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| Great Lakes Boxer Club UKC Licensed Conformation Club #MI-110 |
| Featured Article August, 2008 |
| My Life with Boxers From Past to Present Submitted by William Chrzanowski of Ferrari Boxers |
Where I started and where I am now in handling/exhibiting is a lot different from where I started. I can not honestly say I remember
my first time in the ring, but I am sure that my mother, if asked, can dig up some pictures. My first memories were of me and my
Shetland Sheepdog, U-CH StoneFox Quantum Leap TDI, CGC (Ziggy), who was for lack of better words a "push button" dog.
Lets be honest, Ziggy could show himself, in fact later in his life he accomplished this feat when a pee-wee decided that he was
done showing and walked out of the ring. A couple of years after showing Ziggy, Mom decided that it was time to stop handling
Ziggy and start handling other dogs. I wasn’t brave enough yet to show the slobbering wound up boxers, and we all know my
mother’s rule of "You can't show the same dog in the same weekend". So I started showing a Poodle here and a PBGV there, you
get the picture!
my first time in the ring, but I am sure that my mother, if asked, can dig up some pictures. My first memories were of me and my
Shetland Sheepdog, U-CH StoneFox Quantum Leap TDI, CGC (Ziggy), who was for lack of better words a "push button" dog.
Lets be honest, Ziggy could show himself, in fact later in his life he accomplished this feat when a pee-wee decided that he was
done showing and walked out of the ring. A couple of years after showing Ziggy, Mom decided that it was time to stop handling
Ziggy and start handling other dogs. I wasn’t brave enough yet to show the slobbering wound up boxers, and we all know my
mother’s rule of "You can't show the same dog in the same weekend". So I started showing a Poodle here and a PBGV there, you
get the picture!
By the age of twelve I was bored in Juniors and was hit by the dog show bug. That was the year that I decided to play with, no pun
intended, "the Big Dogs“. Always seeing mom in the ring with this boxer and that, I felt the itch to try it. Now I'm not going to lie, I
just really wanted to win over her. So with that, my mom got me my first boxer, U-CH. Kanabec's Chelsea Wonder Ray, who when I
got her was 5 years old and was finished at the ripe age of 6. By far this was not a Best In Show dog, looking back, but she was
mine and we really, really had to work for every point we had.
After finishing Chelsea, I chose to chug on with showing the boxers, merging breed classes and juniors. Looking back I really feel
sorry for all the dogs that had to go from one ring to another. Now to put things in prospective by this point in time of life a little
brindle puppy was about 6 months in age, and just beginning his show career. Not knowing that he would become the show dog
that he will always be remembered for, I didn’t think much of him and didn’t give him a second thought. While Trooper was racking
up the points I struggled to finish a dog here and a dog there. Vowing at this point in time that I would never ever show Trooper.
Feeling a little braver and more confident in life in general, I chose to start from the ground up and, started training the pups for
mom. With her being at shows all the time, stopping at home just long enough to switch out dogs and clothes, sign the report
card, and exchange a hug and a kiss, I thought I would step up with the development of the puppies. I never thought life would be
so hard. School was a breeze compared to waking up feeding and x-ing the kennel, getting home doing the same, and then
training. Also at that point in time I figured out how to post ears, take stitches out, and whelp. Yes at around 14 or so I whelped
my first litter of pups. That in its self was an experience. Not something I would suggest for the faint of heart. Of course I had the
supervision of my father who when the bitch’s temp dropped decided to give her ice cream to stop her contractions. Needless to
say after thirteen hours of labor nothing will stop a Boxer pup from saying “Hi” to the world.
For the next couple of years puppy development was what I did. Showing mostly took a back seat to taking care of pups, which for
the most part I wholeheartedly enjoyed. I can honestly say, that, over anything molded me into a better handler. If you can ever
get a true glimpse into what a pup is thinking before they think it you will make a better handler. There where many a pup and
days that I thought I was never going to show another dog. Boxers, as we all know, have their own mind and some tend to think
their way is better then any other.
