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BOXERS IN INDIA
by Sanjaya Saran
Not many know, but Joey Royle of Onstage Boxers (U.K.) started her illustrious career in India!  Boxers as a breed have always been present in India, but it is only in the last decade that their popularity has soared to make them one of the most popular breeds.  Although Boxers prior to Independence were few and far between, some of the top lines had been brought into India.  The Maharajah of Baria had imported an English Champion bitch from the Wardrobes kennel and there were a few other imports by enthusiasts, but there is little evidence in current pedigrees to reflect this.
In the 1970s Calcutta was considered the stronghold of the Boxer, as quite a few German and English Boxers had been imported and were doing a considerable amount of winning. In those days, there were many restrictions on the import of dogs and it was only some expatriates and a privileged few who were able to do so. 

In the mid-70s Mr. Rangarajan of Madras imported a son of Ch.Seefeld Picasso, along with a bitch with Gremlin bloodlines, who did a lot of winning and fuelled the interest in the Boxer as a breed.  American bloodlines were also brought in from kennels such as Jacquet and a few German imports were added to the gene pool.
In 1984, a dog which was to turn the fortunes of the breed arrived in India.  Indian Champion Aryanoush's Birdneck's Rocky Shaizada, an American import, was never beaten in the show ring, and he retired undefeated.  Besides his show successes, his greatest feat was to sire innumerable show Champions, and as a result the popularity of the Boxer owes this great Champion an immeasurable debt.

Over the years there have been imports from Australia (Sjecoin, Guntop, Thasrite); England (Rimarti, Faerdorn, Marbelton); America (Jacquets, Vagabonds); Belgium (Von Boskrdoorn) and New Zealand (Valeska), amongst others. It has been the imports that have been at the vanguard of Boxer popularity.  Aryanoush Kennels have produced a number of Champions (at the last count they were over the century mark!), but there has really not been much of an impact on the show scene by other Indian breeders.  Perhaps, with our limited resources, we should follow the Australian model, where a group of breeders got together and syndicated a top imported stud, with a view to a commonality in their breeding programme. Another consideration would be to permit the import of semen for artificial insemination.  I believe that this is under active consideration of the Kennel Club of India, and as a first step, a DNA testing laboratory has been mooted to be set up.
Indian Champion Aryanoush Birdneck's Rocky Shaizada
Some years ago, a well known dog breeder from Australia did remark at a breeding seminar that with the number of dogs that have been brought into India over the years, he would have expected something quite spectacular when he was judging.  Suffice to say that this comment is not reflected in only the Boxer breed.
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