not that I am aware of - although I would guess it could crop up in all breeds? - why do you ask?

........but do deaf pups crop up in your breed?

P.S... I know a few people locally who have white Boxers, but funny enough, when talking to them, none of them new anything about deafness in white Boxers? End quote"

You need to look at the whole picture here. The dogs are hearing therefore the breeder did not need to mention that white pups could be deaf. Why should they & bring to attention a faint chance. For the percentage born each year - 25% as we know there may be a very small minority that are deaf. I wonder how many of the coloured pups born each year are deaf. Deafness is not always exclusive to colour. With the trend for flashy dogs (white markings - white marks down front of face quite sought for) white pups will continue to be born & with it the risk of deafness. Trends need to change or should i say "fashion" needs to change.

Breeders and owners should be informed of ALL potential problems in ones breed.

If the pup isn’t deaf I don’t see why the new owner has to be informed anymore than if it is a coloured pup – however if there is a possibility then yes I agree.

On the point "why should a breeder inform , if it may not happen" have to disagree with you there Helen, I think its a duty of care if a breeder suspects she is selling a deaf pup to a new owner, to inform them of the risks.

I worded that wrongly, I meant it that the pup was hearing – I agree that if there is a chance the pup is deaf or partially hearing the new owner must be told
Hopefully , said breeder will have investigated all pups first to ensure none are deaf and going to unsuspecting homes.

Exactly

But as in life , some breeders will be unscrupulous.

Yes that is true – in years gone by some breeders gave white pups away to good homes. A vet I sometimes use told me that he has a client with a brindle dog and when he went to view the pups the owner commented on the fact there was a white pup whereupon the breeder told him if he wanted the white pup he could have it

Owners that discard a deaf pup will discard any pup with what rhey consider to be a problem. Since our rescue was formed there has only been a few deaf whites came through & all have gone on to be successfully rehomed.

Why did they come through to you? due to the deafness or other reasons.

Usual thing – change in family circumstances – check out the website niboxerrescue We got a deaf White pup from a rescue in Eire – he was fostered by a family who had got a hearing White Boxer from us and as soon as he was ready to be homed he was homed very fast with a family who already had a Boxer

The point they do end up in rescue, means 1) new owner was nto informed, 2) new owner could not cope...luckily those few have found the right home

Not necessarily there are other other reasons as above. I will ask our rescue co-ordinator if anyone over the years has given a white deaf Boxer up because they couldn’t cope with it

People are fickle & have no problem getting "rid" of dogs. They dont do any history of our breed before jumping on the bandwaggon to buy one. The point is Jackie if you or I got a pup that turned out to be deaf we would work with it & train it. If we had a pup thar had behavoural issues we would workwith it & train it. Pups are too easily obtainable &too easily disposed of when it suits

I completey agree, that why I would not condemn a breeder for taking matters into their own hands regarding deaf pups.

Couple of years ago i met a couple in PAH with elderly brindle boy. Their comments to me where " Knew someone who had white one, theyre all deaf, blind & sickly, wouldnt have one" & that assumption was based on one white dog who was partially deaf in one ear.


You will always get that attitude from some.
I dont disagree with you Helen , I agree with all you say, and I beleive a deaf pup can have as good a life as their hearing counterparts.

I guess the only difference is I beleive the breeder is the best person to judge where and who her pups go to, and if said breeder feels her deaf pups would be better off being PTS... then I dont condemn them.

I understand where you are coming from - my belief is that once life has come into this world, it should have the chance to grow and survive. As is evident on this forum, there are lovely caring people who take deaf dogs into their homes and hearts and love them as much as any companion animal
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Deafness is not an illness or disease, animals born deaf know no difference. They rely on their other senses instead.

It is we as the human species have this fear of imperfection. This fear has come down from generation to generation.

I dont think its anything to do with fear, more commitment to be honest. committing finding the right owner with the commitment needed to invest in a deaf dog, is going to even harder.

In days gone by deaf people were hidden away because they were "different" or "imperfect". It is so sad we as a species cannot look beyond what we perceive to be normal or perfect........

You have not been in that situation to have to make that decision. I hope you never will be.

I havent made the decision no, nor did I make a comment on this thread about what I felt right or wrong
Although just because I havent been in the situation myself does not mean I can not have an opinion on what I do find the right and responsible thing to do.

Yes of course you have the right to your opinion the same as any of us.

I was merely thinking along the lines that if deaf pups did not occur in your breed you would not have to make any decisions.

Faced with a 4 + week old pup whom you have raised from day one it may not be so easy to make a decision to have an otherwise healthy pup of that age PTS

Why would that matter? The only deaf Border I have heard of was 15yrs old, which of course is entirely different.

I dont think of it as a breed thing, i think of the probable implications it could have on the dog and the public.