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Barcellona photos  /   Tamp Bay Boxer Club photos

I must confess to approaching the Tampa Bay Boxer Club judging appointment this past January with mixed emotions. I was really pleased to be invited. It would be a first time judging in the States and this, itself, was quite exciting. But would I like the dogs? Would I cope with the expertise of the professional handlers? And it was all going to be in sharp contrast to judging appointments in Spain and Holland only a few months earlier. At the time of writing, the Tampa show is long over and I find myself brooding over the three shows and the different views they give of the Boxer scene. On this basis, I thought it might be more interesting if I were to say a little about each of the shows and some of the thoughts on Boxers that they generated than just comment on the Tampa scene.

The first show was set in an agricultural area outside of the modern but fantastic fairy-tale city of Barcelona. The show was an all-breed event but the Boxer entry was high, 75 in a whole show entry of 968. Fortunately, in such all-breed events there is no requirement for reports on individual dogs, so judging speed could be quite fast. However, as most readers will know, handling is pretty free-for-all on the Continent, the dogs being presented on long leads, continually setting up against each other and with rarely one, let alone all of them, being still at any time. Comparing dogs, one with another, is therefore difficult. Of course the Continental view is that each dog should be judged individually against the Standard, not just compared with others. Hence the grading and individual critiques required there. Professional handlers were evident; I have seen them before at Atibox and national shows pounding around the rings. But their required attributes seem to be those of fitness and ability to hold big sparring dogs, and to get them to show ‘attitude,’ rather than having limbs placed just so. Double handling with cacophonies of noise from ringside does help assessment in my experience and also adds an exciting carnival-like atmosphere.

The overall image of these Spanish dogs was one of solid functional-looking Boxers, as they assuredly were. Although not too pervasive at this show, Continental events give me the image of bullfights, but with masses of bulls swirling around on the ends of ropes and the matadors hanging on grimly. It is a totally different event from the show scene in the UK, the States, or anywhere else I suspect. The dogs were all typical to over-typical. They were big and strong and absolutely alert and ready for anything as indicated by eyes and expression. They were heavily boned, deep-chested, and generally very compact. Perhaps enhanced by the style of showing against a tight lead, forehands generally looked very good, with great shoulder angulation and forechest, but hind angulation was limited. But almost all exhibits possessed that element of nobility that typifies the Continental Boxer. There was nothing that one would describe as elegant, and for the simple reason that this attribute is most definitely not wanted. More on this later.

I went with the hope and intention of finding something moderate and free from extremes while still overtly recognizable as archetypal Boxer – the essential requirement. And in my top winners I found no difficulty in achieving this. My puppy winner, Arkan de Villa Astur, of Portuguese-Spanish breeding, was quite stunning, a sparkling black brindle with fantastic forehand, and neck placement set at the correct angle, wonderful front and surprisingly well-angulated hind-quarters for his origin. The head was more shoe-box type than the typical shorter, deeper typical Continental version but, in a puppy, I thought there was time for further development. I reckoned that the pup had potential for something special, or it would have if in Britain or the US. I gather that he has been winning since, so maybe I under-rated his appeal to Continental judges.

Among the adult males, the fawn Spanish dog, Edgar de Cabezo de la Jara, stood out as a well-balanced animal that presented and moved well without specific handling, but I was captivated by a class Italian dog, Iron dell‘Antico Squero, who was shorter backed and had a deeper well-sprung rib cage, and a fabulous head that was largely free of extremes. He took the CAC and BOB. Both dogs, I was to learn, were already big winners on the European scene. I guess that both were champions, but it is difficult to tell as throughout most of Europe titles are seldom appended to dogs’ names.

In bitches my choice was a tall absolutely majestic Spanish/Italian bitch with lovely head, Urkabustaiz Ederra, who provided a beautiful feminine match for the dog. I believe she has gone on to become a national champion.

The Dutch show was a very different affair. It was organized by the South Rotterdam Boxer Club and held on its own rented land the size of a football field. The club members serviced the venue, which had a beautifully-leveled grass area for the ring and other events. There was a clubhouse with its own cooking facilities, and sources of other important refreshments. I gather that the facilities are used every evening for its prime purpose, training and working. I was taken there the day before the show as the members set up the ring with its judges’ and trophy tents and I was later treated to a working display. The dogs clearly had a one-to-one relationship with their owners, quivering in excitement at the prospect of the man-work to come. And when sent after a retreating heavily padded huge ‘burglar’ to catch and hold him despite being heaved and swung around violently, and with threats from a whip, and then to release and retreat on command, their excitement and delight in the whole process was so obvious. No dodgy temperaments here. And they still expected to share a couch with you when invited into their homes. I mention all this because the ‘working’ ethos is so strong on the Continent. All serious dogs are expected to get their working certificates and at shows the Working Class is the class in which to see the best dogs, not the Open. I believe that in some countries Boxers cannot be used for breeding without working certification. I must confess to being quite lazy and apathetic to training and working but, as demonstrated in Holland, it opened up a new way of thinking about dogs, about dog showing and particularly dog breeding and what it is all about.

