Expert: Jannie Balliett - 3/31/2008

Question
Hi Jannie,
I have a 10 mos. old male Boxer and purchased him as a pet.  However the breeder said that if I wanted to breed him that they would require an additional fee.  I paid the additional fee with the thought that some day, this could be a good idea. But just recently I was told that my dog appears to show signs of Rye Jaw.  His eye tooth every now and then sticks out and his upper lip seems to curl under.
I understand that the Boxer jaw is not aligned perfectly in most cases but I feel reluctant to breed him knowing that there could be a potenial problem with the pups.
My question....a) in your opinion do you agree that most Boxer jaws are not aligned perfectly b) If he has Rye Jaw why would this not have been detected during the Vet inspection results? (by Breeder's Vet) and (my Vet)
c)  If the dog's jaw is out of alignment, should I be asking for the additional money back that I paid for breeding purposes?

Thanks,

Gary

Answer
There is no such thing as "Rye jaw." Period.

Boxers teeth are always crooked. Their lower jaw protrudes with an under bite.

There is nothing wrong with your boy.

Secondly, you should not have paid that ridiculous "breeding fee" as no one in this world can delegate if you can breed your own dog, or not. That is at the discretion of an owner.

You got ripped off by a con artist making extra money on breeding/selling pups.

Take your boy to a Boxer savvy vet, voice your concerns, and have him checked for Boxer inherited disorders. Although 10 months is quite young for some to show up yet, and testing to be accurate, at about 1 year old they will be more accurate; i.e. thyroid, heart, etc.