I guess around 16 or so, I got the itch again and started showing. You would think that I went back into the Boxer ring, which I did,
but wanting to get out from under “mommy’s spotlight“, which if you ever grow up in a house with a handler let alone a top handler,
you some times want to do that. I took a small reprieve from showing boxers full time, still showing to help the family out, I
ventured into showing another working/guardian breed... the Doberman. Yes that’s right Dobes. Which, if you ask me is a whole
different game all together. I got my first and only Doberman bitch at the age of 18. U-CH. StoneFox Princess Kitana, a black and
rust bitch who in my mind was a beautiful dog, was nothing like a Boxer, well I shouldn’t say that. Being raised with Boxers she in
fact thought she was just that, a Boxer! After loosing her to something that her breed and ours is very susceptible to, bloat, I
vowed never to get another. Not that the breed is a bad one, but there will never be another, just ask my mother who handled her
exclusively in AKC. I never thought I would see a dog who didn’t know what her own kind looked like.
intended, "the Big Dogs“. Always seeing mom in the ring with this boxer and that, I felt the itch to try it. Now I'm not going to lie, I
just really wanted to win over her. So with that, my mom got me my first boxer, U-CH. Kanabec's Chelsea Wonder Ray, who when I
got her was 5 years old and was finished at the ripe age of 6. By far this was not a Best In Show dog, looking back, but she was
mine and we really, really had to work for every point we had.
After finishing Chelsea, I chose to chug on with showing the boxers, merging breed classes and juniors. Looking back I really feel
sorry for all the dogs that had to go from one ring to another. Now to put things in prospective by this point in time of life a little
brindle puppy was about 6 months in age, and just beginning his show career. Not knowing that he would become the show dog
that he will always be remembered for, I didn’t think much of him and didn’t give him a second thought. While Trooper was racking
up the points I struggled to finish a dog here and a dog there. Vowing at this point in time that I would never ever show Trooper.
Feeling a little braver and more confident in life in general, I chose to start from the ground up and, started training the pups for
mom. With her being at shows all the time, stopping at home just long enough to switch out dogs and clothes, sign the report
card, and exchange a hug and a kiss, I thought I would step up with the development of the puppies. I never thought life would be
so hard. School was a breeze compared to waking up feeding and x-ing the kennel, getting home doing the same, and then
training. Also at that point in time I figured out how to post ears, take stitches out, and whelp. Yes at around 14 or so I whelped
my first litter of pups. That in its self was an experience. Not something I would suggest for the faint of heart. Of course I had the
supervision of my father who when the bitch’s temp dropped decided to give her ice cream to stop her contractions. Needless to
say after thirteen hours of labor nothing will stop a Boxer pup from saying “Hi” to the world.
For the next couple of years puppy development was what I did. Showing mostly took a back seat to taking care of pups, which for
the most part I wholeheartedly enjoyed. I can honestly say, that, over anything molded me into a better handler. If you can ever
get a true glimpse into what a pup is thinking before they think it you will make a better handler. There where many a pup and
days that I thought I was never going to show another dog. Boxers, as we all know, have their own mind and some tend to think
their way is better then any other.
I guess around 16 or so, I got the itch again and started showing. You would think that I went back into the Boxer ring, which I did,
but wanting to get out from under “mommy’s spotlight“, which if you ever grow up in a house with a handler let alone a top handler,
you some times want to do that. I took a small reprieve from showing boxers full time, still showing to help the family out, I
ventured into showing another working/guardian breed... the Doberman. Yes that’s right Dobes. Which, if you ask me is a whole
different game all together. I got my first and only Doberman bitch at the age of 18. U-CH. StoneFox Princess Kitana, a black and
rust bitch who in my mind was a beautiful dog, was nothing like a Boxer, well I shouldn’t say that. Being raised with Boxers she in
fact thought she was just that, a Boxer! After loosing her to something that her breed and ours is very susceptible to, bloat, I
vowed never to get another. Not that the breed is a bad one, but there will never be another, just ask my mother who handled her
exclusively in AKC. I never thought I would see a dog who didn’t know what her own kind looked like.
Getting smart again, I sat there and thought long and hard about what I wanted to do in the dog world. Yet again I wanted to get
back into Boxers full time. This time I didn’t pick the dog. She in fact picked me. I remember the litter quite well. Gail (U-CH, HIC
Ferrari's Gail Warning), was a little fire cracker who looked just like her sire (GRCH, Can.CH. Kenon's V-gas Black Jack O'
Kanabec - AKC Pointed). For about the first year of her little half Russian life I wanted nothing to do with her. To me, in my head
she was a stubborn, bullheaded, rug rat. Who I quite frankly didn't care if she stayed in the breeding program or was sold as a
pet. This was a pup who never kept her ear post in, climbed on the stove, would walk on the counters. If anybody knows my
mother and her rules of the house this kind of behavior never happened. So by far, this was a dog of a different nature.