The show itself the following day was as much a social as a serious affair, unlike the major championship show scene that I met a few years ago. There was a barbecue, and a band played foot tapping music throughout much of the day. The show itself was primarily a puppy event with 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 and 12 –15 months classes, as well as veteran and progeny classes. There was an entry of 73. The baby pups impressed me most. The heads were extraordinary with muzzles far deeper and wider than anything I have seen before and with such depth of head from the root of the muzzle up to the eyebrows and then more, and with good sized heavily pigmented eyes. The bone was also astounding, rounded but not coarse, and with short strong pasterns and rounded knuckled feet. There seemed to be a number of fliers for the future, and fly these little guys did as they charged around the ring with total confidence and that amazing ‘attitude’ again. But their long tails spoiled the picture entirely for me! Docking was banned a year or so ago. My BIS came from the male 12-15 months class, Nero van Walixhome. I was told afterwards that this was his first appearance in the show ring and that he lives in a pet home. However, handled by his breeder, he stood four-square and perfectly on a long loose lead with his long tail carried at about 60 degrees. A precisely made clean-cut dog with good head, he could win anywhere. My BOS came from the female 12-15 months class, a leggy but well-made brindle of French-Dutch breeding with an exquisite head and strong muzzle, and that typical Continental upturned evident chin.

Turning now to the Tampa Bay Boxer Club show, I indicated that I had mixed feelings about judging. As many readers will know I regularly read the ShowBoxer lists and have noted the concerns that some US breeders have about the breed. I don’t get much in the way of magazines, but many adverts, to my eyes, do tend to support some of these concerns. Was this really going to be a very different scenario from anything I have met before? I was rather stunned but greatly honoured to receive what I believe was a record entry of 117 dogs, and when I got to see the dogs my fears quickly subsided.

Leaving aside the BOB class for the moment, I was impressed enough with the entries in the regular classes. OK, all were far finer than anything on the Continent, but bone was pretty reasonable, pasterns were decent and feet fairly rounded and of course I am focusing here on the perceived weaknesses of NA dogs as described by NA breeders. In the main they were cleanly-built with short backs, good spring of ribs and with notable breadth across the loin, compared to English dogs, and all but a very few showed and moved beautifully. I might have wished for more substance and strength generally, something compatible with a functional working dog, but then these were in the main youngsters. I was happy to see that heavily wrinkled heads and thicker skin that feature so strongly in England were totally absent. To see big noses with wide nostrils was really impressive, and I’ll bet this relates to the generally longer muzzles. Short muzzles tend to have small noses and small nostrils. And hindquarters were so much better than most Continental dogs, although I would make the proviso that, perhaps because of the shorter hocks in your NA dogs, second thighs were much thinner than I am used to.

However, there were two things that I really thought needed attention. One was the cosmetic flaw of the unpigmented haws. These were so common that I generally had to ignore them. But this flaw, as specified in original German and current FCI Standards, if not clearly described as such in the mis-translated original UK/American Standard that talks of eye rims. While this pigmentation flaw is totally trivial, it completely spoils expression, and is associated with the extensive white markings that again are too common in your dogs. So, why not do something about it? All one has to do is ‘breed down’ on the amount of white. It will take two or three generations to do this, but if you succeed with coat markings, the incidence of unpigmented haws will drop dramatically. The second point of concern for me was muzzle width and strength. As a group, individual dogs excluded, I thought muzzles were weak. There was not enough width (current AKC Standard notwithstanding), not enough development, tip-up, or chin, and heads were flat, with shallow stop and little rise from behind the eyebrows to the required slightly domed skull.

Having made these general remarks, I was delighted with most of my winning dogs. My Winners Dog was Jimmy of Tierradentro, a young fawn male whose clean build with notable substance really impressed. I was even more impressed to see how well he did in the circuit over the remainder of the week but shocked to learn that all was in vain because of some paperwork irregularity. But he will be there again, I’m sure. My BOW, Primeau’s Romancing the Rose, was a smart brindle bitch with well-broken head, good bone and feet, and otherwise presenting an excellent picture. There seemed something familiar about her. She looked quite English. This turned out to have some basis, because I was no sooner home again than I had an excited Sheila Bowman on the phone telling me that the dam was part her breeding. Small world. I thought that my two Reserve Winners showed great potential but for me they still needed time to body up.

