Question 1

How does your waitlist work?

Accepted Answer

Those who complete our OWNERSHIP APPLICATION , will be followed up with a phone interview.   Once we’ve established lifestyle needs and suitability, applicants are placed on our wait list.  We do not operate on a first in line system, instead we have more what you'd call a waiting pool. This is why it is so crucial that we get to know applicants, their lifestyle, temperament requests, and gender/color preferences. We try to find the best match for both puppy and buyer.   Our waiting pool fluctuates, so we are always accepting new applications. If we cannot assist you, we are happy to direct you to another reputable breeder who can.

Question 2

Are your dogs health tested ?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We follow current breed health testing recommendations and are committed to producing healthy, long-lived Boxers. While not all conditions are testable, we carefully evaluate pedigrees, longevity, and cause of death (COD) in our lines to make informed breeding decisions.
All breeding dogs are a minimum of two years of age and undergo appropriate health screening prior to being bred. Our testing includes:
Genetic Testing: Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
Annual Holter Monitoring: A 24-hour ECG used to screen for Boxer cardiomyopathy (ARVC) by detecting premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
Advanced Cardiac Evaluation (Board-Certified Cardiologist):
Doppler Echocardiogram to assess heart structure and function and screen for Aortic Stenosis (AS)
Cardiac Auscultation to detect murmurs that may indicate underlying heart disease
OFA Hips: Radiographic evaluation of hip joints for dysplasia (ratings of Excellent, Good, or Fair are considered passing)
OFA Thyroid: Screening for autoimmune thyroid disease
Eye Screening (CERF/CAER): Evaluation for heritable eye conditions

All of our breeding dogs—male and female—are genetically tested and undergo comprehensive cardiac screening, including annual Holter monitoring and advanced cardiac evaluation. All breeding decisions are made with careful consideration of health, pedigree, and overall quality.

Question 3

Do you have a contract?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all our puppies are sold on a contract that is designed to ensure the long-term health, safety, and well-being of every dog we produce, while also supporting our buyers with clear expectations and ongoing breeder support. It outlines responsible care standards, a 12-month hereditary health guarantee, and our commitment to lifetime breeder involvement. Companion puppies are sold on a non-breeding agreement, with a requirement to delay spay/neuter until maturity (18 months +), and must be returned to us if they ever need to be rehomed. We also ask buyers to stay in touch with annual updates, as this helps us responsibly monitor our lines over time. Our goal is not just to place puppies, but to build lasting relationships and ensure every Hive Boxer is set up for a successful, well-supported life.

Question 4

Do I get to pick my puppy?

Accepted Answer

Not exactly, but let me explain.

We want long-term success for our puppies and buyers, the temperament testing and structural evaluations we do at 8 weeks will determine which puppy or puppies are best suited for you, your family, and your lifestyle. While your gender preference is important, we will not make any placement recommendations based on colour preferences. If we have more than one puppy that we feel is a good match, we will give you choice.

Question 5

What is AVIDOG and Puppy Culture

Accepted Answer

We use two amazing and proven programs to raise superior puppies. Puppy Culture and AVIDOG.

Puppy Culture has taken the most  of the best puppy husbandry practices from the last 50 years and formulized a systematic program.  Puppy Culture has connected each protocol to specific developmental markers.

Just a few of the Puppy Culture protocols include: 
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) to enhance the development of strong nervous systems. 
Barrier Challenge to instill problem-solving ability and teach puppies frustration tolerance. 
Clicker training to teach the puppy how to learn, how to enjoy learning and how to seek out learning. 
Conditioned Emotional Responses to teach positive associations with important puppy skills, such as nail trims, grooming, crate training, veterinary handling, enjoying the company of humans and having manners. 
Manding, which  teaches puppies to offer polite behaviors instead of jumping, barking ect.. for attention. 
Puppy Parties to teach puppies to engage confidently with humans. 
Resource Guarding prevention 
Habituation to and desensitization to loud noises and new experiences. 
and so much more.....

AVIDOG combines science, art and over 40 years of dog breeding experience, to create, develop and present puppy rearing courses, programs, and equipment for puppy owners and dog breeders to produce puppies that mature into physically healthy, mentally stable dogs.

The program components are too long to list but a few include: 
Preparing strong, and healthy breeding dogs. Understanding genetics, epigenetic, prenatal nutrition, effects on parental stress ....
How puppies develop and how to teach skills to puppies. 
How to reduce behavioral problems 
How to evaluate puppies and match with families.

Question 6

I don't live close, will you transport a puppy?

Accepted Answer

We prefer new families to come and pick up their puppy personally. Occasionally transport is available from us depending on location or with a flight nanny. Those living outside of Canada will require a transport professional through the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association. Transport across the Canadian border will have customs clearance requirements. Be sure to visit your country’s border services website for specific requirements. Travel is an additional expense so budget accordingly.

Question 7

Do you sell with breeding rights?

Accepted Answer

No, not outright. We may place select show/breeding prospects on a co-ownership basis to approved show homes only. These homes must be committed to actively competing and titling their dog in conformation and/or other recognized venues, completing all recommended breed health testing, and breeding only to appropriately titled and health-tested dogs. Our goal is to protect the integrity of our lines while supporting dedicated owners who share our commitment to responsible breeding.

Question 8

Why do you request delayed Spay/Neuter ?

