While I was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina with the army, I was influenced by lots of boxer lovers I knew. I was taken with the boxer charm, their expressive eyes and noble, powerful appearance. In 2001 I welcomed my first boxer, Sheba, into the family. She was a beautiful six month old brindle female with a black mask.After responding to advertisement after advertisement in a local paper for boxer puppies I arrived at a breeder who didn't look very promising. In fact, he looked like he ran a set up for dog fighting. I was about to leave when a cold nose tapped me on the back of the knee. When I turned around I saw the saddest excuse for a dog I had ever met. They called her "Queeny" then, and the man said she was his wife's dog and that they originally bought her to breed with their biggest male, but because she was too friendly, they decided against the match. She was skinny (really skinny), had patches of hair missing from her coat, and she was covered in ticks from head to toe. "Queeny" had been literally living in a hole under the back steps of the house. I asked the man how much he wanted for her and he told me he couldn't sell her because his wife was just in love with her. I asked him how much it would take to convince his wife to sell her, and he told me she just wasn't for sale. I gave "Queeny" a hug and left for home discouraged. When I got home I couldn't shake the thought of that poor little puppy and so I called the man and again asked him how much he would sell her to me for. He finally settled on a price of $500.00 so I immediately went to the ATM, grabbed the cash and went to pick up my girl!
Sheba was amazing! We took a road trip to Michigan a few days later and bonded the entire time. I cleaned the ticks off of her, bathed her and gave her all the love and food she could imagine. Eventually she gained weight and her coat began to glow. Her beautiful exterior reflected the beauty of her soul. We were the best of friends doing everything together. Her lovely personality and warm heart convinced me that boxers were the dog for me through and through.
Unfortunately, orders came down and I was assigned to a new post where my job in the army would make life with a dog difficult. I placed Sheba with a lovely family in Fayetteville, North Carolina where she still lives today. My experience with Sheba proved to be the beginning of a long love affair with boxers.
Today, Lucky Boxers is a labor of love between my husband Bron and I, and our two boys Zach and Finn. Bron came from a Husky breeding family and had never owned a boxer until we met. In fact, introducing Bron to Dozer was as big a part of our first date as our good night smooch. I absolutely knew that any man I was involved with must love boxers too. Boy did I luck out!
When we got the news that Finn was going to be born, we decided to get our second boxer so that she would grow up with the new baby. It has always been important to me to have the dogs as involved with the family as possible. They are our family too! And what a great decision that was on our part to get Daisy when we did. When Finn was born, Dozer and Daisy proved, yet again, how wonderful they are. They would carefully lay next to Finn and me during tummy time. They would sit with me through late night feedings, and pace with me through nearly 4 months of colick. They patiently lay down while Finn plays cowboy or Zach plays shoot 'em up. They have confirmed what I had suspected all along before I had my own children: boxers are the most wonderful family dogs, and great with kids! I believe, no matter the breed, all dogs must be supervised in the presence of little ones, but boxers are truly as gentle, patient, and loving as you can hope them to be with your littlest treasures.
At this point in time, Lucky Boxers isn't breeding with the goal of producing "champions" by title, but that doesn't mean we aren't breeding for quality. We do not show our boxers, yet. We aren't in a position at this time to make that kind of commitment. However, we are, and always will be committed to producing boxers that exemplify the breed standard. We are serious about producing happy, healthy, quality puppies with a temperament that is sound, and personalities that rival the grandest of champions. In fact, if we never take our dogs to the show ring, the idea is that you can show your Lucky Boxer if you wish, and feel confident that you have a fine animal representing you in the arena.
Whether you want a Lucky Boxer for show, or for the best family companion you could ever purchase, we promise this: once you get a Lucky Boxer of your very own, you'll thank your lucky stars you did.