When it came to the Best of Breed Competition you can forget all my critical remarks. I was stunned at the wealth of quality. I was spoiled for choice and it made my heart sing. Particularly among the dogs there was size, substance, bone, strong muzzles, superb necks, great mouths, super outlines and that quality that America has made its own – style. Three great males headed by the truly spectacular Ch Capri’s Woods End Spellcaster took the Awards of Merit, but my BOB, Ch Hi-Tech’s Basic Edition, had for me the edge and excelled in most ways that NA Boxers are criticized. To focus just on the shoulder: the shoulder blade and upper arm were long ensuring remarkable angulation. This gave a flat shoulder free of bunched muscle and provided forechest, with depth of brisket. In addition, the angulation ensured that the neck was set on at the correct angle, angling forwards, rather than rising vertically directly above the forelegs. Here we have a NA dog with an attribute that is typical only in Continental dogs. Finally we have my BOS, the fawn bitch, Ch Sapphire’s Wild Pitch of Burlwood, who not only had quality all through but a really beautiful head, with clearly tipped-up padded muzzle, and that chin!! Altogether judging NA dogs was a wonderful experience and the day finished in style through the wonderful hospitality offered to the whole show by the Bostics at the Sarasota marina and on board their fantastic yacht.

But, is there a message anywhere in these very different shows with their very different dogs? I found one aspect very perplexing. I go to Spain determined to seek out moderate non-extreme Boxers and I finish up with dogs that are broadly recognized by specialist Continental judges as among the best. I come to America with the aim of finding Boxers of perhaps more substance and less elegance, and I find that I have picked out the national top winners that have been selected primarily by all-breed judges. What is the basis for this? The trite answer would be that a good dog always stands out. But is there not more to it than this? It seems to me that despite the biases in one direction on the Continent and in another direction in NA everyone recognizes the same qualities as desirable but with a strong over-lay of something else. The qualities for working versus show qualities are surely one difference. The demand for natural ‘attitude’ and presence versus ring presentation and style is another. The different modes of handling to display these requisites may enhance these aspects too. The specialist judge versus the all-breed judge adds a further overlay, as I believe Continental breeders are uninterested in the opinions of non-specialist judges whereas in NA specialist judges are rare and the ultimate aim is not just winning in the breed but also succeeding in the groups.

But I think there is a further important influence that makes the difference. On the Continent, the major concern is preservation of Boxer ‘type.’ Believing that ‘type’ can be easily lost (with some element of justification), the breeding philosophy, as frequently espoused by such German gurus as Karin Resewski, is that over-typical dogs are essential for Boxer breeding. However, to me, breeding towards an extreme means that you will generate that extreme. In other words, I suggest the philosophy is taken too far. But in NA I suggest that another factor is influencing the breed. It can be summed up in the single word ‘elegance.’ The old American and English Standards appended this word to the Boxer. "Substance with elegance." But this was actually another mis-translation of the German Standard. The correct translation specifies nobility, not elegance. Elegance is not requested in the FCI Standard and never has been. And when you think about it, do not the images conjured up by the two words differ widely? Nobility would fit a stallion. Elegance would fit a gazelle. I suggest that differing breeding philosophies and concepts of nobility versus elegance are the main bases for the divergent Continental and NA Boxer ‘types.’

The difference leads to further consequences. If you refine the body, you also refine the head. Anatomically, everything tends to be in balance. You cannot breed a Bulldog head on a Saluki. Maybe this balance effect is the reason why there is overall a weaker head/muzzle in the refined NA dogs than the powerful Continental dogs. My old personal semi-joke philosophy from breeding Boxers in England is that "good heads with strong muzzles go with short fat hairy legs." If you breed for height and elegance, you lose the muzzles – a general rule, obviously with exceptions. But the Continental dogs are tall. How is it that they have powerful muzzles? The answer may be that these dogs are big all through, and they are heavily boned. The balance between head and body is maintained.

I am sure that I have now said more than enough but, in closing, I would especially like to thank Virginia Zurflieh for hosting my wife and I so well before the show and also for rescuing us when snow cancelled our flight home after a wonderful 2-week holiday traveling around Florida. My thanks also to the committee and officers of the Tampa Bay Boxer Club for inviting me to judge the show, and my poor steward who tried so hard to keep me somewhat in order during my judging.