As approved by the Federal Council of KUSA on 25 November 2006
Breed assessments and breed surveys are held in terms of the rules and regulations set out in Schedule 5F of the KUSA Constitution.

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1. PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS

The SABOX Breed Assessment and Breed Survey are breeding suitability evaluations, devised to determine whether a Boxer is free of physical and mental weaknesses or faults which could have a negative influence on its soundness, type, working ability and by implication, its suitability for breeding purposes. The evaluation of the dogs entered are based on the overall requirements stipulated in the Boxer Breed Standard as published by the FCI and accepted by KUSA and SABOX. It is not a competition and participating Boxers will be graded (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Insufficient or Not Gradable) but will not be placed in order of merit, nor will any prizes be awarded
A Breed Assessment includes:
· A thorough assessment of conformation and type
· Evaluation of movement
· Test for steadiness to gunshot
· Disposition evaluation

A Breed Survey is identical to the above, but also includes an evaluation of the guard and defence attributes of the dog.

2. APPLICATIONS TO HOLD A BREED ASSESSMENT / BREED SURVEY

2.1 Application by a Member Club wishing to hold a Breed Assessment/Breed Survey shall be made on an official KUSA form completed and signed as described in Schedule 3 Regulation 2.1 and accompanied by the fee prescribed in Schedule 7. Applications may only be submitted to KUSA via SABOX.

2.2 SABOX shall be responsible for appointing suitably qualified breed assessors (to be approved by KUSA in terms of Article 25 of the KUSA Constitution) for all Breed Assessments/Breed Surveys.

2.3 SABOX will hold at least one Breed Assessment/Breed Survey at a different venue every year.

2.4 The dates and venues of Breed Assessments/Breed Surveys to be held, together with the names of organising clubs, will be published every year in the KUSA Events Calendar.

3. ELIGIBILITY

3.1 To be eligible for entry in a breed survey or breed assessment, a Boxer must:
· be registered in the KUSA Breed Register
· be at least 15 months old on the day of the evaluation;
· be healthy and in good condition;
· be positively identifiable by means of a microchip, DNA or tattoo;
· have been examined and certified for hip dysplasia and conform to the requirements as set out by SABOX from time to time;
· if a male, have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

3.2 Dogs belonging to the breed assessors or manwork assailants officiating at a Breed Assessment/Breed Survey (and their immediate families) may not be entered at that event.

3.3 Bitches in season may participate in a Breed Assessment/Breed Survey, provided they are kept strictly apart from all other participants during the entire event. Bitches in season will be evaluated after all the other dogs. The survey manager and breed assessor must be informed immediately on her arrival if a bitch is in season.

3.4 Pregnant and nursing bitches may not participate in a Breed Assessment/Breed Survey.

4. ENTRIES

4.1 The closing date for entries shall not be less than three (3) weeks before the day of the assessment/survey.

4.2 All entries shall be submitted on an official KUSA entry form, fully completed and signed. Any alteration or amendment to the declaration thereon shall invalidate the entry.

4.3 No more than fifteen (15) dogs may be accepted for an assessment/survey in one day.

5. DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

On the day of the assessment the owner or handler of the dog entered must present the following documentation to the breed assessor for verification:
· A certified copy of the dog’s KUSA registration certificate
· A certified copy of the certificate from the Department of Radiology, University of Pretoria (Onderstepoort) indicating that the dog entered had been examined and scored for hip dysplasia.
· Reports of any previous / unsuccessful assessment or survey in which the dog participated.

6. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ORGANISING CLUB

The organising club must ensure that the following is available:
· A suitable venue with firm, level ground, large enough to accommodate without risk or interference all the tests to be carried out.
· Breed Assessment/Survey Certificates issued to the club by SABOX for a fee to be determined from time to time.
· A suitable demonstration dog.
· A microchip scanner.
· SABOX approved measuring stick.
· SABOX approved eye colour and bite formula charts.
· Shelter, large table, chair, writing materials.
· A starter’s pistol and blank cartridges.
· A survey manager and a marshalling steward.
· A vet on call.
· A qualified KUSA registered IPO manwork assailant and a suit, armguard, leather covered stick and a hide (Breed Survey only).
On conclusion of the assessment the organising club must ensure that all documentation has been duly completed, signed and obtained from the breed assessors. The following must be sent to SABOX within ten (10) days:
· A list of the participating dogs with name and postal address of owners
· Completed and signed Breed Assessment/Survey Certificates
· The assessment reports
· The specified levy (to be determined by SABOX from time to time) for each participating dog.

