| Who
were your best or most important dogs, years
they were born, how you came to the decisions
to breed or purchase them?
The
most important dog I ever had, definitely
was HOT CHESTNUT: I had to struggle very hard
for the recognition of his merits. His overall
stylish appearance was different from the
Boxers of that time in Germany. First of all
we used him on our CAMMA-daughters. The results
were two more champions DONNA and HINNERK
V SCHÜTTING . While I had to travel long
distances to shows all over Europe to get
him made up as International champion and
Winner of the World Show in l965 HOT CHESTNUT
already was 5 years when he finally won the
German BUNDESSIEGER title. At this time the
first breeders, especially from other countries,
turned up to use him.
The
best Boxer I ever had definitely was CH US-RANUS
V D REITERSTADT VERDEN. Again it was luck
when I took him as pick of the litter at a
tender age of 8 weeks from our friends the
WILDEBOERS: At the beginning the same story.
There were only a few people who had confidence
in this “overmarked” young dog
who frankly spoken gave goose-pimples. He
grew proportunately into a most impressive
Boxer. Inspite of the white markings and his
scarcely brindled red coat. He won over 3
consecutive years the title of JAHRESSIEGER
BK ( l969-l97O-l97l ) he won the Dutch and
Austrian Champion, the title of International
Champion and he was RESERVE BEST DOG ALL BREEDS
at the winner in Amsterdam and at the equivalent
in Copenhagen. As US-RANUS was from an outcross
( HOT CHESTNUT/CHAUKE VOM SCHUETTING) his
offspring probably could not reach the top
quality which HOT CHESTNUT left behind. It
was the clever linebreeding and the potency
behind him which made HOT CHESTNUT one of
the best producers in the breed.
Who
were people that mentored you in your first
years? Are there any special people who you
are grateful to for their help or inspiration?
During
my first years in Boxers HERR LEO HELBIG took
me to many shows all over Europe in order
to train the eye and let me find out the good
points in order to decide between a good specimen
and a poor one. HERR HELBIG had a deep knowledge
of the breed, he was a great mentor to me.
Since my first visit to England in l96O up
to now I´m still learning from PAT WITHERS;
especially from the way she follows her breeding
principles and after 5O years her breeding
still is stamped with its unique WITHERFORD
type In l966 HERR HELBIG and PAT WITHERS encouraged
me to become a Boxer judge. Meanwhile up to
the end of 2OO3, when my career ended, I judged
approximatly l7OOO Boxers all over Europe,
in USA, Brazil, South Africa and Australia.
What
dogs, in your opinion, were crucial to the
development of the Boxer breed? Which dogs
brought the best qualities in? Which dogs
did a disservice to the breed by being bred
from?
There
will always be matings which better should
not have been done. The crux is that people
often are not aware exactly what lies behind
the dogs they are breeding from. Especially
the newcomers. Nowadays many good lines in
Europe trace back to CARLO and CARLINO who
have given proof of their potence. Some matings
of that time certainly brought forward overtypical
dogs with narrow nostrils and other handicaps
like cleftpalates and crytorchidism. These
faults were mostly from matings when inbreeding
with faulty ancestors was practiced.
What
qualities do you consider to be of utmost
importance in the breed? What are the qualities
in lack of which the dog cannot be considered
a Boxer?
We
cannot afford missing the Buldog traits as
long as we want the expressive head and the
bone, but at the same time we should strive
for the degree of refinement, which is necessary
to achieve nobility. Therefore the breed is
being run on a very small path, the breeders
are responsible for the road to success. I
personally cannot stand a flat head with too
light muzzle, and I think a racy body, which
is too fine in bone, detracts from the typical
appearance, and cannot be considered a good
Boxer. The bite which is too undershot, showing
teeth and being wry, should be punished because
it is hindering the working abilities. Moreover,
it detracts from the typical Boxer expression.
Bodywise it is the roached back which disturbs
the overall picture.
What do you think were the troubles
of the breed when you started? What do you
think the troubles of the breed are now? How
do you think the breed has improved or regressed
in these passed years?
A
breed is always in a state of flux, there
are ups and downs, depending how much it is
controlled by the judges and breeders. When
we started during the fifties, the Boxer in
Germany was a strong, powerful dog lacking
a little elegance and nobility. I think at
the end of 2nd world war, the best Boxers
from LUSTIG had been sold out and what was
left was only medium quality. Above this,
the falling off quality happened in consequence
of the ban for Whites and white markings the
Boxer Klub had decided to give out. Fortunately
lO years later the white colour ban was lifted
and the breed in Germany began to burst into
blossom. The heads developed into expressive,
well chiselled Boxer heads, overall the dogs
showed more elegance, some sort of class.