Accepted Answer

We recommend delaying spay/neuter until a minimum of 18 months of age to allow the dog to fully mature physically and hormonally. Early altering has been associated with increased risk of orthopedic issues, certain cancers, and may impact overall development. Allowing a Boxer to mature naturally supports proper growth, joint health, and long-term well-being.
This does not mean we support breeding—all companion puppies are sold on a non-breeding agreement—but rather that we prioritize the health and development of the dog while expecting responsible management from our owners during this time.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1322276/full#s3

Question 9

Why do you recommend avoiding grain-free diets?

Accepted Answer

Current research has identified an association between some grain-free diets particularly those high in legumes such as peas, lentils, and chickpea and cases of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs without a known genetic predisposition. While a direct cause has not been definitively proven, evidence suggests the issue is not simply the absence of grains, but rather how certain formulations may affect nutrient balance—particularly taurine metabolism and absorption, which is essential for heart health.
Some affected dogs have shown improvement when their diet was changed, further supporting a dietary component. Because the exact mechanism is still being studied, we take a precautionary approach and recommend avoiding diets where legumes are a primary ingredient.
We recommend feeding a diet formulated by companies that meet WSAVA nutritional guidelines, or a properly balanced, biologically appropriate raw diet. Our goal is to support optimal long-term health using feeding practices that are supported by current research and veterinary guidance.

Question 10

Do you offer a health guarantee?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We provide a 12-month hereditary health guarantee as outlined in our contract; however, we believe it’s just as important to be transparent about what can and cannot be guaranteed.

Our goal is always to produce healthy puppies, we care deeply about the dogs we bring into the world and the families they go to. We never want to put a puppy or their owners in a position where their hearts are broken, which is why we take health and breeding decisions very seriously.

All of our breeding dogs undergo appropriate health testing, including genetic screening and comprehensive cardiac evaluations. We carefully study pedigrees, longevity, and cause of death (COD) when planning our litters to reduce risk as much as possible.
That said, no breeder can guarantee that a puppy will never develop health issues.

Conditions such as cancer and heart disease are unfortunately present within the breed, and some risks cannot be entirely eliminated. For example, genetic testing for ARVC identifies markers associated with the disease, but it is not definitive, a dog that tests clear could still develop the condition. This is why ongoing cardiac screening, including annual Holter monitoring and a echocardiogram performed by a board-certified cardiologist, is one of the most important parts of our program.

On the other hand, testing for Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is reliable, dogs that are clear or carriers will never develop the disease.

Our approach is to reduce risk as much as possible through responsible breeding practices, while being honest about the realities of the breed. We are always here to support our puppy owners and value open communication throughout the life of the dog.

Question 11

Why would you breed a dog that is a carrier for Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)?

Accepted Answer

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a recessive genetic condition, which means a dog must inherit two copies of the gene (one from each parent) to be at risk of developing the disease. A carrier (one copy) will not develop DM and will live a normal, healthy life.
Responsible breeding allows for the use of carrier dogs, when bred to a clear (non-carrier) dog. This ensures that no puppies produced will be affected by DM. Some puppies may be carriers, but like their parent, they will not develop the disease.
Completely removing all carriers from the gene pool may seem ideal, but in practice it can significantly reduce genetic diversity and unintentionally increase the risk of other health issues. Instead, thoughtful breeding using health-tested dogs and appropriate pairings—allows us to maintain both genetic health and breed quality while preventing DM from being produced.
Our goal is always to make informed, responsible breeding decisions that prioritize the long-term health and stability of the breed as a whole.

Question 12

Do you have white puppies?

Accepted Answer

Our goal is typically to avoid producing white Boxers by pairing genetically plain (minimal white) with flashy (more white markings). In simple terms, white Boxers are the result of inheriting a higher amount of white patterning from both parents, when two flashy dogs are bred together, there is an increased chance of producing white puppies.

That said, breeding decisions are never based on colour alone. We carefully consider health, temperament, pedigree, and conformation first, and colour is a much lower priority. In some cases, a flashy-to-flashy breeding may be the best overall match, even though it carries a risk of producing white puppies.

White Boxers are not more prone to general health issues, nor are they “all deaf or blind.” The one known consideration is a slightly higher incidence of congenital deafness, which is linked to pigmentation. For this reason, we take appropriate steps to assess hearing when needed.

Beyond that, white Boxers are just as capable of living full, healthy lives as their littermates. Concerns around blindness or widespread skin problems are largely misconceptions and not supported by evidence in well-bred dogs. Aside from this, white puppies are just as loving, healthy, and suitable as companions.

Our focus is always on producing well-rounded, healthy Boxers—colour is simply one small piece of the bigger picture.

Question 13

Do you sell Black boxers?

Accepted Answer

No!!! true black is not a recognized colour in the Boxer breed. Boxers come in fawn and brindle, with or without white markings. What is often mistaken for a “black Boxer” is actually a reverse brindle, where the dark striping is so heavy that the dog may appear almost black at a glance.

We do not breed for colour alone. Our focus is on health, temperament, structure, and overall quality. A reverse brindle may be produced, but this is simply the result of the pairing, not a goal in itself.

It’s important to note that any breeder advertising “black Boxers” is not adhering to the breed standard and should be approached with caution. Our priority is always to produce well-bred, healthy Boxers that meet the standard, with colour being a much smaller part of the overall picture.

Frequently asked questions