Blue and white boxers can have skin conditions. Blue boxers are blue because
of the merle gene. This gene carries a significant risk of severe skin
conditions, the main one being Alopecia. Not all dogs suffer this condition
but all dogs that carry this gene could develop the problem at any time. Any
dog that has the gene can pass it along to any successive generations. Even
if the dog is not showing signs of problems themselves, they can pass the
probability of those problems to their offspring. By breeding them you are
rolling the dice with successive generations.
White boxers also suffer skin issues which include a severe sensitivity to
light. Rather like red headed people or any animal that is albino and, as
such, can suffer severe sunburn as a result. In addition, white boxers often
are deaf or can throw deaf offspring.
This is not to say these dogs should be put down. They should be adopted and
loved like any other dog. But they should also be spayed or neutered to
limit the possibility of the genetic defect re-entering the gene pool and
causing problems to later generations.
These are obvious and visible genetic defects. There are other genetic
problems that occur in boxers that require testing to confirm or rule out.
Things like the fact that boxers are subject to Sub Aortic Stenosis which is
a heart condition or hip dysplasia. Responsible breeders test for these
conditions in potential breeding dogs to minimize the risk of passing on
these problems to future generations. If you are considering buying a pup,
ALWAYS ask about these tests and make sure the breeders show you the testing
results and give you copies. These tests in the parents do not guarantee
that the pups won't have it (which is why EVERY dog should be tested before
breeding, even if the parents were cleared). As a matter of fact, most
responsible breeders consider it a mark of an educated buyer when you ask
for these documents.
All that being said, none of these genetic defects should ever be bred. All
that requires is spaying and neutering the dogs before they have the chance
to breed and pass these genes on to pups. These are reasons why these
defects are considered disqualifying defects in the show ring. Not from any
snobbery but to protect the breed as a whole. The purpose of responsible
breeding is to protect the breed as a whole and to continue production of
healthy lines that are living up to and reproducing the breed standard.
So, if you have a dog with any of these defects, do not breed them. to ANY
dog whether the partner dog has the same defect or not. If either dog has a
genetic defect, they can and will pass the gene on to successive
generations. Even if the dog in question does not show ill effects from the
defect they risk the pups developing illnesses at any time in the lifetime
of the pup. This causes pain and discomfort for the dog, heartache for the
owner as well as extra vet bills for the owner. It is simply not worth the
problems and irresponsible to allow your dog to breed with these defects.
Karon Adams
Accredited Jewelry Professional (GIA)
You can send a free Rosary to a soldier!
www.facebook.com/MilitaryRosary
www.YellowRibbonRosaries.com
From: boxerlovers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:boxerlovers@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Alice Miller
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 12:34 PM
To: boxerlovers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [boxer lovers] Blue Boxer Genetic Conditions
One of the threads mentioned genetic disorders for Blue Boxers, and for
White Boxers. What are they? Are there any traits that improve because of
the gene for blue or for white?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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