Boxer Colour Genetics and the “White” Boxer in Breeding
Genes in an individual occur in pairs (one gene from the mother and one gene from the father).
The solid Boxer has two solid genes, called SS (one S comes from the mother and the other S from the father).
The “white” Boxer has two white-marking genes, called swsw (one sw comes from the mother and the other sw from the father).
The flashy Boxer has one solid gene and one white-marking gene and is therefore Ssw (one gene from the mother and one from the father). The interesting point about a flashy Boxer is that the sw gene — the white-marking gene inherited from one parent — can come either from a flashy parent or from a white parent. The same applies to the “white” Boxer, swsw. The parents may both be flashy and each contribute an sw gene, together producing swsw (white); both parents may be white; or one parent may be flashy and the other white — GENETICALLY THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. The other parent of the flashy Boxer, which contributes the solid S gene, is either solid SS or flashy Ssw. In purely genetic terms, the sw gene of the “white” Boxer has therefore always been present in breeding, because a flashy Boxer Ssw is 50% sw and 50% S.
Schematically, a mating between a “white” bitch and a solid male, which can produce only flashy puppies (that is, no “white” puppies), looks like this:
Coloured Offspring in Breeding After a “White” Boxer
What happens when a coloured offspring of a “white” Boxer is later used for breeding?
The bitch in image 1 has a “white” mother. The bitch is flashy (Ssw) and therefore has a solid gene (S) from her father and a white-marking gene (sw) from her mother.
The bitch in image 2 has flashy parents. The bitch is flashy (Ssw) and therefore has a solid gene (S) from one parent and a white-marking gene (sw) from the other.
There is only one difference between the two bitches: we do not know whether the bitch in image 2 inherited her white-marking gene (sw) from her father or from her mother.
If the bitches are used for breeding, the outcome will be the same. Statistically, if each is mated to a flashy male, both can produce 50% flashy, 25% solid and 25% white offspring.
This is genetics and is scientifically established. Boxer colour genetics is simple, and there is no concern in using the “white” Boxer for breeding, nor its offspring.
The bitch's mother is “white” (swsw)
The bitch's father contributed his solid gene (S); he may be either solid (SS) or flashy (Ssw)
Both of the bitch's parents are flashy (Ssw). We do not know which parent contributed the white-marking gene (sw) and which contributed the solid gene (S).