7. THE BREED ASSESSORS

The assessment/survey shall be carried out by a panel of not less than two (2) SABOX approved and appointed breed assessors. No panel may contain more than one club committee member of any one SABOX affiliated member club.

The decisions of the breed assessors will be final. Results of the assessments/tests shall be entered on the SABOX and KUSA approved report forms. One copy of these reports to be forwarded (within 30 days) to the owner of the dog entered, one copy to be retained by SABOX and one copy to be forwarded to KUSA.

On conclusion of the assessment, breed assessors must ensure that all documentation has been duly completed and signed.

8. BREED ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

The Breed Assessment consists of the following elements, which are conducted in the following sequence:

1. Marshalling of participants
Before the start of the assessment the marshalling steward must ensure that all the relevant documentation for each dog has been handed to the breed assessors and that the details of each dog has been filled in on the assessment forms.

2. Establishment of eye colour and bite formula
The breed assessors must determine and enter on the assessment form the eye colour and the bite formula of each dog. During this examination and those that follow, the attitude and behaviour of the dog must be noted – it should have an outgoing and Boxer typical disposition and must submit to the examination in a calm, self-assured and friendly manner.

3. Body Measurements
The height at the withers immediately behind the elbow, the body length from the point of the shoulder to the ischiatic bone and the depth of chest of each dog must be measured and recorded, with the dog standing on a firm, level surface.

4. Movement evaluation
Each dog to be evaluated when moved on a loose lead at both the walk and the trot, viewed coming and going and in profile. Efficiency, soundness and smoothness of the gait, topline, head carriage, front action and reach, rear action and drive to be assessed.

5. Steadiness to gunshot
While the dog walks off-lead with its owner, two shots (6mm or 9mm calibre) are to be fired at a distance of not less than 15 paces from the dog. Except for taking note of the origin of the shots, the dog must remain unperturbed and must show no fear, aggression or anxiety

6. Conformation evaluation
The dog to stand naturally and on a loose lead while its conformation is evaluated, including general appearance, size, substance and balance, sexual characteristics, muscular development, neck, forequarters, forechest, ribcage and brisket, topline, tuck-up, flanks, hindquarters, croup and tailset, coat and colour.
Special attention to be paid to the head – proportions, expression, stop, bridge of nose, skull, muzzle, repandous, lip placement, flews, cheeks, ears, eye colour, shape, placement and nictitating membranes.
The mouth must be carefully examined to establish the condition and size of teeth, number of incisors, width and bite formula of the lower jaw, degree of undershot condition, jaw abnormalities eg wryness.

7. Disposition evaluation
Dog and handler to move through a group of at least six (6) people (who may not interfere with the dog being tested in any way), turn around and halt in the middle of the group with the dog sitting at heel. The group then closes in tightly around the dog and handler. The test must clearly demonstrate the self-assurance of the dog and its confidence in its handler.

