VAN SAPHO'S HOEVE
Welcome
100% Belgian
The “Van Sapho’s Hoeve” boxers are bred in our kennel in Belgium.
KNOWLEDGE
In our 42 years of experience, we have build the knowledge we need.
PASSION
Our passion for the boxer breed, has always led us to the best decisions…
QUALITY
Breeding healthy & beautiful boxers is what we try to achieve, every day !
LATEST NEWS
03.09.2024
Remarkable van Sapho’s Hoeve x Uderzo van Sapho’s Hoeve
01.06.2024
WHITE ADMIRAL VSH
4th exc Young class Atibox 2024 Netherlands
01.06.2024
WENDY DARLING VSH
2nd youth class Atibox 2024 Netherlands
14.01.2024
WILLEMITE VSH
Best Junior CAC Genk
Belgian Junior Champion
42 YEARS AGO...
In the beginning…
What started with the companionship of one Boxer – Sapho – developed into a passion for the breed. The affix “Van Sapho’s Hoeve” was FCI recognised in 1978. Along with the years came the experience, the knowledge of the pitfalls and the historical legacy of the breed, the breeder skills and eventually success in the showring.
A boarding kennel was set up alongside the boxer breeding, Mariette gave up her job and dogs took over our life. In 1990 we moved to the small village of Leke – 10 minutes drive to the coast -, bought a small farm and found finally the vast green space we needed for the Boxers and for ourselves.
Training & showing
Ingmar, born and raised between Boxers, entered the professional kennel life and added the training and showing skills we obviously lacked. Our Boxers began winning their titles. Not so much in our own country but abroad: initially the Netherlands , France , and Germany later on all over Europe : Night, Roy , Thor, Turio, Vivian,.. .
A training school was established with Ingmar in charge and with a learning program based largely on the principles of Karen Pryor. Lots of great Boxers – that later on marked the show and breeding scene – came as young dogs to us, to be trained by Ingmar for their much needed working certificate. On the other side, Ingmar participated successfully with his own “working boxers” – Sultan and Ursu – at major working trials such as the Atibox.
Our breeding program initially based on solid Dutch and German lines began to incorporate some of the better Italian, French and Spanish “bloodlines”. A good choice, culminating – at this point in time – in the success of Atibox-Worldchampion 2006 “Brahms van Sapho’s Hoeve”.
de la Finca Sapho
In the meantime Mariette, after having worked for sixteen years on the board of the Belgian boxer club, resigned – on principle. The board decided to go along with a ban on cropped boxers on their shows. That was a bridge too far. By the turn of the century outside infringements on the breed itself and on the freedom of its breeders grow tumor like: we were forced to search for alternatives. One was the introduction of the fascinating Dr. Cattanach Project – natural short tailed Boxers – into our breeding, an option firmly advocated by Mrs Pat Withers. Another: trying to buy a property in a “free country” and to set up a new kennel. Quitting was not an option and neither was giving up the principle of free choice.
We finally decided to follow up both options. By 2005 the first litters with the gene for the natural short tail were born in our kennel and by 2006 our sister kennel in the Communidad Valenciana , Spain, was established and FCI-recognized: “de la Finca Sapho“. Due to the change of the ” boxer standard ” the natural short tail project was blocked out of every FCI recognized breeding project. We are still proud that we did give this option a fair try.
Alexandra, Ingmar & Navajo
Since 2012 Alexandra & Ingmar who did find each other at the trainingfield, do continue to breed the ” Van Sapho’s Hoeve ” boxers. Still it must be said that this will always be a family passion.
Together they do not only breed the boxers but are training them for trials mostly as passion and are handling them at shows all around Europe. To be at these shows is mostly for the old fassion reason why dog shows did start, to compare one quality to the other. More then ever it is important to combine the best bloodlines even if they are far away.
Breeding correct boxers with the typical boxer expression is as much important as socializing the puppy’s. The last years a lot of energy goes to socializing the puppy’s perfectly as well as the open publication of this on the kennels Facebook page. Keeping this breed healthy has always been a fascination, for this no energy or finance is spared. Not out of obligation but out of responsibility and even more out of pure interest.
Alexandra and Ingmar have their strong ideals when it comes to breeding and behavior. They continue to guide the puppy owners with a strong advice based on experience and always with the eye for the best of each individual boxer. More and more they became advocate of breeding on terms of parenting. This gives every mother off a puppy the deserved family home.
On 02/01/2020 their son Navajo was born, raising this boy among the boxers is a passion in plus to the others. Navajo, Alexandra and Ingmar are now surrounded with boxers, horses, goats, peacocks, swans, sheep and a lot of chickens. Only with the boxers there will be bred because we should all know : Knowledge is important !
