WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WE'RE EXPECTING
A note from Paula
I looked at over fifty litters before I found Dash. Fifty. I had very specific criteria — temperament, conformation, health, pedigree — and I refused to compromise, even when the puppies were adorable and the timing was right. When I finally found him, I nearly didn't get him. His breeder eventually had enough of my persistence and let me bring him home. We're both glad she did.
I tell you this not to frighten you, but to set expectations. I am not a backyard breeder producing puppies on demand. I breed for longevity, correct conformation, temperament, and natural health — and that doesn't happen by accident or on a schedule. Some of my litters are sired by dogs who are no longer living, through surgical implantation of frozen or fresh-chilled semen. I have studied Boxer pedigrees for fifty years and can picture most dogs born in the last four decades. I know where the hidden jewels in this breed are, and I breed toward them deliberately.
I am also one of very few natural rearing Boxer breeders in the world committed at this level. My puppies leave here eating raw meat with appropriate supplements, unexposed to chemicals or toxins, and without traditional vaccinations. I do this not because it's inexpensive — it's considerably more costly than conventional approaches — but because it's right. When I began with this breed, the average lifespan was around eight years. My dogs are living well into their teens now, and I see no reason we can't push above fifteen years with the next generation.
If you bring home a Gentry puppy, I expect you to continue natural rearing. This is not optional and it is not negotiable. I will support you every step of the way, but the commitment to your dog's health is yours to carry forward.
If none of that has scared you off — good. You might be exactly who we're looking for.
How the process works
Look for a breeder, not a puppy. The most common mistake families make is searching for a puppy available right now. Puppies are not interchangeable. A Gentry puppy is the product of fifty years of selection, two months of intensive early development work, and a specific philosophy about what a dog can and should be. Find a program you believe in first, then ask about availability.
Be prepared to wait. A few months is typical. Longer is possible. The families who tell us the wait was worth it outnumber the ones who wish they hadn't waited — and we've never heard the second group say it twice.
Introduce yourself properly. When you reach out, tell us who you are, why you want a Boxer, why you're drawn to Gentry specifically, and what your life looks like. A thorough, thoughtful inquiry gets a thorough, thoughtful response. A one-line email asking about price and availability tells us very little about whether this is a good fit — for either of us.
Be honest about where you are in the process. If you're also in contact with another breeder, say so. We understand how this works and we appreciate honesty far more than we appreciate discovering it later. We turn away families once our list is full — knowing you're covered elsewhere helps us serve the next family.
Trust us to match you. We do not allow buyers to select their own puppies based on appearance or which puppy approaches them first. We evaluate each puppy's temperament, structure, energy level, and personality and match them deliberately to each approved family. The most outgoing puppy is not always the right puppy for your home. Trust the process — it has worked for fifty years.
Be patient at pick time. This is the hardest part. We know. We have been on your side of it. The tension of waiting to find out which puppy is yours is real, and we have tremendous empathy for it. But the match we make for you is made with knowledge and care that no amount of puppy-box excitement can replicate.
What we promise you
We promise to be available to you for the life of your dog — not just the first eight weeks. We promise to answer your questions, celebrate your dog's milestones, and help you navigate the hard moments. We promise to take your dog back if life truly makes it impossible to keep them. We promise to have bred that dog as well as we possibly could, from the most carefully selected parents, with every early advantage we could give them.
That's what a Gentry puppy is. We hope you'll decide it's worth waiting for.
I looked at over fifty litters before I found Dash. Fifty. I had very specific criteria — temperament, conformation, health, pedigree — and I refused to compromise, even when the puppies were adorable and the timing was right. When I finally found him, I nearly didn't get him. His breeder eventually had enough of my persistence and let me bring him home. We're both glad she did.
I tell you this not to frighten you, but to set expectations. I am not a backyard breeder producing puppies on demand. I breed for longevity, correct conformation, temperament, and natural health — and that doesn't happen by accident or on a schedule. Some of my litters are sired by dogs who are no longer living, through surgical implantation of frozen or fresh-chilled semen. I have studied Boxer pedigrees for fifty years and can picture most dogs born in the last four decades. I know where the hidden jewels in this breed are, and I breed toward them deliberately.
I am also one of very few natural rearing Boxer breeders in the world committed at this level. My puppies leave here eating raw meat with appropriate supplements, unexposed to chemicals or toxins, and without traditional vaccinations. I do this not because it's inexpensive — it's considerably more costly than conventional approaches — but because it's right. When I began with this breed, the average lifespan was around eight years. My dogs are living well into their teens now, and I see no reason we can't push above fifteen years with the next generation.
If you bring home a Gentry puppy, I expect you to continue natural rearing. This is not optional and it is not negotiable. I will support you every step of the way, but the commitment to your dog's health is yours to carry forward.
If none of that has scared you off — good. You might be exactly who we're looking for.
How the process works
Look for a breeder, not a puppy. The most common mistake families make is searching for a puppy available right now. Puppies are not interchangeable. A Gentry puppy is the product of fifty years of selection, two months of intensive early development work, and a specific philosophy about what a dog can and should be. Find a program you believe in first, then ask about availability.
Be prepared to wait. A few months is typical. Longer is possible. The families who tell us the wait was worth it outnumber the ones who wish they hadn't waited — and we've never heard the second group say it twice.
Introduce yourself properly. When you reach out, tell us who you are, why you want a Boxer, why you're drawn to Gentry specifically, and what your life looks like. A thorough, thoughtful inquiry gets a thorough, thoughtful response. A one-line email asking about price and availability tells us very little about whether this is a good fit — for either of us.
Be honest about where you are in the process. If you're also in contact with another breeder, say so. We understand how this works and we appreciate honesty far more than we appreciate discovering it later. We turn away families once our list is full — knowing you're covered elsewhere helps us serve the next family.
Trust us to match you. We do not allow buyers to select their own puppies based on appearance or which puppy approaches them first. We evaluate each puppy's temperament, structure, energy level, and personality and match them deliberately to each approved family. The most outgoing puppy is not always the right puppy for your home. Trust the process — it has worked for fifty years.
Be patient at pick time. This is the hardest part. We know. We have been on your side of it. The tension of waiting to find out which puppy is yours is real, and we have tremendous empathy for it. But the match we make for you is made with knowledge and care that no amount of puppy-box excitement can replicate.
What we promise you
We promise to be available to you for the life of your dog — not just the first eight weeks. We promise to answer your questions, celebrate your dog's milestones, and help you navigate the hard moments. We promise to take your dog back if life truly makes it impossible to keep them. We promise to have bred that dog as well as we possibly could, from the most carefully selected parents, with every early advantage we could give them.
That's what a Gentry puppy is. We hope you'll decide it's worth waiting for.