Black around eyes question

sargboxerluv · #1 9th July 2009, 07:35 PM

Is it possible to have a pure bred boxer, that is not white, not have the black around its eyes?

I'm asking because a neighbor told me that this person in my complex has a pure bred boxer just like me. I have only seen it from a distance, but my first thought was it's not pure bred because it didn't have black around its eyes. I only saw its face in the window, so I have no idea what it's body looks like. It did not have any flash from what I could see.

Just curious.

**gmacleod** · #2 10th July 2009, 03:33 AM

You mean the dog lacks the characteristic black mask that should cover the muzzle up the eyebrows?

I don't think anyone could say that it's impossible for a pure bred boxer to lack a mask, but at the same time, it is not a common occurance. The breed standard describes the mask as "essential" (notwithstanding that it may be 'covered' by white in flashy individuals), and its a very typical trait of the breed (even if weaker on some individuals than others). It is not common to see a dog that really looks like a boxer be completely absent that mask.

On the other hand, there are many dogs said to be boxers that don't look much like boxers and that also lack the black mask

Along with head shape, the mask is one of the first things to go when boxers are mixed with other breeds (breeds that don't have a black mask). Put another way, a dog without a black mask would need to look VERY much like a boxer in all other respects before I believed it was not a mixed breed.

sargboxerluv · #3 10th July 2009, 04:53 PM

http://www.my-pet-medicine.com/wp-co...kmouth-cur.jpg

This is a picture of what the face looked like.

Still haven't seen the dog outside to get a better look.

If for some reason the link doesn't work, I googled black mouth curr.

Caney Creek · #4 10th July 2009, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sargboxerluv

http://www.my-pet-medicine.com/wp-co...kmouth-cur.jpg

This is a picture of what the face looked like.

Still haven't seen the dog outside to get a better look.

If for some reason the link doesn't work, I googled black mouth curr.

The dog in that picture does have black around the eyes.

sargboxerluv · #5 11th July 2009, 08:08 AM

In the picture the dogs eyes are outlined in black, but the black from its muzzle does not run up and connect to its eyes like this puppy http://blog.kudymovsky.com/wp-content/photos/boxer.jpg

My bad, I wasn't explaining myself.

Caney Creek · #6 11th July 2009, 12:48 PM

That's what Creek looks like

Not that she fits the standard to a tea, but I believe she's all boxer.

BxrMommieNAZ · #7 11th July 2009, 05:30 PM

My female has a white mask. She has the black around the eyes, and black fur on her "hanging down" jowls, but her mask on her nose is white...and she's 100% Boxer.

Here's a pic (it's old before she went gray so it's easier to see LoL).

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/101_0118.jpg

**gmacleod** · #8 12th July 2009, 07:06 AM

sargboxerluv: It sounds as though this pup does have a black mask, but it also sounds like weak expression of it. Is the black as dark as the picture you posted, or weak like later pictures posted in this thread? In the former case, it would seem a little counter-intuitive for a boxer with such strong expression not to have full range. But if its a weakly expressed mask (barely black) then limited range isn't such a surprise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BxrMommieNAZ

My female has a white mask.

She has a black mask

(albeit a little weak). White markings may obscure the mask, but they're markings, not mask (i.e. a completely different thing, and provided for as such in the standard). As the mask is still visible round the edges of the white, there isn't any doubt that she does have the essential black mask even if it doesn't extend as far up her muzzle as would ideally be the case.

sargboxerluv · #9 12th July 2009, 09:37 AM

It's more like the curr picture I posted, which is probably why it looked so odd to me. It's eyes were very dark. And it took me forever to think of what kind of dog that was so I could find a picture of one! I have seen some "faded" faces more like Creeks. Actually, the dog that attacked Harley last weekend looked like Creek.

I still haven't seen these people again, which is very odd considering how nice it's been this weekend. Oh, well. One of these days I will get to see it!

BxrMommieNAZ · #10 12th July 2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmacleod

sargboxerluv: It sounds as though this pup does have a black mask, but it also sounds like weak expression of it. Is the black as dark as the picture you posted, or weak like later pictures posted in this thread? In the former case, it would seem a little counter-intuitive for a boxer with such strong expression not to have full range. But if its a weakly expressed mask (barely black) then limited range isn't such a surprise.

She has a black mask

(albeit a little weak). White markings may obscure the mask, but they're markings, not mask (i.e. a completely different thing, and provided for as such in the standard). As the mask is still visible round the edges of the white, there isn't any doubt that she does have the essential black mask even if it doesn't extend as far up her muzzle as would ideally be the case.

Well when we adopted her, she was described as a white mask, and on her paperwork from the Boxer rescue it says "white mask female" and on my vet paperwork and her microchip info it says the same thing. Sometimes to me it's just "politics", kind of like I don't have a white Boxer, I have a fawn Boxer with too much flash. I tend to go simple, he's a white Boxer with a fawn eye and ear patch and she's a flashy fawn and has a white mask LoL and keep out of the "technicals" or it tends to just confuse most people.
I understand what you are saying, and appreciate the technical version, but I like to keep things simple as stated above, especially when the only black on her face really worth mentioning is a small portion around her eyes (although now that's all gray, it isn't black anymore) and a few dots on her muzzle, but basically her entire muzzle is white.

MyDivo · #11 13th July 2009, 02:39 PM

so am i to understand that if my dog doesnt have a full mask he proabaly isnt full boxer? Each one looks so different..... how can one really tell? Now im confused.......

BxrMommieNAZ · #12 13th July 2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyDivo

so am i to understand that if my dog doesnt have a full mask he proabaly isnt full boxer? Each one looks so different..... how can one really tell? Now im confused.......

From the picture that comes up when I click on your picture your dog looks full Boxer to me. JMO.