7-   Are necessary/important the health test for you in the breeding?   Ai.. I was awaiting this question! To be clear from the start – and everybody knows my position, which is also the position of my parents: I am firmly opposed to every kind of obligation in breeding matters. The freedom of the breeder should only be restricted by his conscience. “Outside” information, especially scientific information and even more important, information from experienced colleague-breeders, is always welcome. But as “information” – not in package of rules and obligations.   This being said: if a health problem occurs in the breed, a breeder can choose to ignore it or he can choose to take the steps he thinks necessary after he has informed himself. The one who ignores the problem will run into trouble very soon. He will be “out of business”. Morally and otherwise. And so will his dogs. The other one will struggle with the problem and overcome it sooner or later –depending on the nature of the problem. It is possible even he can suffer big losses ( see for example the “axonopathy” problem in the UK population, 20 years ago!) and it is even possible the problem can only be held between boundaries, not being eradicated entirely. In either case: compulsory testing and consequently exclusion will not help. Voluntary testing – if there exist a reliable test! As for example in the case of axonopathy – will certainly help. For the individual breeder knows best – or should know! – his dogs and can, after testing, make the appropriate decision. Voluntary testing – again, if there exist a reliable test! – is the only sure way, for here the breeder has no interest at all in manipulating his own results and consequent breeding decision. Every obligated testing – in dogs or anywhere for that matter – will inevitably lead to manipulation of results – or even worse: to the making of rules based on either corrupt data or on inadequacy of the test or, in the worst case, on a misinterpretation of the initial problem. Up to this day, my father is convinced that Boxers can (of course) show problems in the hip region (although far more often in the knee-region), but that the entire “HD-institution” has been erected on extremely poor scientific theory formation, inadequate testing, inadequate interpretation of test results (we have results of the same x-ray in three different countries tested officially with three different results) and very naïve translation of this “results” (which he – and others- qualify as “self-fulfilling prophecies”) in breeding rules.   On the other hand, a problem we monitor very closely is the hart condition in the Boxer breed. Especially Subaortastenosis. For this is a real problem, sometimes a fatal one and most certainly a hereditary one. We test our Boxer since about 1990. Far before any obligatory testing came into existing and far before the nature of the problem was known. In that period we had used frequently a beautiful Belgian male from outside our kennel. His children were excellent. But several died very young and many others rapidly showed signs of fatigue and remained thin. After exhausting research we were able to narrow down the possible causes to some kind of a hart problem. We – our vet and my parents - consequently setup a self defined testing scheme with a gradation of hartmurmors combined with the results of an electrocardiogram. No Doppler was available at that time. At that time we were ridiculed both in Belgium and by officials of the German boxerclub, for “seeing ghosts”. Although we knew very well that cases of sudden death in young boxers occurred everywhere, in every country and in every “bloodline”. Only the English gave us support at that time. In short: we succeeded in diagnosing Subaortastenosis, learned to appreciate its grading and possible outcome. Some years later we found a vet who had bought a black and white Doppler machine from a hospital and were able to perform the more reliable Doppler testing. During those years this costs us a fortune, but it was  a voluntary choice we made, we were present by every single test and retest ( 8 weeks, 26 weeks, and 52 weeks) and we could bring the problem in map. As a result we were able to master the problem on our breeding, far before the official clubs started shouting about “obligatory testing”.   The really immoral part of this obligated testing debate, is that there is one simple test (already mentioned by Frau Stockman) that can give a very good indication if an individual Boxer is fit enough to breed from. And it does cost nothing. (This of course is a problem for the vets, faculties, etc..). And the test already exists: let a dog run near a bicycle for 20 km, let him rest for 10 minutes, and see how he consequently plays with you. Does he behave as before? Well, you can be pretty sure there is nothing wrong with his hips,  knees, elbows, shoulders, spine, kidneys, hart, longs or liver. And if you want to be surer: repeat the test every six months. You do not need a vet, or a judge: you see for yourself.     8-   What is about your bigger challenge like a breeder?   What it always has been: trying to breed Boxers of good quality, good type and construction and a true boxer personality. That is difficult enough. If I succeed in doing this, other things such as making a boxer up for a champion title will follow – in time.