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 mostly 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 it's siblings, with all the energy, personality, and spirit that make them boxers.

According to the American Boxer Club "Approximately 25% 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 carriers of the gene that creates white offspring. The boxer breed standard stipulates that two-thirds of the body be either fawn or brindle in color. Because of this limitation, white boxers do not meet the breed standard and are therefore frequently euthanized at birth. Many breeders feel that white Boxers are inferior to standard colored Boxers and have more health problems then standard colored boxers and therefore this genocide is easily dismissed. The American Boxer Club does not actively discourage this behavior but it does allow white Boxers to be registered with the AKC on limited privilege.

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. All white boxers have pigment in their eyes, this alone rules out albinism as the cause of their whiteness.

It is for the same reason that there is inadequate research to either substantiate or put off the claims that white Boxers are more prone to problems than standard boxers. The only claims that seem to have merit is that white Boxers are more likely to sunburn and white Boxers (like many other breeds with similar loss of pigment problems) are more prone to deafness in one or both ears. Neither of these reasons provides a compelling argument for the necessary destruction of these animals.

Hopefully, with the increasing number of breeders placing these dogs in pet homes, we can finally establish that the white boxer normal just like any other color. 

                   Colors in Boxers

Fawn - All Boxers have a fawn base coat. The brindling pattern, and white color markings are modifiers of this base coat. Dogs appearing fawn do not have the genes for the brindle modifier. Two fawns bred together will always produce 100% fawn puppies (leaving the white markings out of the equation for now).

Brindle - Brindles have a fawn base coat, but also a modifying gene that produces brindle striping. The stripes may be sparse, and far apart, or so large and numerous that the dog appears black, especially when very young, or from a distance. The dog may have one or two genes for the brindle modifier.

If the dog has two genes for brindling (the dog is said to be "homozygous"), then they will always produce only brindle puppies, even if bred to a fawn (again leaving the white markings out of the equation). A dog with one brindling gene, and one non-brindling gene ("heterozygous"), that is bred to a fawn, on average, will produce 50% fawn and 50% brindle. Two brindles who are heterozygous for the brindling gene are bred together, then on average they will produce 25% fawn, and 75% brindle. Furthermore, 1/3 of the brindles (25% of all puppies) will be homozygous brindle, capable of producing only brindle puppies. A heterozygous brindle bred to a homozygous brindle will produce all brindle puppies, half will be homozygous, half heterozygous. And of course, the fawn-homozygous brindle mating would produce 100% brindle heterozygous puppies - brindles capable of producing fawns.

White marking - White markings are controlled by a gene that is totally separate from the base color. White Boxers often have fawn or brindle spots, indicating whether they would have had a fawn or brindle base color, had not their white markings been so extreme.

There are some disagreements about the actual genes involved in white markings in Boxers, but basically, "plain" or almost solid color Boxers, are believed to have either no genes for white markings, or as having genes for the "low end" of the white marking scale. White Boxers are seen as having two genes for the extreme of the usual white marking pattern. Flashy Boxers are seen as having one gene for no white markings (or low end markings), and one gene for extreme white markings.

Two white Boxers will always produce 100% white puppies. Exacted percentages when two flashy Boxers are bred together are 25% plain, 50% flashy, and 25% white. When two plain Boxers from show lines are bred together, they are expected to produce 100% colored (non-white) puppies, though markings may vary.