5 Big Myths About The White Boxer - Is It Right for You?
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Meet the mysterious, controversial, and deeply misunderstood, White Boxer. We are a big fan of the Boxer breed, and today we are looking into the five most persistent myths about these gorgeous dogs.
We’ll get to the bottom and answer whether the White Boxer is a less healthy dog than their fawn and brindle counterparts. As well, we’ll find out what kind of personalities they have and if it’s unique.
White Boxers Are A Rarity
With multiple reports showing that white or mostly White Boxers occurring 18-25% of the time, the White Boxer is not a rare sight to behold. So don’t let a breeder talk you into a higher price for one.
In fact, White Boxers do not meet the American Kennel Club and American Boxer Club standards, and this has resulted in some breeders euthanizing the puppies or throwing them into shelters because they don’t want them.
They are not considered a breed standard, cannot be shown, and only in recent years has it even become possible to register them under certain conditions.
They are not considered good breeding material because of the color and were banned from competing in any AKC events for many years.
So if anything, a White Boxer pup should cost less due to their being less demand for them.
White Boxers Are Albino
White Boxers are not a result of albinism. Albino is defined as a lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes, which results in white skin, white hair, and red eyes.
White Boxers very much do have pigment in their skin, often have blue eyes, and will likely develop black spots.
The white coloring of the White Boxer is the same kind of white you see in any other white dog.
For the Boxer, the white coloring is a recessive trait that they’ve carried over from their ancestor the bulldog.
Whenever you have recessive genes in both parents, the odds of that trait showing up in puppies is much higher.
In fact, In the early days, the majority of Boxers were white, but breeders bred the color out of them because it made these guard dogs too easy to spot.
In more recent years, since the late 1990s, more people have been seeking white boxers because of the way they look and because they’ve been slightly taken in at the thought of their dog being more unique.
While we’ve debunked that myth of rarity, the dogs are very pretty and eye-catching. This has caused them to gain favor in some circles again.
The fact that more people are trying to find white boxers is what has caused breeders to begin charging more for the dogs.
It’s a bit like price-gouging. These were largely unwanted puppies that were not worth anything that are now being ‘hoped-for’ in litters so that breeders can charge more for them.
This is a trend that also began when designer dog breeds started to come into favor. People are now seeking dogs that are poodle mixes or other specialty breed mixes, for the purposes of having pets with traits from two specific breeds.
Often the goal is a dog that sheds less or causes fewer allergic responses in people.
WIth white boxers, the goal is simply a beautiful and eye-catching dog that has the breeding, temperament, and personality of the boxer, while not looking like the garden variety boxer.
White Boxers Are More Prone To Health Issues
Deafness at birth occurs slightly more often in all white Boxer puppies than it does in fawn and brindle boxer puppies. Besides this, White Boxers do not see more health issues than their counterparts.
Old-time breeders would often humanely dispatch white puppies at birth, believing that they would always be deaf and sometimes blind as well.
We now know this isn’t necessarily true and those puppies are now given a chance at life.
It was this process of culling at birth that earned the white pups the nickname of ‘lethal white’ pups.
Likely, it was this culling at birth that led people to believe that white puppies were rare. Breeders new that they weren’t rare, they just weren’t wanted.
You sometimes see people say they are more prone to allergies, but there isn’t concrete evidence for this. Their white coat can make them susceptible to sunburn, however.
White Boxers Have A Different Personality / Mean Temperament
White Boxers do not have a different personality than their brindle and fawn brothers and sisters. Boxers are high-spirited, energetic (super bouncy), friendly, and love playing.
They make great family pets, though they may knock over the little ones with all the bouncing they like to do.
They are very patient and obedient, which has long made them an exceptional choice as a guard dog, though they are a bit better as just watch dogs due to their friendless and low affinity for barking. 
White Boxers Aren’t Recognized By The AKC
Because the white coloring in Boxers is a trait that comes from their ancestor the bulldog, it’s not considered a defining breed trait of the Boxer breed.
