[ShiroInu]

This very topic pretty much got me run off by two other Boxer forums. I am a second time owner of a White. The first lived to be 12. His only health problem was Mast Cell cancer, which eventually sadly killed him. My current White is the product of a show person who breeds. I just learned from the OFA that he has BOTH allels for DM and I am VERY ANGRY as I subsequently learned that my dog's dam has 2 allels for DM, as did one of my dog's half brothers, and my breeder KNEW this before breeding! DM is commonly an old age disease, but can present at ANY time, and there are currently no stats on the percentage of AT RISK dogs will develop DM. I believe he is deaf in his right ear, but have not as yet had a Baer test on him.

As far as Whites go, the breeder I bred my flashy brindle with in the early 1980s euthanized her Whites upon birth. Up to 25% or more of all pups born to parents that are both flashy will be White.

Many on the early champion Boxers were Whites or Parties. As the breed developed the White was found not to be desirable because White brought quick attention to the dog that was used for protection and bating. I would need to look it up again, but I believe this was the problem that caused early breeders to bred out the White.

The ABC does not recommend that breeders have their dogs and pups Baer tested. The ABC does not recommend breeders have their dogs and pups genetically tested for DM, which is only a mere $65.