I thought I would dedicate a page to the white boxer as I own one and so through personal experience I can dispel any myths surrounding them. They are boxers just the same as the coloured ones however, they should not be bred from and can not be shown but they do make wonderful pets showing the same fantastic personality and traits that all boxers posess.

White Boxers are not caused by genetic birth defects. Just as human hair color is the product of the combined genetics of the human parents so too is the color of a Boxer's coat a product of the genetics contributed by both the father and mother. The exclusively white coat is created when both the mother and father are carriers of the gene that makes up the white coat and the offspring inherits the white coat gene from both the father and the mother. In every way the puppy is the same as all of it's siblings, with all the energy, personality, and spirit that make them boxers.

White Boxers are not albinos. Albinos completely lack pigment. This is evidenced by pink eyes, and a complete lack of color anywhere on the body. Most white boxers have some spots on their skin (which can be seen due to their short white coats) and have some markings around their nose and mouth. Some white boxers have colored markings in their coat (brown spots around an eye or on the back etc). All white boxers have pigment in their eyes, this alone rules out albinism as the cause of their whiteness.

According to the American Boxer Club "Approximately twenty-five percent (and this is an estimation as exact records have not been maintained) of all Boxer puppies are either white or almost all white, making white puppies neither 'rare' nor 'unusual.'" Since the white coat color is recessive, both parents need to be a carriers of the gene that creates white offspring.

Unfortunately, the White Boxer has been the cause of much controversy among breeders and owners for quite some time. We hope the information in this article will be of help to you....

One of the first Boxers was White
Ch Blanca Von Abgertor In 1895

Many of the early boxers were white or parti - coloured. Then around 1925 - 1936 white became frowned upon. Some say the whites fell out of favour because they wanted to be able to distinguish between a Boxer and an English Bulldog easily, while others say that as the use of the Boxer as a police dog increased, the white colour was too easy to see at night. Whatever the reason both black and white Boxers are now not recognised within the breed standard.

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 UK Boxer Club and the Kennel Club, many are euthanized 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 Kennel Club. However, they can not been shown in the show ring, but they can be shown in obedience and agility.