As such, for a long time, they were not recognized by the AKC and other organizations.
It’s important that you work with them to train them early in life. If you have children, you should always supervise them very closely.
Don’t ever leave children and dogs alone until you’ve succeeded in training the dog well and the children even better.
Boxers generally love children and will play well with them, once proper rules and boundaries have been established.
They are very patient and obedient, which has long made them an exceptional choice as a guard dog, though they are a bit better as just watchdogs due to their friendless and low affinity for barking.
Being very bright, the boxer can easily catch-on to most types of training and will happily learn obedience, agility, and even how to catch a frisbee if that is your cup of tea. Boxers love nothing more than to be with their humans.
With intelligence also comes humor. Boxers are a breed that can keep you in constant stitches, especially as curious puppies, which means you need to be on your toes with those puppies in the house.
Is The White Boxer The Right Dog For You?
Boxers make fantastic dogs for a lot of people and do great in both single and family households. They are friendly, highly intelligent, and easily trainable. There are a couple of things that might not make them a great dog for you, though.
The biggest thing with the Boxer is making sure you’re hitting their exercise requirements as they have a lot of energy. But think about all the ways that benefit your health.
Boxers do like chilling out and cuddling up on the couch, but that’s after they’ve gotten their energy out. In fact, no dog can keep up with the Boxer when it comes to being a couch potato.
Grab your car keys, however, and watch them go from 0 to 65 mph in less than two seconds. They are always ready for a run, a car ride, or a play session.
Another thing is you’ll want to train them to not jump so much, especially when they are puppies and their bones are quickly growing. This is an especially important part of training and it is critical.
When Boxers are fully grown, they are heavy dogs. They are capable of knocking children and adults to the ground and this isn’t safe. If you’ve got house guests, they aren’t going to enjoy coming over if your dog is rude and jumping all over them.
Signing your Boxer puppy up for some puppy training classes will be a great idea to begin getting your puppy started on the right path and you’ll learn a lot too. The socialization that your puppy gets from these early life lessons is also invaluable.
They will carry the things they learn about socialization with other dogs through the rest of their lives. This cannot be stressed enough. Proper socialization helps them to not be anxious and stressed in social situations, both with people and with other dogs.
Taking care of his exercise needs doesn’t have to be a huge issue. Going to a dog park once per day and letting him play with other dogs is a great way to get his exercise and keep him socialized.
If you’ve got a fenced back yard, going outside and throwing a ball or a frisbee is often more than enough to keep him happy, provided that you are willing to stay outside with him for at least an hour to make sure he stays busy.
He’ll be easily bored if he is left alone and it is highly likely that your Boxer will find things to get into, chew, and dig-up. You should spend that outdoor time with him each day to ensure he’s getting his exercise and that he’s well-behaved at all times. You’ll be happy and he will be happy too.
Then you can go inside and cuddle with a high probability that a nap will be in both of your futures.
Nutrition Needs
Your boxer needs a good source of protein, with the right amount of carbs, fiber, and fat. Choose his dog food carefully, paying attention to his energy needs. Boxers tend to be more active than smaller breeds.
He’s an athletic dog and if he exercises each day, he’ll need good nutrition to ensure that his body is getting the fuel that he needs to grow properly and keep him fueled for whatever the day may bring.
You will also want to provide something hard for him to chew on and make it available to him at all times. He needs this to keep his teeth clean and healthy.
Boxers tend to be ‘hard chewers’ meaning that they can be very strong and chew things up easily, also continuing to be chewers into adulthood. This doesn’t mean that they will shred your sofa.
With training and teaching them to chew on the things you’ve provided for them, they’ll happily chew on a bone and leave your shoes and the sofa alone.
Another thing is you’ll want to train them to not jump so much, especially when they are puppies and their bones are quickly growing.
Image Credit: thehappypuppysite.com
Sources:
Get to Know the White Boxer and What Makes it SpecialPros and Cons of Owning a White Boxer
