[yorkiekist]

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

No, I'm not kidding and I think you're over-simplifying things to make your point. Here's a quote from a link I provided earlier...." The first white color pattern called "Irish Spotting" (S^i - typical "Lassie" white markings) that is not related to deafness (even when the dog has 2 copies of it), since it is very minimal and doesn't extend into the dog's ears. Besides Collies, it is also carried by the Boston Terrier and Basenji (to mention just a few).

Piebald

The second white pattern is commonly seen in Beagles (and other hounds), Bulldogs, Cocker Spaniels and English Setters (and other breeds as well). It is called the Piebald Spotting Gene (S^p - non-symmetrical random white pattern). This pattern does not always cause deafness, it is only a problem when the inner ear is missing pigment (see "What Causes Deafness in Dogs?" above).

Extreme White

Dalmatians, Boxers, Bull Terriers, Great Pyrenees, and possibly Mantle/Boston Great Danes (this is not known for certain) are examples of the Extreme White Spotting (or Extreme Piebald) Gene (S^w). When the other half of the gene pair is a solid, the dog will have a white blaze, collar, and white legs (known as "flashy" in Boxers). If two dogs with this pattern are bred, 25% of the pups will be almost all white (known as "pattern white," or "color headed white"). Sometimes these dogs will be deaf, and sometimes not, depending on where the pigment ends up. Dalmatians are homozygous for this gene (carry 2 copies), with the spots in the coat being caused by the ticking gene (which can combine with any of the other white trims as well)."......As you can see, the piebald gene MAY cause deafness. Your response to my post tries to lump all spotted dogs together, which just isn't the case.

The continued breeding of the extreme parti gene in Boxers has caused an increase in deafness. This is why almost all reputable Boxer breeders cull out the white puppies and do not breed them. It does not effect all white puppies though, but the chances of getting a deaf dog or passing on this gene is very high.