DACHSHUNDS

Dachshunds come in so many colors and patterns and combinations that it can be difficult to know what each one is.  I believe dachshunds come in more colors and patterns than any other breed.  Please keep in mind not all of these terms are official or are used by AKC.  Some are commonly used terms but are considered “wrong” such as the term “silver dapple”.  They are used here simply to make understanding dachshund genetics a bit easier for the pet owner.  These are not instructions for breeders by any means.

COMMON TERMS USED WITH DACHSHUNDS

Standard:  Usually a dachshund that is 16 to 32 pounds as an adult.

Miniature:  A dachshund that is 11 pounds or under. 

Tweenie:  A dachshund that is in between the typical standard size and miniature size, over 11 pounds but less than 16.

Rabbit Dachshund:  This is a term that some people use to describe a very small dachshund.  Usually these are less than 8 pounds.  Some people call them toy as well.  This is not a typical size and is not “official” however the people that have these little pocket dogs love them. 

Base color: The color that the dog is predominantly (or genetically).  This would be black for a black and tan or black for a “silver” dapple, even if the silver color is more than the black (the dog is still genetically black), chocolate for a chocolate and tan, red for a red dapple, etc.       

Muted color:  The “softer” color you see with the base color on a dappled dachshund.  The base color seems to have been lightened or removed.  For a black and tan dapple this would be the “silver” on a chocolate and tan dapple it would be the lighter “milk” chocolate and so on.

Points:  The color on the cheeks, eye brows, face, feet, under the tummy.  It is what people relate to a Doberman or a Rottweiler pattern.  Typically tan or cream.  Sometimes it is hard to see the points very well.  Some dogs have more tan than others. 

Reverse Dapple:  A dapple that has more of the muted color than the base color.  A dog can be so dappled all you see is the “silver” and no black in a silver dapple.

Patchwork Dapple:  A dapple that has a “patchwork” pattern of large spots of base color and muted color next to each other. 

DACHSHUND COATS

Smooth: This is a short haired dog. 

Longhair:  This is a longhaired dog but can be from a dog with a bit of extra feathers on his ears and tail, to a dog that has a coat that drags the floor. 

Wire Haired:  A dog with a wiry coat like an Airedale or Schnauzer. 

Soft Wire:  This is (I believe) from crossing a wire hair dachshund to a longhair dachshund.  The coat is longer and stiffer but softer.  

DACHSHUND COLORS

Red:  Many people mistake red dachshunds for brown.  There is no such thing as a brown dachshund. If it appears to be brown and has tan points, then it is chocolate and tan (the points can seem to be missing and would be a solid chocolate, see below “Solid colors”). A red can be very light to appear to be cream colored (some breeders call this American Cream) to almost a strawberry blond or deep red like an Irish Setter. It can and often does have a black overlay, either all over or a stripe down the back or ear fringes and tail fringe (more likely in the longhair).

Black and tan:  The base color is black and the points are tan.  Again some dogs have lots of the point color and some have less.  Some may look like the entire head is tan and some just have a bit on the cheeks. 

Black and cream:  Base color is black and the points are cream.  This is mostly with the English Cream dachshunds.  Usually in longhair, but there are some smooth coats with this color.

Chocolate and tan:  The same color as a chocolate bar or a chocolate lab.  They will have tan points, just like the black and tan.

Chocolate and cream:  Same as the black and cream but in chocolate.  Also from the English Cream lines of dachshunds and usually in longhair but now seen in smooth.

Blue and tan:  Can be charcoal gray, dove gray to an almost sky blue. This is the “dilute” of black.  Again with tan points. These dogs can be prone to coat problems.

Blue and cream:  Same as above with cream rather than tan, also most likely with the English creams.

Fawn (Isabella) and tan:  Almost a light lilac color, in fact in purebred cats the color is called Lilac (I used to raise and show Himalayans and know lots about cat genetics!).  This is the “dilute” of chocolate.  Also described as brownish gray and they do have the usual tan points. Also can have coat problems.

Fawn (Isabella) and cream:  Same as above with cream rather than tan, also most likely in a dog with English cream lines.

Cream:  Usually an English Cream, but remember a very light red can look cream and be called cream.  Can range from what is called “Lemon Cream” that is very light like a very light Golden Retriever, to a soft caramel or beige color with some black over-lay, especially on the ears and tail.  The puppies can be born light and darken to a red with age or born darker and lighten with age. 

