Boxer

FACE TO FACE WITH DR. MILOS A. LUCIC - TALKING ABOUT THE BOXER

( ATIBOX President - Breeder and Judge - Click Here -)

BOXERING.NET - Hi Mr. Lucic, thank you for your kindness in dedicating us your time for Italian boxer people, readers of our site. Which are your impressions after this great world event which took place in Italy?

Dr.LUCIC - ATIBOX World Boxer Show is always a very special event for the whole world of boxer breeders, owners, judges and all of the people who keep the boxer within the heart, so that ATIBOX 2011 in Santa Maria di Sala, Italy has been no exception, on contrary.

The superbly chosen place by the organizer, Boxer Club of Italy for this year show and its noble ambient provided an excellent insight in the current quality of nowadays boxers.

On the other hand, an impressive number of boxers presented demonstrated the ever increasing interest in a breed, but also the importance of the ATIBOX World Boxer Show and the ever present dream to gain one of the prestigious titles of ATIBOX World Winners.

Herewith I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the organizers, the Boxer Club of Italy, but also to all of the numerous exhibitors, boxer breeders, owners and visitors for making ATIBOX World Boxer Show 2011 in Italy so magnificent and great.

BOXERING.NET - Which are the plans of ATIBOX for boxer breed in the future?

Dr. LUCIC - For a certain time we are facing the fact that there are a lot of differences in numerous countries regarding the breeding conditions, health and boxer character tests in the different countries not only Europe wide, but also worldwide.

There is a constant initiative of ATIBOX, for which I am a strong supporter, to equalize the tests in all of the member countries under the umbrella of ATIBOX and to standardize the entire character and health test, and to achieve the same standards in boxer breeding and working all around the globe.

Not only in these fields, but also to achieve the highest quality of judging and to establish the ATIBOX judges list.

Personally I am of the opinion that there is a strong need and certainly the place for ATIBOX to start or continue with these initiatives, which should result in the significant improvement of our boxer.

Another thing of great importance is to provide more and more transparency within the ATIBOX in nowadays global world by making all of the ATIBOX topics and conclusions public and to make the information available not only to all of the member clubs, but also to all of the boxer breeders and owners.

We have managed this goal partially by establishing the ATIBOX webpage, but it is of utmost importance also to listen to the ideas and to receive the initiatives from all of the people interested in boxer breed.

One of tribunals where this interaction is done is of course the ATIBOX Assembly, starting from last year organized annually upon my initiative and not like before every third year, in order to improve the communication between member countries and to facilitate the decision making process in the ATIBOX. A good example for that are ATIBOX Round Table meetings.

BOXERING.NET - Which were the topics of the judges round table in ATIBOX 2011? Can you write some of your thoughts about them, making a little resume of what happened there? Which were the conclusions of this meeting?

Dr. LUCIC - As I already mentioned, in order to improve the transparency and communication between the ATIBOX member countries, but also breeders and judges a couple of years ago we introduced the idea of ATIBOX Round Table meetings that should gather all of the breeders, judges health experts and representatives around one table to discuss all of the important issues regarding the selected, let me say “state-of-the-art” topics in the boxer world.

So, we started with the first ATIBOX judge’s round table session three years ago in Spain.

The interest for these dedicated meetings is ever rising, and it appears that the quality of some discussions at the meetings may be the foundation basis for establishing the ATIBOX academy for judges in the future, why not?

My strong ambition is to initiate the organization of the ATIBOX breeder’s round table as well in a near future in order to open the discussion on many challenging topics that are at the moment troubling a lot of the boxer breeders.

Beside that, there are plans to organize the first ATIBOX conference dedicated to the boxer health issues, and I have to say that it should be organized in a very near future with the strong support and outstanding efforts of the Boxer Club of Italy.


BOXERING.NET - Does ATIBOX want to recommend some directions/instructions in judging/breeding for the look of the boxer breed, maybe to establish some trends? If yes, can you tell us some things about them (which are these directions, why could be these instructions helpful, how do you think people and judges receive them, etc.) ?

