BOXERS: ThoughTs on The Breed ALBERTO & TERRY BERRIOS
and Boxer Specialties in New Zealand, Brazil and Domini- can Republic. I have been judging Boxers since 1998 and now judge the Working and Toy Groups and just passed my interview for the balance of the Non-Sporting Group. Alberto: I started in Boxers around 1968 when I bought a pet Boxer from a local breeder. Shortly after that, I purchased a show Boxer who finished his AKC Cham- pionship. Afterwards, I had a bitch whom I bred to Ch. Salgray’s Ambush and from that litter, I finished a fawn bitch that was bred to a Champion sire owned by the late Don and Pat Starkweather, of Raineylane’s Boxers fame. I moved to Florida at the end of 1977 and started showing 2 bitches out of this litter as an owner handler. Later in 1978, Willie Vicens, a well-known exhibitor and breeder-judge hired me to start showing his Box- ers which prompted other breeders to also use me as a professional handler. I handled professionally for 16 years and also bred on a limited basis. I started judging the breed in 1997. I have judged the National three times and a Regional plus Regional Circuit Specialties. At the pres- ent I judged the Working, Hound and Sporting Groups. 2. What five traits do you look for, in order, when judging Boxers? What do you consider the ultimate hallmark of the breed? Terry: Type, balance, head, temperament, movement. The hallmark of the Boxer is its head. Alberto: Type, balance, head, temperament and front. The hallmark of the breed is its distinguishing and unique head. 3. What shortcomings are you most willing to forgive? What faults do you find hard to overlook? Terry: That’s hard to answer when you are looking at the overall dog. You have to look at the total package and then decide on that day which shortcoming is the least offensive. The faults I find hard to overlook are bad bite, bad feet and lack of bone. Alberto: I judge according to the standard; however, since there is no perfect dog I have to compromise and forgive minor faults that do not seriously affect the
1. Please tell us about your background in Boxers, including kennel name, highlights, judging experi- ence. We’d also like to know where you live and what you do outside of dogs. Terry: I got started in Boxers back in 1971 when I bought my first plain fawn bitch and took her and my next Boxer through obedience when stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS and joined the Mississippi Coast Ken- nel Club. They were pet quality and I made my decision the next one would be competitive for confirmation. Once out of the military, I bought a beautiful flashy fawn bitch out of Ch. Benjoman of 5T’s, SOM and off I started in the world of conformation. Over the years, I switched my foundation stock to the Shieldmont lines that were producing what I was looking for in a Boxer. I contin- ued to breed and keep those lines in my pedigrees with great success. I breed under the kennel name of Dante’s. My biggest highlight or joy while showing was when my little 6-9 month puppy bitch took a 5 point major on the very tough January Florida circuit at 6 months and 5 days old under Roy Ayers handled by none other than my not-yet husband, Alberto. My highlight in judging Boxers has been the judging at the 2015 American Boxer Club National, and the National for the Boxer Club of Mexico
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