THE WHITE BOXER STORY

In general the white boxer is exactly the same as its coloured brothers and sisters………………. Shock horror have I just said there are few differences!!!! 

Here are some quotes of comments made by the lesser informed public that have taken time to speak to me when out and about in Great Britain. 

I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea of the misconception of the white boxer. I will try and address each of the above as honestly and truthfully as possible without being biased. Ultimately as a potential owner you need to form your own opinions and I only offer the following as advice based on ownership, speaking to other owners of whites and coloured boxers, extensively reading others' views of the breed and buying and digesting many boxer breed books.  

“Is that a rare Alaskan snow boxer” No it is not, 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 (red) 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. The reason for neutering is to ensure that the chances of hereditary defects being passed on in the breed are reduced. 

“Is she deaf?”  In the case of my white boxer Tasha – yes she is! However this is not as common as many people would have you believe. Little or no research covering a large enough sample volume of white boxers has been conducted by large, I mean thousands rather than tens or hundreds. 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% in whites, whilst their coloured brothers and sisters can expect a percentage of around 3%. As I say take this at face value and it sounds a large amount but after 4, nearly 5 years with Tasha I know of 2 other deaf white boxers.  

“White boxers are deaf – shame isn’t it!” No not all white boxers are deaf!!!!!!!! As already covered above the chances are that your white boxer will have just as good hearing as its coloured brothers and sisters. 

“Is she blind?” To my knowledge blindness in white boxers is not increased over and above their coloured brothers and sisters. 

“How long will she live?” Strange question I have to say, of the extensive and frequent searches that I have conducted over the internet 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. 

“Has she got 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 as already mentioned earlier always ensure your white boxer is suitably protected from the suns rays via the application of sunblock. 

“Whites 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 a boxer is approximately 12 years. 

“I bet that white boxer cost a fortune!”  No!!! Generally white boxers are cheaper than their coloured boxers, beware of unscrupulous “breeders and or puppy farms” charging large amounts of money for whites. Recently white boxers have become very popular and hence prices for them have increased, as a guide though white boxers sell for ½ the price of their coloured brothers and sisters. Prices for boxers vary dependant on the area you live in, the breeder and the quality of the sire and bitch. If both parents have championship blood lines expect to pay more especially if both parents meet the breed standard and their pups also appear to have all the required colourings etc etc. 

“White boxers are really rare aren’t they?” As covered earlier – no they are not that rare so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, as already mentioned the percentage of white pups born in a litter could be as high as 40% dependant on the parents. Now that whites are more accepted and desirable, whites are seen far more frequently advertised for sale and when out and about.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR ADVICE, OR JUST TO CHAT ABOUT BOXERS IN GENERAL, PLEASE VISIT OUR "THE WHITESTUFF" FORUM

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DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this page is based on personal experience/opinion only and is not intended to act as professional advice, nor replace the information given by any professional body.