Breeders and clubs must accept that the Standard
Boxer needs the bulldog traits. So the problem
“White” will always be there,
obviously under control in order to draw the
lines. Under the influence of HOT CHESTNUT
the breed has been improved immensely. The
crux is that the breed in Germany lives on
a small base, through many breeding restrictions,
which cut the breeding possibilities considerably.
So it can happen very quickly that it comes
to very close matings which brings forward
not only the good points. During the eighties
a considerable stagnation began when we had
big trouble with respiratory defects and cryptorchism.
It was a matter of chance, the German breeders
followed the recommendation to outcross with
some excellent dogs from other countries,
so that there are coming up a few good German
Boxers now. Unfortunately the outcrosses are
confined to only a few foreign males because
of the breeding restrictions we have. So in
competition with other continental countries
the German stock is somehow left behind the
Italian and French. Moreover, the Boxer Klub
recently recommended extra selection by electronical
calculation of the esteemed breeding value
of each specimen. This means additional limit
of the stock and breeding possibilities.
Who,
in your opinion, are people that were the
most important to the development of the Boxer
breed?
This
definitely was FRAU STOCKMANN. The progress
of the thirties achieved from the originally
small, clumpsy dog to the tall, elegant LUSTIG
was the most important progress which was
ever achieved in the Boxer breed. Without
FRAU STOCKMANN the development could not have
gone so far worldwide. Then PAT WITHERS deserves
deepest respect for sending out to us WITHERFORD
HOT CHESTNUT, which led to the second significant
progress of the breed on the continent.
What is the ideal Boxer head for you.
Do you accept the 1:2 proportion as ideal
or do you prefer a more “modern”
head? Are there any dangers in deploying from
the “classic proportions”? What
in your opinion are the most serious head
faults in the European Boxer of the present
time?
The
ideal head should be l:2 in proportion muzzle
to skull. The “modern” European
head often is overdone, it is accompanied
by health problems caused by too narrow nostrils
and too long tongue. The extremes are hare
lips and cleftpalates. The crux is that over
the years European breeders got used to those
rounded, strong heads, the more muzzle, the
better. Truely, we know from experience, the
head type can be lost quickly when we breed
from heads which are just “normal”.
So from time to time, one partner with a stronger
head is necessary. But breeders should not
fall into the trap to breed from two overdone
heads. This brings the problems and a somewhat
brutal expression.
What is your opinion about overtyped
dogs? Can the modern head retain the proportion
1:2 that the Standard requires and still be
competitive in the ring? Examples?
The head with the proportion l:2
sometimes might be the reason for a dog not
being placed, when there are many overtypical
heads in the ring. Here the judges are asked,
not to put the dog with the overtypical appearance
over a dog with normal proportions. But mostly
the overtyped dogs win. People are not aware
of the difference between breeding and show
principles. At the show the most balanced
Boxer of “normal” standard proportions
shall win, for breeding the principles are
a little different. PERICO is the exception
to this rule, breeders can rely on on his
classy head, and this is why I value him so
high.
What is your size preference in males
and bitches of the Boxer breed?
The
measurements of the Standard give plenty of
room in order to achieve the best balance
in structure. I would not disqualify a tall
dog of l – 2 cm higher than the Standard,
as long he is well balanced overall. Of course,
a racey specimen is out of the Standard, the
same applies to miniature Boxers.
How
do you recognize a good movement and how important
is it for you?
Movement
is most important, because it shows every
deficiency in structure. When the dogs is
well balanced, the gait is smooth, reaching
out far forward with adequate drive from behind,
the top line straight forward.
What
are the faults you can forgive to an otherwise
typical specimen?
I
can forgive comsmetic faults, light eyes and
irregular teeth placement.
What
is your opinion about the Boxer temperament?
What is the ideal temperament for you? What
is more important – the looks or the
brains?
The
Boxer should be self-confident, happy and
friendly, yet “fearless in serious situation”.
Often newcomers try to split the Boxer-scene
into two parties by stirring the question
which is more important, the looks or the
brains. This argument often comes from people
whose Boxer is not the great winner. A good
Boxer should always combine a great character
with a typical outlook.
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