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We have been discussing this a lot lately amongst ourselves, talking about what an import can do for a breeding program. There are so many aspects to importing a dog, and we would like to point out some, and hopefully, start a discussion! We have chosen some arguments, in random order – not necessarily reflecting our opinions – as a start.

Why do breeders import dogs? There must be a long range of motives (in random order):

1. Some will import a dog from a kennel because they admire the dogs produced by that particular breeder. This person will sometimes wait for a very long time for exactly the right dog.

2. Some will import a dog from another country because most boxers in that country (or that part of the world) have traits that are needed in the breed.

3. Some will import a dog because they want something new and different for the show ring.

4. Some will import a dog because an import is a status symbol.

5. Some will import a dog because they want to widen the gene pool in the breed in their country – to get new blood.

Is the grass always greener on the other side – or are imports always better than the homebred dogs? It seems that many people think so: In this country imported males sired 55% of all litters registered last year. But are the puppies sired by the imports better than the puppies sired by the homebred dogs?

6. Are imports always a benefit to the breed?

You can say both yes and no to this. They are a benefit because an import will always help expand the gene pool, and that is a good thing. An import will (for polygenetic traits) carry a collection of genes that will reflect the population from which it originates. So - if you import a dog from a population where X% of the dogs have HD or any other polygenetic trait (spondylosis, knee arthrosis) – that is what you should expect to get in the offspring, even if the dog itself is free of the problem. This can be partially prevented by choosing a dog from a family that is better than the average for the breed in its country. An import can be free from genes for a disease that is prevalent in your country – either a recessive or dominant trait, and therefore be a real asset. But an import can also carry genes for a problem that is not prevalent, or even known in your country - and can therefore cause great concern.

2. How can we be sure that we get a good dog when importing?

Ask questions, expect answers, see documentation – on the breed as a whole and on the family you will be importing from. Most boxer breeders are honest and will never tell you a lie or hide the truth. You should therefore expect to hear the whole truth, good and bad, and make your own choices from that. It is also important to know of things like health status in the immediate family of the dog you will be importing, its parents, their littermates and any previous offspring the parents may have - are they of the quality you are looking for? Some breeders don't have sufficient knowledge of the breed, breed standard and conformation or breed related health concerns, and some are just plain dishonest. Be wary if you hear, "I have never heard of that – at least that has never been a problem in my line." (How do they know if they have never heard of it?)

3. Conformation:

It may be very difficult to evaluate the conformation of a dog from a country where the average boxer is different from those in your own country. It is probably good to know what it is you want to achieve with the import and focus on that, as well as defining what it is you don't want to get. An experienced breeder will know his or her lines, know how they grow and can tell you what to expect.

4. Health testing an import:

It is easy to feel that your new import must be better than the domestic dogs, and does certainly NOT have any of the breed related health concerns. However, we think it is extremely important not to be fooled into believing that dogs from other countries and culture spheres are better and healthier boxers just because of their geographical origin. You have to be just as thorough and conscious about health testing these dogs as the domestic ones, perhaps even more so, and you have to be very conscious about how they are used at stud, because they usually are somewhat unknown genetic quantities. There are several aspects to consider here: Some countries do not traditionally do health tests before breeding. That may be because there are no major problems in that country, but that is no guarantee that the actual dog or its family is free. In some countries various health tests are performed before breeding, and the status of the breed as a whole is often a known quantity. But the family of the dog you want to import may be better or worse than the breed average, and it is certainly good to know which. For ourselves we have found it a good idea to do the regular health tests for our country plus the tests done in the dog’s country of origin. We have been very restrictive regarding the use of our own imported dog by other breeders. You can find yourself in a position of facing a new problem you didn't expect, so it is better to be safe than sorry.