-White Boxers-

Information on White Boxers and the Controversy Behind them

Unfortunately, the White Boxer has been the cause of much controversy among breeders and the public for quite some time.  I hope that the following information  will help dispel any myths that you have heard about the White Boxer.

White boxers are white for the same reasons why humans have blonde, brown, or red hair-through genetics. The parents determine the coat color of the dogs. They are the same in every way as any other boxer with only one main SIGNIFANT difference, their color. Because "white" is not an approved "Breed Standard" color, these dogs are rejected by many reputable show breeders and become UTHANIZED at birth. 

-Two Very important "behind the scene" facts to be aware of -

The White Boxer was one of the first colors to establish the Breed.

If it were not for the "'white" gene (therefore the white boxer), there would not be any flashy boxers which are so desirable in both the show ring and by popularity.

Aprox 25% of all Boxers born are White.

Marking Pattern Inheritance

Now we get into the issue of marking patterns. There are three marking patterns in Boxers - solid colored or "plain", marked or "flashy", and "check" or white. Again, there are only two genes responsible for marking patterns, the solid color gene and the marking pattern gene (often called the "white" gene).

              Gene for Solid Color (S)                                 Gene for White Markings (Sw)

The number of each gene a Boxer gets determines its marking pattern. Neither gene is dominant over the other, which means that in a dog that has one of each gene you will see a "combination" effect; in this case, a flashy Boxer.

It is important to note a few things here. One is that, like brindling, the marking pattern is affected by modifiers, so that a flashy Boxers, while genetically the same as another flashy Boxer, will not be phenotypically the same - one may have a full white collar, the other may only have white "stockings" and no white on the neck. Also, genetically plain Boxers do have a minimal amount of white markings on the toes, chest and belly. Because of the modifiers, a genetically flashy Boxer that is modified to have only a small amount of white markings may look phenotypically identical to a genetically plain Boxer. Finally, because white is a marking pattern and not a coat color, a white Boxer is always either fawn or brindle. If the white covers the entire body, you may never know which color it is (unless it happened to come from two fawn parents).

  

    Two Solid Color Genes                White Markings Genes                   One of Each Gene

                    (SS)                                                  (SwSw)                                              (SSw) 

Example of color possibilities from two Flashy Parents

(SSw)

(SSw)

          Bitch                                                                                                         Sire

Myths/Facts

MYTH #1

White Boxers are rare.

FACT

Approximately 25% of all Boxers are born white. In fact, some of the first foundation dogs for the Boxer breed were white. Since White Boxers do not conform to the breed standard of the American Boxer Club and the American Kennel Club, many are euthinized by breeders.

MYTH #2

White Boxers develop more health problems and are sicker than other Boxers.

FACT

Because a Boxer is white does not mean that it is going to be unhealthy. No clinical evidence has been recorded showing the White Boxer at higher risk for health problems.

MYTH #3

All White Boxers are deaf and are not trainable.

FACT

Although there is a higher incidence of deafness when a Boxer is white (approximately 18% of whites), not all are deaf. Deaf Boxers can be trained using a variety of methods including hand signals, sign language, flashlights and more. Training any Boxer, hearing or deaf, requires time, patience and understanding.

MYTH #4

White Boxers are "mean".

FACT

White Boxers are not "mean". Coat color on a Boxer does not affect a Boxer's personality. White Boxers exhibit the same endearing personality traits as their darker counterparts.

MYTH #5

White Boxers are albinos.

FACT

White Boxers are not albinos. Albino dogs do not have any pigment. White Boxers are simply born with white hair.

MYTH #6

White Boxers cannot be registered.

FACT

White Boxers can be registered with the American Kennel Club. However, they can not been shown in the conformation ring, but they can be shown in obedience.

Photos used compliments of Country Hill Boxers