Boxer Standard says "The eyes are dark and are neither
too small, nor protruding or deep set. Their expression
conveys energy and intelligence and must not be threatening
or hard."
Color of the Boxer's eyes should be as dark as possible, and
in no way lighter than the background. Lighter eyes spoil
the typical expression of the Boxer making his look appear
piercing. Some European authors found the correlation
between the intensity of the eye color and vitality of the
dog. Yellow eyes are a fault for the majority of canine
breeds.
There is a special test-scale that is used for objective
evaluation of Boxer's eyes during Körung examinations. To
evaluate the eyes color, the judge must insist the dog is
turned to the light, even though no experienced handler will
do that on his own if showing a dog with lighter eyes.
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Körung eye color test scale
1A
2A
3A
4A
5
1B
2B
3B
4B
6
Dark pigment
Medium pigment
Light pigment
1A , 1B and 2A indicate the preferable eyes color in Boxers. 2B, 3A
and 3B are acceptable. Boxer with eyes lighter than 3B is undesirable.
Light eye color is a recessive trait, and it is possible for two dark-eyed
parents to produce a light-eyed puppy if both of them carry a gene of
lighter eyes. A Boxer with light eyes tends to produce puppies with
eye color of medium pigmentation when bred to a dark-eyed dog. Eye
color is important, and breeders should pay attention to the color of
the eyes of their dogs if they are to preserve the wonderful
expression Boxers are famous for. Below you will find a small gallery
which illustrates how the expression of the light-eyed Boxer deviates
from the desirable.
