, although it is very rare.  When adog is an albino there is no colored pigmentation anywhere on the dog. Theyhave pink eyes, and a complete lack of color anywhere on the body.

Most white Boxers have some spots on their skin (which can be seen due to theirshort hair coats) and have some markings around their nose and mouth. Some whiteBoxers have colored markings on their coat (such as brown spots around an eyeor on the back, etc). The white Boxer will have pigment in their eyes, this alonerules out albinism as the cause of their whiteness.  White Boxers areespecially beautiful and expressive looking, as their eyes stand out very muchand they often have the “puppy dog look” that makes us melt!

Approximately one in four Boxer puppies are white (either all white or having amajority of white hair). Therefore, this is not a rare color. Even so, the AKCBoxer breed standard requires that 2/3's of the body be either fawn or brindlein color. Because of this limitation, white Boxers do not meet the breedstandard for eligibility to show in conformation classes. They are eligible forregistration with the AKC and can compete in obedience or agility classes. Usingthem in breeding programs is frowned upon due to the increased chance of thempassing along either deafness or blindness to their offspring.

Sadly, there are breeders (and people in the general public) who feel thatwhite Boxers are inferior to standard colored Boxers and have more healthproblems than standard colored Boxers.  Fortunately, the American BoxerClub allows for white Boxers to be registered with the AKC on limited privilege.

Recently, there has been more study on white Boxer dogs to either substantiateor dissuade the claims that white Boxers are more prone to problems thanstandard Boxers. The only claims that seem to have merit are:

1) A white Boxer is more likely to sunburn.

2) The white Boxer (like many other breeds with similar lossof pigment problems) are more prone to deafness in one or both ears.

Here are Ten Quick White Boxer Facts for you to consider:

1. They are not rare - approximately 25% of all boxers born are white.

2. They are not albinos - they have pigmented eyes and skin.

3. They can sunburn easily - an owner should take precaution when exposingtheir white Boxer to long periods of time (more than 30 minutes) in the sun.

4. They can be deaf and this is one of the biggest reasons why most breeders donot purposefully breed for the white color. Though percentages vary, approximately10% to 30% of white Boxers will be deaf either in one or both ears.

5. Blindness is a bit more common with the white Boxer.

6. Some people believe that white Boxers develop cancer more easily than themore standard colored Boxers - however, this is still up for debate and has notbeen proven. Boxers in general are more prone to various kinds of cancer thansome other breeds.

7.  If a white Boxers parents are AKC registered, then a white Boxer iseligible to be registered with the AKC.

8. Due to the fact that deafness (and occasional blindness) is more common witha white Boxer, it is highly recommended to have your puppy spayed/neutered -most ethical Boxer breeders will only give limited AKC registration with theirwhite puppies.

9. They have the same temperament and personality as other Boxers. They arehappy, loyal, well adjusted, friendly dogs when raised in a loving, appropriatehome.

10. When a white Boxer has spots of fawn or brindle on them, almost to thepoint of 50/50, the dog is called a “check” or could more appropriately becalled a piebald.

The Difference between White Boxers and Check Boxers

The terms “white” and “check” are often used interchangeably, but this is notcorrect. The two colors are very different. The white Boxer may have pigmentedpatches around the eyes and ears and other limited points on the body, but thecheck Boxer has much more pigment and could be called piebald (50:50).

The white carries two doses of the extreme white spotting gene, s-w (s-w/s-w)and is produced by two “flashy Boxers”. A flashy Boxer is one who carriesone dose of the gene. The term “flashy” is also used to describe a Boxerwho has a full white collar, white chest, white on the face and feet/legs.

Deafness Facts

Regarding deafness, the genetic basis of white in Boxers is the same as inDalmatians, although without the ticking factor to give the spots. In the United States, approximately 8% are bilaterallydeaf and approximately 22% unilateral, the total number is approximately 10% - 30% who are affected either way. 