9. GRADING

On completion of the above evaluations, the breed assessors must grade the dog:
· EXCELLENT: An outstanding Boxer which, in terms of type, conformation, soundness and temperament, comes very close to the ideal described in the Standard. Its superior quality and type overshadow any small imperfections, but it must possess the typical features of its sex. In the opinion of the breed assessor this Boxer is highly recommended for breeding purposes in terms of its phenotype (i.e. visible attributes)
· VERY GOOD: A high quality Boxer which possesses the typical characteristics of the breed, has balanced proportions, is sound and of steady temperament. A few minor but not morphological (type-affecting) faults may be overlooked but it must possess the typical features of its sex. In the opinion of the breed assessor this Boxer is recommended for breeding purposes in terms of its phenotype.
· GOOD: A Boxer that possesses the main features of the breed but has visible, major faults. In the opinion of the breed assessor this Boxer is not recommended for breeding purposes in terms of its phenotype. If bred from, this should be done with caution and it should not be mated to a dog displaying the same faults.
Regardless of its other qualities, a Boxer with the following faults should not be rated higher than “Good”: slight nervousness, lack of temperament, very light eyes (lighter than 4B), overshot, pincer or very undershot bite.
· INSUFFICIENT: A Boxer that resembles the breed without possessing sufficient type or a Boxer that is very unsound or has very poor conformation. In the opinion of the breed assessor this Boxer should not be bred from.
Regardless of its other qualities, a Boxer displaying the following faults must be rated “Insufficient”: gun shyness, viciousness, treachery, unreliability, cowardice, a serious lack of temperament, unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism, inheritable jaw abnormalities such as a wry mouth, any colour other than fawn or brindle or with more than one third of the ground colour replaced by white markings.
This grading must also be given to a dog that deviates so far from a single breed characteristic (e g length of muzzle) that the health of the dog is affected
· NOT GRADABLE: This is given when the breed assessor, for whatever reason, cannot examine gait, conformation, dentition, testicles etc., or when it is apparent that the dog has been treated in some way to alter or conceal some feature.
The same applies when the breed assessor is able to ascertain that an operation has been carried out to cover up or conceal some condition.
It is also given to a dog in such poor condition that its breeding potential cannot be assessed.
Any deviation from the Breed Standard must be regarded as a fault, the assessment of which must be in exact relation to the degree of the deviation.

10. BREED SURVEY PROCEDURES

The Breed Survey procedures are identical to those of the Breed Assessment in every respect but it includes the following tests of the guard and defence attributes of the participating dog:

Tests for guard and defence drives
The manwork assailant goes into the hide, which should be situated at a distance of about 30-40 paces from the starting position of the handler and dog. The dog is handed to the marshalling steward (who should not be well-known to the dog), who holds it by its collar. The breed assessors must take note of the behaviour and attitude of the dog while held by the steward and form an opinion of its nervous disposition. The handler proceeds towards the hide. He/she is allowed to verbally encourage the dog while doing so. When the handler reaches the hide, the assailant comes out of the hide and attacks the handler. The dog is released by the steward and must immediately run to the handler and intervene without hesitation by taking hold of the armguard of the assailant and maintaining a firm grip. The dog must not let go, even when receiving two short sharp blows from the assailant on the body or thighs with an approved flexible leather covered stick. The attack technique of the dog should play no part in the assessment by the breed assessors - its willingness to protect the handler, its courage and self-assurance should be evaluated. When instructed to do so by the breed assessor, the assailant stops fighting. The dog should release on command, where after the handler holds it by the collar, while the assailant runs away in a straight line. When the assailant is about 30 paces away, he starts threatening while continuing in the same direction. When the assailant is about 50 paces away, the breed assessor instructs the handler to send the dog after the assailant. On a signal from the breed assessor, the assailant turns around and runs towards the dog with forceful, threatening gestures and sounds, but without the dog receiving any actual stick blows. The dog must again attack immediately without letting go. After the assailant stops fighting, the dog must release on command but must stay with him and not run away or return to its handler. If the dog does not let go on command, the breed assessor may order the handler to move closer and repeat the command. If after several commands the dog still has not let go, the handler must be instructed to go up to the dog and effect a manual release. At this stage the assessor may decide to defer the dog to another survey.

Dogs which do not bite or which flee from the stick blows cannot pass the Breed Survey. A dog which avoids the stick but then bites again or a dog which leaves the assailant after ending the fight may be deferred to a later survey.

11. DEFERRED QUALIFICATION

Dogs may be presented up to three times for Breed Assessments / Breed Surveys if they are unsuccessful at first. After the third unsuccessful attempt, a dog may not be presented again.