Wheaten:  Typically found on wirehaired dachshunds. This is a very light red but can be a range of red coloring. This color may be found on a smooth dachshund, if there are wirehaired dogs in the pedigree.

Wild boar:  This is a grizzly colored dog with a combination of black, brown, and gray.  This color is common in wirehaired dachshunds but also found in smooth coated dogs with wirehaired dogs in the pedigree.

Solid colors:  There are some dogs that appear to be solid black, solid chocolate, solid blue, etc.  There is some belief that these dogs can genetically be solid as they often produce puppies that look solid too.  Some dog breeders believe the dog does have the tan points they just can’t be seen.  Very much like a black panther is really a leopard with its base color black rather than tan colored so the spots can’t be seen.  Solid white dachshunds are really a piebald that shows no base color.  Regardless of what these solid colored dogs are genetically, they are dramatic.   

Red with a base color other than black:  These are red colored dogs that have a definite hint of the other color.  For instance a blue based red often has a blue/gray colored nose (or brown if it is a chocolate based red). 

DACHSHUND PATTERNS

Brindle:  This is a striped pattern. These stripes are usually black but can be other colors. Some dogs have so many stripes it darkens the base color, some have just a few.  Brindle is the easiest to see on a base color of red.  The base of red can be light and could be called a “cream brindle”.  Sometimes the brindling can be very hard to see.  A dog can’t “carry” brindle but can be a hidden brindle and a dog that does not look brindle can produce brindle puppies.  If the dog is a black and tan (or any color and tan), you will only see the brindle pattern only on the tan points. 

Dapple:  This is called Merle in other breeds such as an Australian Sheppard or Blue Heeler.  These are spots of base color where some of the color has been lightened or removed. This can occur in any color of dachshund.  Sometimes a dog may have only one spot of dappling but will still be a dapple.  If the dappling occurs in the eyes, the eyes are blue or parts of an eye may be blue.  If a dachshund is a red dapple the dappling may be hidden and the dog looks to be a plain red.  Both dapple and brindle are easier to see as a puppy and sometimes these patterns fade as the pup grows up.  This is why it may seem that a dog “carries” dapple or brindle but it is simply hidden.   

Double dapple:  These dogs have lots of dappling and have at least 25% of their body is white.  This can only occur if both parents are dapple.  Most breeders do not try to breed for double dapples, but as stated above a red can be a hidden dapple and a breeder may not know they are breeding double dapples until the litter is born.  There are areas of white on the body, mixed with the base color and the muted dapple color.  There is a danger with a double dapple of blindness, missing or deformed eyes, photophobia (eye pain when the dog is in bright light), or deafness.  This is if the double dappling occurs in the eyes or ears. There are many double dapples that do not have problems, but it is Russian roulette and a breeder never knows when a puppy will be born so handicapped.  Many people really like the flashy, vibrant mix of colors with a double dapple.  You can get this same dramatic coloring with a dapple piebald with no worry of birth defects. 

Piebald:  This is any base color (such as black and tan) mixed with lots of white.  It almost looks like a black and tan (or whatever color) was dropped in a puddle of white paint.  This pattern is seen in beagles, basset hounds, and foxhounds. 

Clear piebald:  The white areas are completely white.

Piebald with ticking:  The white areas have small spots of color in the white field.  Often seen on an English Setter or on coon hounds.  There may be lots of ticking or only a few dots.  Often gets heavier ticking as the dog matures. 

Extreme piebald:  A dog that has much more white than base color, sometimes the color is only on the head or at the base of the tail.  

Other patterns with piebald:  A dog can be dapple piebald as described above, or brindle piebald.  Brindle piebald is often seen on Boxers or Bull Dogs.   

Irish Spotting or Tuxedo:  What about a white chest or white tips on the toes?  This is not really piebald and is caused by a different gene, called Irish Spotting gene.  Some people call it Tuxedo like the Tuxedo cats we have all seen (any colored cat with white feet and chest).  This can be combined with any color or pattern.   

Shaded:  Base color, usually red (any color of red from very light to very dark) with a black overlay.  This is different from the Wild Boar in that there is no grizzled pattern. 

