Regrettably, some people still believe that white Boxers or puppies are the least favorable of the breed. Some will argue that those dogs born white are more prone to illness or more aggressive than the other more traditionally colored dogs of the breed. Some think that they have a different set of personality traits and will show different behavior than more traditionally colored dogs.
For those of us who are lucky enough to love a white Boxer puppy...This simply could not be further from the truth.
There's a lot of false information that can easily be found...So, let's clear this up by looking at the facts.
While each dog is an individual and has his or her own personalty quirks, in general, white Boxer dogs will behave exactly like most other more traditionally colored pups and dogs. There is no set change in disposition, aggressiveness or any other trait. Most, if not all Boxers are comical, fun loving and expressive animals with a strong craving to please their owners. They are excellent companions, family pets and enjoy the company of their humans.
A white Boxer doesn't automatically have health issues...and this color is actually not that rare. In fact, 25% of all Boxers born are white. And the majority of them (70 - 75%) are born perfectly healthy.
What Causes This Coat Color
White Boxers are not the result of genetic birth defects. Just as human hair is the product of the combined genetics of the human parents, the color of a Boxer puppy’s coat is determined by the genetics of both the father (sire) and mother (dam)…
Also color can skip a generation and a Boxer may have the color of his or her grandmother or grandfather. In some cases, color can go back as far as 5 generations.
Both parents must carry the genetic code white. In every way the puppy is the same as all of its siblings…with all the liveliness, traits, and spirit that make them Boxers.
A white Boxer is not an albino. Albinos entirely lack pigment. Any dog breed will infrequently have an albino…although it is very rare. When a dog is an albino there is no colored pigmentation anywhere on the dog…They have pink eyes, and a complete lack of color anywhere on the body.
Most white Boxer dogs have some spots on their skin (which can be seen due to their short coats) and have some markings around their nose and mouth. Some have colored markings in their coat (such as brown spots around an eye or on the back, etc). They will have pigment in their eyes, this alone rules out albinism as the cause of their whiteness.
They are especially beautiful and expressive looking, as their eyes stand out very much and they often have the “puppy dog look” that makes us melt!
Approximately one in four puppies are white (either all white or majorly white). Therefore, this is not a rare color. Even so, the AKC Boxer breed standard requires that 2/3's of the body be either fawn or brindle in color. Because of this limitation, white Boxer dogs do not meet the breed standard for show conformation. Many breeders and handlers hope that this changes. White Boxers, as beautiful as they are, may someday be accepted for conformation in AKC show events.
There are breeders (and people in the general public) who feel that white Boxer dogs are inferior to fawn or brindled colored Boxers and have more health problems..
Fortunately, the American Boxer Club allows for white Boxers to be registered with the AKC on limited privilege.
Recently, there has been more study to either substantiate or dissuade the claims that white Boxers are more prone to problems than standard colors. The only claims that seem to have merit are:
They're more likely to sunburn
More information about white boxers and deaf dogs can be found at:
* The Deaf Dogs Education Action Fund and Deaf Dogs Rock both have sections on training deaf dogs and also on resources for you and your deaf dogs.