White puppies put down?

[PawPrintBoxers]

White Boxers

The Great White Debate will ever be a hot topic. I actually enjoyed reading Matt's thoughts on this.

My original Boxer is a plain brindle. She never produced a white puppy as she is genetically plain. But my newest Champion girlie is a flashy fawn. With her litter whelped 3/29/01 I have a white male named Moose. I had several prescreened homes in the event I had any white puppies. I also planned that if by 8 weeks old it was highly suspect a white could not hear, I would have them BAER tested much the same as Dals and Bostons have done. It is an inexpensive test and highly conclusive in its diagnosis.

As it turns out Moose is a big healthy boy who can definitely hear fine. His new home is with a member of my Boxer Club who is very active in Obedience. This was a new experience for me but one thing was firm: I would not cull any whites. I won't cast judgement on those I know that do. But I was too proud of this breeding between my two Champion, Health tested and Temperament tested Boxers to even consider not bringing them all safely into my home

 

[Sarah R]

While the culling of puppies seems to be a cold-hearted option; the very sad reality is that here in the US we could cull all the white boxer puppies and all white puppies of any breed for that matter and our animal shelters would still have to euthanize 1000's of dogs each year so it just boils down to when the euthanizing is taking place. So while I doubt that it will make the practice of culling the least bit more appealing, maybe under the guise of population control it might seem less monsterous. :confused:
Incidently when I was an employee of our local shelter I was required to hold hundreds of dogs while the vet injected them and you become numb to the sadness of it all especially when you know how neccessary it is. I imagine over time it becomes easier for the breeders to do especially if they have formed no emotional attachments to the pups and believe what they are doing is right.

 

[hrb]

OriginalP

I am so glad to see another soon to be boxer owner from Calgary.

Have you checked out a lot of breeders around Calgary? I have found a few that have been absolutely great.

Let me know what you find

Heather

 

[BoxerMomof1]

my Katrina came from a litter of almost all white boxers

gradicon My katrina that is a flashy fawn came from a woman that had breed her white and fawn boxers. The littermates of my Katrina are all white but her and a bridle sister. 1 of the whites is deaf and 1 has cancer at 8 mos of age. I think the problem came because of the interbreeding that happen not just that they happen to be white boxers. I helped to place the pups and took one myself. I'm a first time boxermom and also have not had a dog since i was a very young girl.

 

[Cmatli]

Wow

This sure is a potent subject. I got my white boxer by accident, never knew anything about white boxers and don't know her parents or any of her background other than her previous owners thought she was retarded and didn't "want" her. I found that horrible. She was 1-1/2 when we got her and I think her previous parents just didn't want to contend with a very active dog. I never realized what a can of worms the white boxer subject opens up. All this is very interesting to me and I learned a lot of things I didn't know. What an informative site this is.

 

[tingoddess]

Culling

I agree this is a distasteful practice. Old habits die hard. People do things by rote without thinking any deeper than they have to. If we want the practice of culling to be discontinued we have to lobby hard. I have no problem with, at present anyway,the akc's descision to not allow white boxers to compete in confirmation. At least you can register your white if you choose. Accurate tracking of dogs is important.

It seems that the ABC is ignoring it's breeds' history. I've been lead to believe that prior to WWI, white boxers were perfectly acceptable. I understand the idea that an all white dog used in guard work could be a liability. So don't use it, plain and simple, there are plenty of dark boxers?
Look at Dalmations? Here is another breed that "can" be born deaf. Sunburn, heck, there are lots of breeds that can be prone to getting sunburn.

Look it's been what 80-100 years since this wonderful breed was developed and nurtured. For the last 60 odd years whites have been out of favor but they are still showing up in litters time and again. I say deal with it. It's not going away.

 

[tullie723]

I read (and I am sorry I don't rememeber where) that either in 1995 or 1997, you are no longer allowed to put down white boxers. I have heard that the white, gets all the bad genes. Of course, I don't believe this to be fact. Many people have said that they live just as long and healthy as fawn and brindle.

I also believe that the AKC, does register them, but that it is not a full AKC recognized dog. Of course, white boxers could never be show dogs. I think this is unfortunate and narrow minded. Too bad they don't have discrimation laws in the AKC!

 

[White Knight]

:D A good morning to all....I have some very interesting FACTS all those interested in the Whites may want to add to the defence of the white boxer. When I first heard of the availability of my boy I did some research (as always) into this new breed (to me):confused: I now have 5 top rated books and few delve into the whites if at all. Thankfully there is more interest now and more info available but I did luck into an old (1979) Boxer Breed book by Beverly Pisano. There you will find a photo of the founders of the breed in Germany. It shows a picture taken in 1896 with a caption " These early breeders from Munich arrived at the breed that we call the Boxer. Then as now, breeders of Boxers strive for a dog of substance and character. Interestingly of the 8 dogs in the photo, only two have color, the rest are white. Have also found that in the early 1900's during WW1 the boxer was proved to be a very reliable guard dog. "The Boxer's true calling seemed to be as a dog of action." After WW1, a campaign went underway to get the Boxer officially recognized by state governments as a police dog. 1924, Bavarian police officials gave official recognition to the Boxer as an accepted breed for police work. What does this have to do with Whites???? A year later, 1925, the German Boxer Club declared white Boxers no longer acceptable for registration because police reulations forbade white dogs. From that time on, with a brief exception in Germany in the 1930's, the white Boxer has been unacceptable in every Boxer Standard in the world. NOT because of any health risks or extraordinary problems but because it's hard to sneek up on a villian in the dark with a white dog.!!!!!!! As we well know, the Boxer as a breed is riddled with health issues....why this is I have no idea, just some genetic flaw in the makeup of this wonderful breed. We keep fighting and hoping ours will be one of the lucky ones to reach a fine old age with little health problems. For the ones that fall ill, we do what we can to make them better or more comfortable. Luck to all of you. I too, keep my fingers crossed. My white babe has no color markings in coat at all but his nose is fully black and he has the most gorgeous hazel eyes. We watch the sun, we both wear the highest sunscreen we can find (being Scandanavian I have the same pigment (ro lack of) as my boy, and we do very well thank You.

 

[Alisha Mobley]

Originally posted by tullie723

I also believe that the AKC, does register them, but that it is not a full AKC recognized dog.

Yes, the AKC will register whites and they can be given a full registration. Not saying I agree w/ the fact that a white can be given a full registration but it is allowed.