Dr. LUCIC - Though we must not forget that the boxer is a German breed and the changes of the standard are within the authority of German boxer club, indeed, ATIBOX, as the association of national boxer clubs has the potential to bring up the guidelines for the further trends of the boxer breed.

In the atmosphere of the open conversation and good will, it is possible to achieve the best possible level of understanding among the member countries, and as a result, to join the efforts in co-operation between the breeding committees of different countries under the umbrella of ATIBOX.

I am also of the opinion that the ATIBOX presidium, though at the moment already efficient, should broaden the net of boxer experts in a different fields of expertise and interest, by forming the various committees, so at this very moment, we have already started with the ATIBOX working committee, and more of them should follow, for example, ATIBOX judges committee, exhibition committee, health committee...

These committees should gather different experts from different member countries and provide the ideas and proposals how to improve boxer breed in different aspects, and I am quite convinced that this concept will result in directions or instructions that would be of great help for further boxer breed improvement.

BOXERING.NET - We all know that in this moment, there are some hot topics in boxer’s world, subjects of many debates: white boxers, the situation of the cropped/uncropped boxers, the character of the boxer, and maybe some more. How do you see them? Do you think boxer people at all levels can reach to an agreement about these hot topics of the present? How?

Dr. LUCIC - I am deeply convinced that all the differences in opinion should be brought up in a form of a democratic debate.

So I think that all of the important issues, regarding the cropping, the character, the introducing of the white boxer into the book of origin and many others themes of importance to the breed should be discussed before the final decision is made.

Though it is well known that it’s not likely that you can always make all of the people happy, for there will always be some satisfied and some less or unsatisfied, it is also true that more people may know more than only one wise person. Therefore, the forum for democratic debate should exist in order to prevail the differences, and ATIBOX in my opinion represent the perfect frame for that.

Let me remind you that at the ATIBOX round table 2010 in Wroclaw, Poland, the major topic was exactly the introduction of the white boxer, and one of the important questions that has arise from this debate was should we calmly allow the white boxer to be mated with fawn and brindle boxers.

And even if not, it is already known that between two white parent boxers, fawn and brindle puppies can be born. And then, what to do with the colored boxer puppies whose parents are white?

Are they going to be treated as “regular” fawn or brindle boxer in the further breeding?

Hence, the things are not always simple as we would like to see them; sometimes the problem lies deeper, in the second or third generation of offspring.

Another urging issue of debate is the cropping, but as I already said, I am sure that the constructive discussion between the representatives of the member countries of ATIBOX would lead us to the constructive conclusion as well, and I do hope that the comprehensive and generally acceptable viewpoint upon that, but also all other issues will be achieved in the near future.

BOXERING.NET - Now, a question for feelings from the competition field - Which is the feeling when you are judging BIS boxer in an event like ATIBOX - the final of the finals, with those impatient waiting people, applauses, tension, hope, the drive of the handlers who try to take the best out of their dogs... what Milos Lucic, the judge and the boxer lover, feels in that moment?

Dr LUCIC - I admit, this is rather difficult question to answer… There are namely some moments that are rather unexplainable by the use of words only.

And though to have the pleasure to observe the beautiful boxers outside of the ring is always a joyful and fulfilling moment, to be within the ring and to participate actively in the choosing the best one among a several extraordinary beautiful boxers, especially in the finals of ATIBOX World Boxer Show has been a really inspiring and, allow me to say - truly emotional and breathtaking moment.

Yet, I am still under the impression that this amazing and incredible feeling has been equally shared by the observers around the ring of honor, boxer lovers, owners and breeders in the same way and that their applause given to the beautiful boxers presented at the ATIBOX 2011 in Italy was coming from the heart and therefore should told us more than any words spoken.

BOXERING.NET - That's fantastic, Mr. Lucic, thank you for making us relive the feelings from ATIBOX 2011 ring and, on behalf of all boxer people, a special thank for your continuous commitment that distinguished you in the work of improving our beloved breed... See you soon!