The cause of the deafness connected with the white color is the absence ofpigment cells in the inner ear resulting in a loss of sensory hair cells atabout 6 - 8 weeks of age.

The shortage or absence of pigment cells is also the cause of the white coatand un-pigmented third eyelids (called the haw). In general the more pigment inthe coat the lower will be the risk of deafness, but all predominantly whitedogs are at risk of being deaf, not just the Boxer breed.

Please note however that not all white dogs are white because of a lack ofpigment cells. Some breeds such as the West Highlands and Poodles just haveextremely diluted pigmentation; they have a full complement of pigment cells,so are not at risk of being deaf.

There are of course many other causes of deafness in dogs.  Not all areattributable to the absence of pigment cells. And deafness can be caused byexternal factors too.

The majority of this information was taken from allboxerinfo.com. I did some research of my own and edited a few points that I found to be incorrect. As with anything you do, be sure you do your own research on owning a white Boxer and make sure you are familiar with the risks.

The article below was taken from AOL. The author is unknown to me. It was copied and forwarded to me by a friend and I thought it had some interesting and useful information in it. By sharing this article, I am in no way supporting or opposing sleeping with your pet, but I do want families to be aware of the risks.

"Medical researchers have long shown that contact with pets can often help both the physically and mentally ill. But now, veterinary scientists say sleeping with your pets increases the chances of contracting everything from parasites to the plague.

What's a pet owner to do?

Most U.S. households have pets, and more than half of those cats and dogs are allowed to sleep in their owner's beds, Drs. Bruno Chomel, a professor at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, and Ben Sun, chief veterinarian for California's Department of Health, say in a study to be published in next month's issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"We wanted to raise the attention of people, as sleeping with a pet is becoming quite common, and there are risks associated with it, even if it is not very frequent," Chomel told AOL News. "But when it occurs, especially in children or immunocompromised people, it can be very severe."

The authors, both experts in zoonoses, which are diseases or infections transmitted from animals to humans, reported that "the risk for transmission of zoonotic agents by close contact between pets and their owners through bed sharing, kissing or licking is real and has even been documented for life-threatening infections such as plague, internal parasites" and other serious diseases.

How many of us admit to others that we sleep with our furry friends? Many of us do, according to the study.

Among dog owners, 53 percent consider their dog to be a member of the family, and 56 percent of those dog owners admit they sleep with their dog next to them, the researchers reported.

We're not just talking about teacup yorkies and chihuahuas here. Yes, the study says, most are small dogs, but 41 percent are medium-sized, and one out of three are large. Also, consider this fact, which the authors attribute to the American Kennel Club: Women were more likely than men to allow their dogs to share their beds.

As strange as it may be to canine lovers, more people have cats than dogs, and these felines also carry disease. This study and several others show that disease from cats is far more prevalent, and often more serious.

The number of cats snuggling up with their owner is far greater, which may explain the larger number of people acquiring feline-spawned diseases, Chomel explained.

Take cat scratch disease, for example. The bacterial infection, caused by Bartonella henselae, comes from infected fleas and flea feces and is transmitted to humans, often simply by a cat strolling across a food preparation area that isn't disinfected before food is placed on it. Mostly, the victims of cat scratch disease are children, infected by the scratch, lick or bite of a cat. The pathogen can cause swelling of the lymph nodes and sometime lethal damage to the liver, kidney and spleen of humans.

The CDC estimates that more than 20,000 people can contract cat scratch disease a year, but the federal disease agency could offer no information on the number of deaths.

Risks and Benefits

The CDC reports that pets may lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and decrease feelings of loneliness, while increasing opportunities for exercise, outdoor activities and socialization.

Medical studies going back at least 30 years have documented the clinical value of pets to cardiac patients, those hospitalized with mental illnesses and the elderly.

Sharing our resting hours with our pets may be a source of psychological comfort, but because pets can bring a wide range of zoonotic pathogens into our environment, sharing is also associated with risks, the authors of the current study reported.