It took me about a year to understand that Gail was not like the American breed Boxers. She was that of a different makeup. Not
only slightly different in the way she looked (blocky head, short but in standard, and stocky), but she thought differently than any
other Boxer I had ever encountered. This was a dog that truly needed something to do with her life. As many of you may know I
am a pedigree freak, no - not the food, but bloodlines are my thing. If there is a kennel out there in Boxers I know it. Well never
being involved in overseas bloodlines it didn’t strike me that almost all Boxers over there work. Gail’s mother coming directly from
Russia was in fact that of working stock. I believe but not sure police work.
So while still showing Gail, I thought about seeing if she would take to herding sheep. To be honest, knowing that she is that of a
working breed I wasn’t sure if this was going to work out, but I was confident in her trainer and the two of them bonded and she did
very well. Gail finally had a job, a purpose, a need and want to get up in the morning. Within months Gail had calmed down and
mellowed out. Also she learned some new commands that worked beautifully at shows. It’s amazing that a whistle can drop her
like a fly.
back into Boxers full time. This time I didn’t pick the dog. She in fact picked me. I remember the litter quite well. Gail (U-CH, HIC
Ferrari's Gail Warning), was a little fire cracker who looked just like her sire (GRCH, Can.CH. Kenon's V-gas Black Jack O'
Kanabec - AKC Pointed). For about the first year of her little half Russian life I wanted nothing to do with her. To me, in my head
she was a stubborn, bullheaded, rug rat. Who I quite frankly didn't care if she stayed in the breeding program or was sold as a
pet. This was a pup who never kept her ear post in, climbed on the stove, would walk on the counters. If anybody knows my
mother and her rules of the house this kind of behavior never happened. So by far, this was a dog of a different nature.
It took me about a year to understand that Gail was not like the American breed Boxers. She was that of a different makeup. Not
only slightly different in the way she looked (blocky head, short but in standard, and stocky), but she thought differently than any
other Boxer I had ever encountered. This was a dog that truly needed something to do with her life. As many of you may know I
am a pedigree freak, no - not the food, but bloodlines are my thing. If there is a kennel out there in Boxers I know it. Well never
being involved in overseas bloodlines it didn’t strike me that almost all Boxers over there work. Gail’s mother coming directly from
Russia was in fact that of working stock. I believe but not sure police work.
So while still showing Gail, I thought about seeing if she would take to herding sheep. To be honest, knowing that she is that of a
working breed I wasn’t sure if this was going to work out, but I was confident in her trainer and the two of them bonded and she did
very well. Gail finally had a job, a purpose, a need and want to get up in the morning. Within months Gail had calmed down and
mellowed out. Also she learned some new commands that worked beautifully at shows. It’s amazing that a whistle can drop her
like a fly.
After Gail I was hooked. There was no way I was ever going back to pure American stock. In my opinion, the American stock has
moved away from what Boxers look like, but that’s another discussion. Regardless, I was and always will be forever hooked on
European stock. With the addition of U-CH. Esteem's Ferrari "Angel" (I stole this cute girlie from my father), and my two newest
arrivals Esteem's The Inheritance "Henry" and Esteem's Glamorous "Fergie" who both will start their showing in the next couple of
months.
While still showing I now want to focus on bettering the Ferrari Boxer in itself. Always wanting to make a better and healthier
Boxer, being my goal. I have also come full circle in the fact that I have merged to being a judge, with my goals set high to judge
one day at the UKC National Boxer Specialty. It is a lot different being on the other side of the ring. I hope to be as good and fair
of a judge as judges have been to my stock. Always remember the paw where the paw prints lead you will always take you back.
moved away from what Boxers look like, but that’s another discussion. Regardless, I was and always will be forever hooked on
European stock. With the addition of U-CH. Esteem's Ferrari "Angel" (I stole this cute girlie from my father), and my two newest
arrivals Esteem's The Inheritance "Henry" and Esteem's Glamorous "Fergie" who both will start their showing in the next couple of
months.
While still showing I now want to focus on bettering the Ferrari Boxer in itself. Always wanting to make a better and healthier
Boxer, being my goal. I have also come full circle in the fact that I have merged to being a judge, with my goals set high to judge
one day at the UKC National Boxer Specialty. It is a lot different being on the other side of the ring. I hope to be as good and fair
of a judge as judges have been to my stock. Always remember the paw where the paw prints lead you will always take you back.
| Gail Herding Photos Courtesy of DaBro Photos |
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