Aortic Stenosis in Boxer Dogs: Genetics and Inheritance

Image via WikipediaThis is the second part of a series of articles on aortic stenosis in Boxers. View part one, Physiology. Further articles will be posted shortly.

Aortic Stenosis is a common heart condition in Boxers, caused by a ridge or narrowing on the wall of the aorta, at or just below the aortic valve. Aortic Stenosis is considered to be a genetic, inherited disease in dogs, and research on Newfoundlands and Boxers has supported this theory.

Coat Colors and Marking Patterns in Boxers

The Boxer breed is derived from early mastiff-type dogs used in hunting on feudal estates. Historical documents and drawings show that those early dogs were either fawn or brindle, with or without black masks. In the 1830s, English Bulldogs were crossed with Barenbeissers, the Boxer's immediate ancestors, which introduced white markings covering some or all of the body. Today, Boxer breed standards around the world list Boxer colors as fawn and brindle, consider the black mask an essential part of the breed, and allow white markings not to exceed 1/3 of the body.

What Do Pedigrees Tell Us?

A dog's pedigree is like a family tree - it lists his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth for however many generations are listed.  Pedigrees give you the registered names of the dog's parents and ancestors as well as what titles, if any, they obtained. Often, pedigrees list other information about the dogs such as dates of birth and death, health registry listings, color, etc.

Boxer Basics

If you are not too familiar with this breed, I'd like to introduce you to the Boxer as it should be.  If you’ve already owned a Boxer, you’ll recognize the unique set of traits that make this wonderful, intelligent breed a family favorite.