Expert: Jannie Balliett - 5/6/2009

Question
We have 2 female Boxers, Mom and daughter. The Mom is almost 8 yrs old now, but I remember that she did not go into her first heat until she was about 18 months old. Her daughter, now 20 months old, is now in her first heat. Is this normal for Boxers, or is it just "normal" for my Boxers and runs in their genes? Most dogs I know of go into their first heat before they are a year old. I've been told to wait until the 2nd heat to breed, I assume because under 1 yr is just too young. But, is it okay to breed on the first heat if they are 20 months old? Also, for the Mom, how old is too old to breed? The last time we bred her it did not take. She had no pups, but she had just turned 7 then.
One more question... I failed genetics in high school. The daughter is white. If we bred her with a flashy fawn is she still more likely to produce white pups? I've heard its a 1 in 4 chance for white pups, but more likely if the mom or dad is white.

Thanks a bunch!

Answer
Heat cycles can begin as early as 4 months old which is not normal of course.

The average is 10 months to 14-15 months old. Apparently the mom started later and now daughter has inherited the later heat.

They should have 2 heats a year, anywhere from 5 months to t months apart.

At almost 8 years old-- she IS MUCH TOO OLD TO EVER BREED AGAIN! Boxers average life span is 10 years. She is elderly at 8 years old. You wouldn't expect a 70 year old woman to have a baby.

Do not breed her ever again.

DO NOT breed the 20 month old daughter on her first heat! Never on the first heat.

This is like a teenager having her first period.

Wait until she has a second heat cycle 5-6 months from her first heat.

As far as her being a white Boxer, it depends on her parents and genetics.

Fawn and Fawn produces 100% fawn puppies; however, if there was flashy fawns in the family history, a white gene can pop up. It is rare.

Brindle has two genetic types: Dominate and non-dominate.

If you breed a Brindle and a Brindle; you'll get all Brindle puppies.

If you bred a dominate Brindle to a Fawn; you'll get mostly Brindle, but will get some Fawns.

If you breed a non-dominate Brindle to a Fawn; you'll get 50-50%.


The white gene is said to be a defect with a Flashy Fawn, causing no color pigment. Others believe it is the all Flash that causes the white, but that is not true. They are not albino, but lack pigment color. They sunburn easily just like fair-skinned people.

If you breed her to a Flashy Fawn male, you might get a white pup, but you'll get Fawn puppies.

No matter which you breed her with; Flashy Fawn, Classic Fawn, or either genetic Brindle, you still have a chance of a white in the mix.

BUT--- THIS IS IMPORTANT: The Boxer breeders associations, and the Kennel clubs, etc. RECOMMEND NEVER TO BREED A WHITE BOXER!

There are many reasons:

1) each white Boxer can be born deaf
2) each white Boxer can be born blind
3) each white Boxer can be born deaf and blind
4) each white Boxer that is not born with either disability has a great chance of developing one later on in their life
5) When they are bred, they can produce the defects in their pups

and...........

6) The breeders of Fawns and Brindles, DO NOT WANT the White gene mixed in with the standard breed!

If every white Boxer owner bred their white Boxers; soon there would be NO FAWNS and NO BRINDLES-- just white.

And then, all Boxers could be born deaf and we've bred OUT the standard healthy Fawn and Brindle to be deaf whites.