The White Boxer
In general the white boxer is exactly the same as its coloured brothers and sisters.
White Boxers only seem scarce because breeders don’t really want them!
But -
White is only a colour and they are BOXERS after all! With all the same happy, bouncy, personality – and can be just as much fun.
In the past they may have not been seen because of euthanasia at birth, but that is not happening now. (thankfully)
They can not be shown in confirmation classes – But they can do obedience and agility – and be very good at it.
We always register our whites as we believe they should count on the KC numbers and also if the new owner wants to compete at KC licenced events the dog has to be registered on one of the KC registers
A few questions people ask or are miss-informed about:-
White boxers are rare aren’t they?
The first boxers bred in the 19th century were predominately white and remained so for many years. It was not until the outbreak of the 1st World War that it became clear that white was not the ideal colour for a dog used as a guard / patrol dog – to say they stood out like a sore thumb when it was dark would be an understatement! Over time the boxer had more colour introduced from other bull breeds which eventually led to the breed, as we know it today.
Contrary to popular belief whites are far from rare, up until recently due to “breed standards” defined by the kennel club white was undesirable. Because of these guidelines breeders used to dispose of white puppies as it was frowned upon within show circles and up until recently it was not uncommon for breeders to cull white pups. The exact percentage of white pups per litter is thought to be between 20% & 30% when two “flashy” boxers are bred together. When Solid colour boxers (no flashy markings) are bred this percentage reduces significantly due to the lack of the white gene and no white pups should be produced. If a “Flashy” red or brindle is bred with a “solid” red the % of white pups will be significantly lower.
I am happy to say that few breeders cull their white pups any more, but many will ask that they be neutered as soon as the pup reaches maturity.
White boxers are deaf aren’t they?
This is not as common as many people would have you believe. Little or no research covering a big enough sample volume of white boxers has been conducted. Many statements relating to deafness are based on samples of less than a hundred if you are lucky! The general consensus is that deafness in whites is increased by approximately 15%, whilst their coloured brothers and sisters can expect a percentage of around 3%.
It is worth noteing that the gene that produces white in all dogs is also the gene that causes deafness. All white dogs of any breed pedigree or not have a slight increase in the chances of being deaf.
White boxers are blind aren’t they?”
To my knowledge blindness in white boxers is not increased over and above their coloured brothers and sisters.
White boxers don’t live long do they!
With the proper care and attention your white boxer should enjoy a long and fulfilled life, the average life span of any boxer is approximately 12 years.
There is no evidence to support the miss-belief that white boxers have a shorter life expectancy in fact if anything it would appear they live longer.
White boxers are more prone to tumours!
Boxers in general are a breed recognised as being susceptible to tumours and growths however once again there is no conclusive evidence to support claims that whites are more susceptible. I would however ensure your white boxer is suitably protected from the suns rays via the application of sun block.
White boxers cost a fortune?
No!!! – and there is no such thing as an Alaskan white boxer.
Generally white boxers can be cheaper or the same price as their coloured litter mates, beware of unscrupulous “breeders and or puppy farms” charging extra or large amounts of money for whites.
Recently white boxers have become very popular but they still should not cost more than their coloured brothers and sisters.
White boxers are the runt of a litter!
Again, No! They are just a coat colour and in fact are often very large.
White boxers are albinos!
And Again, No! If they don’t have pink eyes they are not albino. Albino animals have no pigment in their genetic makeup. White boxers often have a dark patch or dark eyes and this shows they have pigment in their genes and so are not Albinos.
White boxers are bad tempered and aggressive!
Definitely, No! In a boxer white is just a coat colour and coat colour does not affect a personality as it is not bred to be white at the expense of temperament (as can happen in some breeds). White Boxers exhibit the same endearing personality traits as their darker counterparts.
USEFUL LINKS RELATING TO THE WHITE BOXER
