Conformation
If you bought your boxer with the specific aim of competing in conformation, he should show outstanding promise of being a breed type or the promise of very closely approximating the boxer standard. Otherwise, it may not be possible to get his breed championship. However, even if your boxer is going to do conformation, he needs to know how to be a good dog, and more since he will routinely have an AKC judge and others go over his mouth and his private parts as part of the examination.
As the legendary boxer breeder Eleanor Linderholm-Wood of Merrilane Boxers said, “as few dogs are reincarnated Best in Show winners, obedience training will make show training easier.”
Conformation Basics
If your boxer knows how to do good walkies (no pulling on the leash, no lagging, and no sniffing), and if he has been properly socialized and educated since puppyhood and is used to spending time in his crate or x-pen, conformation show training itself will not pose any difficulties.
Basically, what your boxer needs to do in the show ring is to stand a certain way (squarely over his paws), let the judge go over his mouth, body. and testicles, and hold that stand during the exam with no shyness, aggression, or even too much enthusiasm. Even if your boxer is friendly and well socialized, this will take more effort than just being friendly. To let a stranger touch his mouth and private parts takes training!
It is best that you know the usual ring procedures before you go off to show your boxer at his first show. Nothing is more irritating to many judges than someone who does not know the rules of the sport. You may want to attend handling classes to learn how to set your boxer up, basic ring patterns, ring etiquette, and how to get your boxer to perform in front of a judge. All this will help your training to be more efficient once you get into the conformation ring.
In addition, your boxer has to be able to gait or trot nicely around the ring with you or a professional handler. He has to do this to show the judge his movement on the down-and-back exercise and while going around the ring, and he needs to be able to do a free stack. Boxers are one of the breeds that are hand-stacked and have to have a nice free stack as well.
Hand stacking a dog means that the handler bends down and places each of the dog's four paws so that the dog's weight is evenly distributed, and so that his front paws are squarely beneath his shoulders and his back paws and legs are comfortably placed behind him. His neck should be nicely arched, and he needs to be looking straight ahead. In boxers, this also means that his tail should be up.
Free stacking means that the dog has basically learned how to put himself together without the handler's help. This is usually done on the down-and-back, when the handler and your boxer return to stop in front of the judge. It makes a very nice impression if your boxer can put himself together and stack in front of the judge without help from the handler, with his feet squarely planted, neck arched, tail up, and his expression one of animated and happy containment.
Show Training
The best way to begin show training is simply to pick the puppy up when he is quite young, from in front of his chest and beneath his back end, and set him down squarely, which is roughly what a show stack is. He should land with his paws under his shoulders and his feet comfortably balancing him from behind. Hold the pup in this position for just a few moments, and then praise him or give him a treat.
Eventually, your boxer will need to learn to be hand stacked and to do a free stack on his own.
Conformation is the only sport where amateurs routinely compete against professionals. There are professional handlers in every breed in AKC shows. You can pay these handlers to present your dog to an AKC judge at an AKC show and sometimes train your dog to be shown. While this can be quite expensive, showing in the boxer ring is quite competitive, and your boxer will likely be more successful in winning with a professional handler. However, you should still learn how to train your boxer to do this yourself, as it can be a lot of fun and very gratifying to win!