For example:

A 9-year-old boy from Arizona got the plague because he slept with his flea-infested cat.A 48-year-old man and his wife repeatedly contracted MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which their physicians eventually attributed to their dog. The animal "routinely slept in their bed and frequently licked their face," the California experts reported.Kissing pets can also transmit zoonoses. A Japanese woman contacted meningitis after kissing her pet's face.

But disease can easily be transmitted by your pet kissing you. The study cited cases where a woman died of septic shock and renal failure after her cat, with whom she slept, licked open sores on her feet and toes. In another case, a 44-year-old man died of infection after his German shepherd puppy licked open abrasions on his hands.

Your pet's food can also be a source of disease. A study published last August in the journal Pediatrics tracked an outbreak of salmonella in 79 people between 2006 and 2008 that was caused by contaminated meat in dry cat and dog food.

Half of the victims were children, who CDC investigators said "might also have played with the pet food and then put their hands -- or the food itself -- in their mouths."

The disease also could have come from pets who rolled or played in their feces, where salmonella can stay alive for up to 12 weeks.

Where do our pets they pick up these diseases? Fleas are a likely starting point. And most of your pets will eat the droppings of other animals.

Take a dog to any beach, park or trail through the woods almost anywhere and watch the speed at which it will find something really foul-smelling and dead in which to roll.

Cats usually do their own killing for food and fun. And just think about the infectious bugs that laced the dead and dying rodents, birds and other critters they eat or try to bring into the home.

What Can Be Done?

The two senior veterinarians say several things can be done to reduce the threat of disease. The main one is for owners to ensure the health of their pets by seeking regular professional checkups and care. Other points include:

Persons, especially young children or immunocompromised persons, should be discouraged from sharing their bed with their pets or regularly kissing their pets.Any area licked by a pet, especially an open wound, should be immediately washed with soap and water.Pets should be kept free of parasites, especially fleas; routinely de-wormed; and regularly examined by a veterinarian.Preventive measures such as administering anthelmintic drugs for flatworms -- and drugs for flukes, tapeworms and other parasites -- to puppies or kittens within the first few weeks after birth or, even better, to their mothers during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This could help prevent most cases of human toxocariasis, which can cause severe and sometimes permanent vision problems for young children.The risk of getting sick from being close with your pets is real, but most of the diseases they pass on to humans can be identified and eliminated by regular veterinary care.

Meanwhile, start practicing saying "Get off the bed. I mean it this time.""

Aulli and her babies are doing very well. Aulli has been an exceptional mom so far and I'm so pleased with her mothering skills. The babies are now a week and a day old. They are moving around more and they are beginning to open their eyes. In about 3-5 days their eyes should be fully open. They are gorgeous and are starting to develop nice blocky heads. I'll keep you posted on their progress!

Well, here in 2011, I've decided it is time to make some updates and changes to our website. The biggest change is the addition of a Testimonials section and I hope all of you will take the time to post a comment/update on how your Boxer is doing - I would greatly appreciate it! The Testimonials section will eventually take the place of the Guestbook page, though both are currently active. I would love feedback on how easily you are able to navigate through the site to find what you are looking for and would also like to know if you think I should change the overall look of the site, or leave it as is. Another change I've made is to add this Blog section. I will post as often as I can and hope to keep the site updated about our upcoming litters and available puppies with news on how they are growing/maturing as well as information about what they are doing (eyes open, eating solid food, playing, ect.). Feel free to make comments - as always, I look forward to hearing from each and everyone of you!

Our newest additions arrived on January 7th, 2011! Aulli and Boomer have blessed us with a gorgeous litter of babies. You can view pictures, pedigrees, and information for Aulli and Boomer by visiting the "Our Boxers" section of our website. If you are looking for a Boxer puppy to join your family, you won't want to miss out on these babies! More information will be posted in the weeks to come as the babies grow and mature. They have already had their tails docked and their dew-claws removed. They will be ready to join their new families anytime after March 4th, 2011!