AKC question concerning Boxers?

Question

Our good friend is a serious-hobby breeder. Has a DNA certified Boxer Female and a DNA certified Mastiff female.
This years litter of boxers were born on my 30th birthday, and I am finally getting a boxer pup when they are ready. ( I have wanted one for years )
Anyway, I have already chosen my pup and have been going over daily to help out and learn about the breed.
I have a few questions that I have not been able to get suitably answered.
( They have nothing to do with my pup, but about the breed standards and history in general )
I am curious to know why they have such limited color standards for show and do not accept boxers that are solid white, more than 1/3 white, or black. All the sites I have searched do not give any reason for this.

** More questions to follow soon...

I have chosen a reverse brindle with white markings ..
I am just curious, the more I learn..the more questions I have out of curiosity

Answer 1

They don't allow either white or checked Boxers into the conformation ring because it has been deemed unethical to breed them. Hell, until the past 50 years or so (might be more or less), it was deemed unethical to let them LIVE.

Why? Mainly because there are "genetic links" to deafness and, if I recall correctly, heart problems. And other undesirable, unhealthy genes. This isn't scientifically proven, but it's still very much believed in. And caution needs to be taken. So it's the way it is to attempt to keep any undesirable genes from being passed on.

Black is because, well, you can't get a true black Boxer. If it is truly black, not extremely dark brindle, it is more than likely a mix and not a purebred.

Reply to Addition Details
That's great you're trying to learn more about Boxers and understand why things in the standard, ring, and history are the way they are. I really wish more people were more like you. Keep on asking. By the way (sorry, have to do this) -- shoutout from another flashy, reverse brindle Boxer owner!

Now I have a question for the answerer below me -- I'm confused. How's brindle a terrible color for Boxers? I knew many judges prefered fawn to brindle, but I was unaware anyone would actually balk at it. Still trying to learn all the ins and outs of the breed myself. Thank you ahead of time if you answer.

Answer 2

There are a few number of breeds where a pure white coat is acceptable or desired. In many breeds, pure white is a sign of a genetic pigment mutation, which can result in deafness, blindness, or other issues.
Here is an excellent explanation on the topic:

http://www.cinemaboxers.com/whites.htm


So even though a responsible Show Boxer breeder would never breed a White boxer in his or her program, there is an odd chance that a pup could get the mutated white gene and therefore be all white. The dog would not be shown, may be disposed of :(, or would simpy be sold as a pet.
In Australian Shepherds, a coat that is 60% or more White is called a Lethal Aussie because many times this causes blindness, deafness, both, or even the terrible tragedy of the dog being born without eyes!




The point of limited colorings in breeds is to preserve the breed as it was established. This is why so many resent the breeders trying to incorporate white or silver labradors. Same goes for merle Border Collies and White Goldens. For some breeds, it is to preserve the original look and color of the dog. For most, it is to preserve the health.


I grew up with Boxers, my dad was a master boxer handler in conformation. Back then and still somewhat today, the Brindle Boxer was a terrible coloring for the breed and my dad personally would balk at it. He still does not understand brindling in Boxers, and wishes they would remain fawn with a bit of white on the chest...a perfect Boxer.

Answer 3

They don't accept the because those are genetic factors that are not part of the "True" boxer genetic code. Lots of breeders over the years have said they have "purebred" this or that only to find out that new genes have been introduced into the breed from somewhere. (merle chihuahuas are a good example of this) The loci that determine coat colors have been charted in the dog genome project. If certain colors or S-W combinations were never part of a breed then suddenly show up they know that those are not true "purebred" boxer genes. Unscrupulous breeders pass off a lot of mixed breeds as purebreeds and have been known to sell them with papers.

As I said look at merle chihuahuas. That color was never part of the chihuahua genome, so it had to be inbred from a dachshund somewhere, yet it is now even in AKC registered dogs. Someone somewhere registered a bunch of chi puppies as purebred when they had to be mixed to get that gene into the breed. Chihuahuas were never merled for hundreds of years and suddenly in the last 20 they are. How did that gene suddenly get introduced into the breed? An unscrupulous breeder registered (lied) about a litter of puppies and called them purebreds somewhere.

Answer 4

From someone with a breed in which color is immaterial. white can be inherited by several methods SOME of which can lead to blind/deaf problems (doubling the merle produces white blind/deaf dogs) some do NOT have health implications and there are pleanty of healthy white dogs. What I THINK the elabrate color requirements say is trying to require is the genetics we call "Solid" and "Irish mark" and advoiding the "particolor" inheritance. Why? may well be because some distant victorian founder saw some of the disabling white inheratances & took no chances OR it could be that they felt too much white makes a guard dog too visable... Now the DQ on black I'm told was entirely a political thing (a unpopular breeder had blacks) though it could be that at that time there was suspition of mixed blood on the black line....

Answer 5

In many cases colors, especially white, are linked to health disorders. In Great Danes, solid white ones are usually blind, deaf, or both.
Horses that are born with a white gene from each parent is called lethal white and they die within 24 hours of birth if they are even born alive at all.
The AKC limits these colors because the purpose of showing dogs is to NOT pass along 'defective' genes.
I can't explain genetics very well, but you can check out the U C Davis website for tons of excellent information.

Answer 6

I found this site while I was looking for pictures of a black boxer! It made me curious too LOL
This site explains all the colors and what is acceptable and what is not:
http://www.boxersvonandremar.com/grafix_articulos/colorsmaskings.htm

Hope that helps a little!

Answer 7

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