The Boxer is a working breed from Germany with a smooth glossy coat. The main coat colors in this breed are fawn and fawn brindle, with or without flashy white markings.
Learn more about Boxer colors.
Fawn
A fawn Boxer has a solid clear sable pattern with a black mask.
BASE PATTERN
sable, mask
MERLE
–
OTHER
–
EUMELANIN
black
INTENSITY
fawn
WHITE
solid
Flashy Fawn
A flashy fawn Boxer is sable with a black mask and white markings.
BASE PATTERN
sable, mask
MERLE
–
OTHER
–
EUMELANIN
black
INTENSITY
fawn
WHITE
white markings
Brindle
A brindle Boxer has a solid brindle sable pattern with a black mask.
BASE PATTERN
sable brindle, mask
MERLE
–
OTHER
–
EUMELANIN
black
INTENSITY
fawn
WHITE
solid
Flashy Brindle
A flashy brindle Boxer is sable brindle with a black mask and white markings.
BASE PATTERN
sable brindle, mask
MERLE
–
OTHER
–
EUMELANIN
black
INTENSITY
fawn
WHITE
white markings
Faulty Colors
“Disqualifications: Boxers that are any color other than fawn or brindle. Boxers with a total of white markings exceeding one-third of the entire coat.”
AKC Breed Standard[1]
“Faults: Other colours and white markings exceeding one third of the ground colour.”
FCI Breed Standard[2]
Base Patterns
The base pattern describes the placement of phaeomelanin and eumelanin in the coat. There is an epistatic hierarchy between the A locus < K locus < E locus.
- The A locus controls the basic distribution of both pigment types.
- Next, the K locus can add black to the A locus pattern.
- Finally, the E locus regulates the general ability to produce black pigment.
A Locus
| Ay | clear sable |
| asa | saddle (rare) |
| at | tan point (rare) |
Boxers are almost fixed for the sable pattern (Ay/Ay). The breed favors a clear sable “fawn” pattern. But some dogs may have some dark overlay, which the FCI calls a (faulty) “sooty ground colour“.
The saddle and tan point and alleles (at) are also present, but super duper rare.
K Locus
| kbr | brindle |
| ky | wild-type |
A fawn Boxer has two copies for normal pattern expression (ky/ky).
Ay/Ay ky/ky Em/Em
And brindle Boxers have one or two copies of brindle (kbr/-). The density of the black brindling can vary a lot. And some dogs may have slightly reddish seal brindle.
The FCI specifically mentions that “stripes too close together or too sparse” are a fault for show dogs.
“The brindle ranges from sparse but clearly defined black stripes on a fawn background to such a heavy concentration of black striping that the essential fawn background color barely, although clearly, shows through (which may create the appearance of “reverse brindling“).”
American Boxer Club
E Locus
| Em | black mask |
Boxers are fixed for a black mask (Em/Em). The size of the mask is about the same in all modern Boxers. A large mask extending beyond the muzzle is a fault.
Boxer Base Patterns
| A LOCUS | K LOCUS | E LOCUS | PATTERN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ay/Ay | ky/ky | Em/Em | sable, mask “fawn” |
| Ay/Ay | kbr/- | Em/Em | sable brindle, mask “brindle” |
Base Colors
The base color is determined by the B locus and D locus.
B Locus
| B | black |
Boxers are fixed for black pigment (B/B).
D Locus
| D | normal |
Boxers are fixed for normal pigment (D/D).
Red Intensity
Red intensity affects both fawn and brindle Boxers.
The phaeomelanin comes in a range of shades from light tan to mahogany or dark deer red. The FCI standard emphasizes that a medium red fawn coat is “most attractive“.
White Markings
White markings happen when a trait removes pigment from the coat. The hairs without pigment appear white. Boxers can have a solid coat color (plain) or they can have white markings (flashy).
“White markings, if present, should be of such distribution as to enhance the dog’s appearance, but may not exceed one-third of the entire coat. They are not desirable on the flanks or on the back of the torso proper. On the face, white may replace part of the otherwise essential black mask, and may extend in an upward path between the eyes, but it must not be excessive, so as to detract from true Boxer expression.”
AKC Breed Standard[1]
“Fault: Unattractive white markings such as a entirely white head or white on one side of the head.”
FCI Breed Standard[2]
The white in Boxers is typically caused by the S locus. But even Boxers that test as solid (S/S) and should be “plain” can have some small white markings.
In Boxers, dogs with one copy of piebald (S/sP) produce “flashy” white markings. The amount of white in flashy Boxers can vary greatly, but the breed seems to favor a high ratio of white.
Dogs without a white collar are sometimes called “semi-flashy“.
Boxers with two copies of piebald (sP/sP) are solid white.
That’s why Boxer breeders do not breed from two flashy parents (S/sP x S/sP). This could accidentally produce solid white Boxer puppies (sP/sP), which is considered faulty in this breed.
In the past, Boxers with sP/sP regularly produced piebald phenotypes with patches of fawn or brindle on a mainly white coat. This rarely happens today and is called “parti” in Boxers. Dogs with very few or only one patch (typically over the ear or eye) are called “check“.
There are also mild cases with irregular markings or just a little too much white.
Some Boxers might express whitehead. This trait likely made it into the breed due to a wish for a nice white muzzle and blaze, while at the same time keeping lots of body pigment.
It is a matter of taste whether white markings in Boxers are to be favored. The AKC standard makes it appear that white markings are preferred, while the FCI standard reads as if they are just tolerated.
“The absence of white markings, the so-called “plain” fawn or brindle, is perfectly acceptable, and should not be penalized in any consideration of color.”
AKC Breed Standard[1]
“White markings should not be discarded. They can be quite pleasant.”
FCI Breed Standard[2]
Boxer Eye Colors
Dogs with too much white on the face can have pink eye rims or blue eyes.
“Dark brown in color…”
AKC Breed Standard[1]
“The dark eyes are neither too small nor protruding or deep set.”
“Faults: So called, hawk eye.”
FCI Breed Standard[2]
Boxer Nose Colors
Puppies with a lot of white on the muzzle can sometimes have pink nose spotting. The missing pigment will fill in over time.
“The nose should be broad and black.”
AKC Breed Standard[1]
“Nose is broad and black.“
“Faults: Pale nose leather.
FCI Breed Standard[2]
Boxer Coat Type
Boxers are a short-haired breed.
“Short, shiny, lying smooth and tight to the body.”
AKC Breed Standard[1]
“Short, hard, glossy and close fitting.”
FCI Breed Standard[2]
Related Breeds
The Boxer is based on the old German “Bullenbeißer“. The German Boxer breed is distantly related to other breeds that also descend from similar ancestors of the Mastiff and Bulldog type.
Learn More
Links
[1] American Kennel Club (AKC): Boxer
[2] Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI): Boxer
[3] Royal Kennel Club (RKC): Boxer
[4] Canadian Kennel Club (CKC): Boxer
[5] Dreger et al. (2019). True Colors: Commercially-acquired morphological genotypes reveal hidden allele variation among dog breeds, informing both trait ancestry and breed potential. PLoS ONE 14(10): e0223995. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223995
[6] American Boxer Club: Color & Markings
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Hi! I’m Steffi. I am a biologist and a big time dog nerd. You are curious about coat color genetics? You’ve come to the right place! Read more.