Sable:  This is a dog that has hairs that are banded with the base color (often red) near the skin and the darker color at the tip of the hair.  If you separated the hair you would see the lighter base color next to the skin.  The face and feet as well as tummy and under the tail are the lighter base color.  As described on the Dachshund Club of America web site, “Therefore, a red sable will have body hairs which are red near the base and black near the tips, and a red face and red feet”.  The dog will, from a distance, look black and tan.  This color can be confused with shaded and I understand that this is actually pretty rare and often shaded dachshunds are miss-labeled and even miss-registered as sable. 

Genetics Terms

Dominant:  A color or pattern that can “carry” a recessive.  For instance a black and tan dachshund can carry blue and tan or chocolate and tan.  Some dominants are dapple, brindle, and red.  For example, one parent must be dapple to produce a dapple or brindle to produce a brindle (unless it is hidden, see under patterns above).  Wirehair is the dominant coat type.  Smooth coat is dominant to longhair, and both wire and smooth are dominant to longhair.  

Recessive:  A color or pattern that must have a gene from each parent to be produced.  For instance a piebald dachshund must receive a piebald gene from each parent to be a piebald.  Some of the most common recessives are piebald, blue, chocolate, Isabella, English Cream, longhair.  Two smooth coats can produce longhair but two longhairs can only produce longhair.  Two recessives can’t “carry” anything so can only produce recessive.  For example two Isabellas can only produce Isabella or two piebalds can only produce piebalds.   

Dilute:  Blue or Isabella.  A dilute is always recessive.  Blue is the dilute of black, Isabella is the dilute of chocolate. 

*Note*  When I used to raise and show Himalayans and Persians (these cats come in more colors and patterns than any other breed of cat), I read a description of dominant and recessive that always helped me visualize how it works: 

An elephant is dominant and a flea is recessive.  An elephant is big and can “carry” many recessives (fleas).  But a flea is very small and cannot carry any dominants (elephants).  So a smooth (dominant) red (dominant), brindle (dominant) dog can “carry” many recessives (longhair, piebald, blue, etc.).  A longhair (recessive), Isabella (recessive), piebald (recessive), can’t carry much of anything.  However, remember that it takes two dogs to make puppies, so the dominant/recessive and carrying applies to both the mother and the father.    

OTHER “RULES” OF DACHSHUND GENETICS

In a litter you can have some longhair and some smooth if parents are smooth and carry long.  Two longhairs will produce only longhair puppies.  In a litter where one parent is a dapple and one is not you can have all dapple puppies, some dapples and some not dapple puppies or all dapple puppies.  In a litter where both parents are dapple all puppies will be dapple, some double dapple.  A double dapple bred to any dog will produce all dapple puppies.  A double dapple can only be produced by two dappled parents, and can be born blind and/or deaf.  If a puppy has a blue eye, or even a speck of blue in its eye it is a dapple even if you can’t see the dappling.  Two piebald dogs will produce all piebald puppies.  A brindle can have some brindle and some non-brindle puppies in the same litter.  Two brindles will produce all brindle puppies.  A dapple and brindle bred together can produce a brindle dapple.     

Usually you say the color then the pattern/s and then the coat.  For instance you can have a chocolate and tan (color), piebald (pattern), longhair (coat), or a black and tan (color), dapple (pattern), smooth (coat)or a red (color), brindle (pattern), wirehair (coat), or a cream (color), brindle (pattern), piebald (pattern), longhair (coat).   

If you want to learn more about this you can go to the AKC website or the DCA website.  However understand that AKC and DCA may not “recognize” all colors or patterns or combinations that can exist.  If I have made any mistake please feel free to let me know.  I consider myself fairly genetics knowledgeable but dachshund genetics can get my head spinning!  

Links for more information: 

American Kennel Club (AKC), Dachshund page will give you photos and official descriptions:

http://www.akc.org/breeds/dachshund/

The Dachshund Club of America (DCA)also has great descriptions and pictures on their site. 

http://www.dachshund-dca.org/faqcolors.pics.html

This is another very informative site that a breeder created.  But keep in mind it is designed for breeders and it can be confusing with talking about alleles and incomplete dominance or recessives, gene series and unidentified gene/allele.  But check it out if you like:

http://www.lildachs.com/genetics.htm

Remember, not all organizations (AKC, DCA, other registering bodies or clubs) “recognize” all colors or patterns or combinations of them.  So you may just have an “unofficial” dog, but that does not diminish him in any way, it just makes him unique!!