do white boxers have greater health problems ?

Answer 1

I have been owned by Boxers for over 40 years. While white boxers do not meet the breed standard they are NOT prone to more health problems once mature. White pups do have a greater chance at being deaf but this will be apparent by the age of 6 weeks. If they are not deaf by then it will not develope later. White Boxers are not more prone to tumors but like any other pigment lacking breed they are prone to getting sunburned which in turn may lead to skin cancers. White boxers make just as wonderful pets as fawn and brindle colored boxers.

Answer 2

My son has a white boxer that he rescued about 2 yrs. ago at the approx. age of 10 mos. and he is a great dog. Typical boxer, no health issues but we are very careful of his sun exposure and he has devloped the freckles on this skin as he gets older which is typical. Although I hope the breeder did not charge him full price for white, he will make a wonderful companion. If he did not get this puppy from a breeder?...there is also another breed of bulldog which looks almost exactly like a boxer and they need different training as they have different temperaments.

Answer 3

I'm not sure about Boxers, but Pit Bulls do. Some ignorant breeders will actually advertise it as being good because they look cool, but the AKC actually recommends that you don't breed Pit Bulls with over so much white in them. I know blindness can be a problem & I've heard cancer too. I think Boxers & Pit Bulls are close enough in relation that I would assume similar health issues, but an AKC handbook on the breed can tell you more
edit: found this in wikipedia:
Boxers are typically either fawn or brindle, often with a white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet. These white markings, called flash, often extend onto the neck or face, and dogs that have these markings are known as "flashy". "Fawn" denotes a range of color, the tones of which may be described variously as light tan or yellow, reddish tan, mahogany or stag/deer red, and dark honey-blonde. In the UK, fawn boxers are typically rich in color and are called "red". Some brindle Boxers are so dark that they give the appearance of "reverse brindle", fawn stripes on a black body; however, the breed standards state that the fawn background must clearly contrast with or show through the brindling. The Boxer does not carry the gene for a solid black coat color and therefore purebred black Boxers do not exist.
White male at nearly 2 years.
White male at nearly 2 years.

Boxers with white markings covering more than one-third of their coat - conventionally called "white" Boxers - are neither albino nor rare; approximately 20-25% of all Boxers born are white.[12] Genetically, these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat color. Like fair-skinned humans, white Boxers have a higher risk of sunburn and associated skin cancers than colored Boxers. There are studies concluding they are more prone to congenital deafness caused by lack of pigmentation in the inner ear. It is estimated that 18% of white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears,[13] though shelters and rescue organizations see about double this rate.[citation needed] There is no evidence that blindness or other health problems are related to excessive white markings in Boxers.[citation needed] In the past, breeders often euthanized white puppies at birth; today, most breeders place white puppies in pet homes with spay/neuter agreements. White Boxers are disqualified from conformation showing by the breed standard, and are prohibited from breeding by every national Boxer club in the world. They can compete in non-conformation events such as obedience and agility, and like their colored counterparts do quite well as service and therapy dogs.

Answer 4

Yes, white Boxers do have more health problems and it is directly related to the color of the dog. Most responsible breeders destroy white puppies at birth to avoid the extensive vet bills this dog will most like incur over it's lifetime. It just isn't fair to expect someone to take on that burden when there are so many healthy dogs needing homes or they will be put to death.

The white gene can be lethal. It produces deafness, blindness, small deformed eyes, some puppies born without eyes. Skin problems, coat problems, allegies.... Just too many problems to make breeding them a positive action to take.

Answer 5

I found this website to be quite interesting . . . it does go along with some things that some above have said, but also contradicts some comments in the same answer - as it is a .org site, those are usually more reputable than a .com site .

http://www.boxerbuddies.org/Boxer%20Info/white_boxers.htm

Answer 6

Yes. Most animals that are not normally white but can produce that mutation have some health problema. Deafness is one. Skin problems are another.
There is a reason Boxers are not generally white.

Answer 7

I have boxers, in fact i have a white boxer!!!! sadly yes they do have a few problems, they could be blind, or deaf. or both. there is a chance they they will be niether! my white boxer has niether, so get one if u want one!

Answer 8

I was basically going to say what Gringo said.

Not all breeders will have them euthanased at birth but a lot do. I've seen a few and they have all had problems of one sort or another especially eye problems.

Answer 9

In my experience of various kinds of animals

White animals tend to get cancer more then darker animals. I think it has to do with the pink skin vs dark skin

This is true in cats, dogs, and horses that are outside often

Answer 10

If he has pink points (ears nose and around the eyes) he is more likely to be deaf. That is the only thing i know of.