When we lost Duchess suddenly, we acquired another puppy bitch we named Neeni. In 1990, she made us the proud owners of a litter of seven pups. This was the true beginning of Lar-San Boxers, since one of those pups went to a lady who told us about obedience competition. We started going to classes with Apache, the pup we kept, when he was six months old. He became the star of the class, and the instructor encouraged us to continue with him. The next thing we knew, we were going to our first competition.

Our first show was in Greenville, South Carolina in February 1992. When we arrived, Larry (who does the training and showing) wasn't even sure how to pick up his number from the steward. Apache went on to become U-CD Neeni's Apache Warrior CDX, TT, CGC. By the end of 1992, we were very proud when he achieved the honor of being the No. 4 Boxer in the Delaney point system, an obedience recognition that is awarded based on the number of dogs defeated in regular classes. Sadly, Apache had to be retired from obedience showing at an early age due to arthritic conditions in his back and stifles, never achieving his utility title.

In 1996, we acquired a young brindle dog, Noble Heart's Nightfire ("Z"). We attempted to show him in conformation, but as he matured, it became obvious he was not conformation quality. Therefore, his obedience training began in earnest. He acquired his CD in three shows with very respectable scores. He didn't care much for the structured pattern of heeling, but he loved jumping and retrieving. We were getting ready to enter him in the Open classes, when we learned that he had dilated cardiomyopathy, and had to be retired. We suffered the loss of Apache (at the age of nine) and "Z" (at the age of five) in 1999.

In the meantime, we brought a bitch onto the scene, Noble Heart's Jewel of Lar-San. She became our first champion in June of 1998, and attained her first obedience title in September of 2000. Jewel allowed Larry to achieve his goal - a dog with a title at both ends.

Jewel delivered a beautiful litter in January 2000, sired by CH Hi-Tech's Aristocrat, SOM. Her son, Lar-San's Diamond in the Rough (Cole), started his show career in July, 2000. He took his first two points from the 9-12 months puppy class at the Chattanooga Kennel Club show in Knoxville, Tennessee on November 4, 2000, under respected judge Mel Downing, and earned his championship in August 2002.

Out of the same litter, we also kept two bitches, Lar-San's Diamonds 'n Pearls (Annie) and Lar-San's A Diamond is Forever (Tia). Annie has been shown by her best friend and trainer, Lyndsey Ailshie, our grand-daughter. Tia was our buddy, since she was spayed when her bite went wry.

We were honored to become members of the American Boxer Club (ABC) in May 1999. We also belong to several local clubs, specifically, the East Tennessee Boxer Club, the Tennessee Valley Kennel Club, and the Oak Ridge Kennel Club. We are actively involved with the local clubs, serving as officers in various positions, conducting training classes, and helping with local shows. We abide by the ABC Code of Ethics, and are proponents of health testing before any breeding, given our earlier experiences with Apache and "Z".