colorspatterns

Dachshunds come in more colors and coat patterns then any other breed. They are indeed a dog of many colors. In the US Dachshunds come in Standard and Miniature sizes and three coat varieties - smooth, longhair and wire. Any color or pattern can occur on both the Standard and the Miniature, and all three coat varieties. The self (base) colors are: red, cream, black and tan, black and cream, chocolate and tan, blue and tan, Isabella (fawn) and tan and wild boar

Red is the most commonly recognized of dachshund colors and can appear in all three coat varieties. A red Dachshund can be any shade of red from a light "blondish" to a deep dark mahogany, all of which are simply red. Reds should have a black eyeliner, black nose and black nails. Occasionallly a red will have light colored nails and liver colored nose, which is not desirable. These are still reds... not chocolate-based, not chocolate reds, they are simply dilute reds.

Cream

True creams will have no reddish tint to their coats... they will be a pale

creamy buff color with dark eyes, black noses, black eyeliner (can have

black or brown nails). As with reds, creams may have shading in varying

amounts. Be leary of breeders using terms such as "cinnamon", "lemon" or

other such terms to describe a cream dog. If there is any hint of red on

the dog it is likely a dilute red, not a cream.

True creams are usually born a mousy-grey/brown color and lighten to a pale cream (with or without shading) as they mature. A pup born creamy whitish color is usually a dilute red or e-red and will darken to some shade of red as it matures.

Though it's true that "true creams" will have numerous UK lines within the first three to four generations, having UK lineage does not automatically guarantee the pup being advertised is a quality dog. Be aware that many poorly bred creams from puppymillers/brokers in the UK have been imported by not-so-reputable breeders in the US. Research lines carefully to be sure you're getting a quality well-bred cream from well established reputable UK breeders.

Cream is cream... there's no such thing as "English Cream" and "American Cream". So long as the dog is of quality breeding with solid UK background, it matters not whether the dog is born in the US, UK, Canada, etc... a cream is a cream is a cream.

Black and Tan

Black and tans will have shiny black coats with rich reddish-brown points

(all four feet, muzzle, chest and under the tail). Black and cream will

be identical to black and tans except that the points will be a creamy in

the same areas the tan markings are on the black and tan.

Blue and Tan

Blue and tan is the dilute version of black and tan. The coat will be a

uniform steelish-grey, with tan points in the same areas as the black and

tan. Blue and cream is the same, but for the points being cream rather

then tan.

Blue and tan dogs often have coat issues due to Color Dilution Alopecia (CDA). Dogs with CDA will have very thin coats, hair sparse in areas or the whole body. The hair loss often doesn't show up until the dog is 2 or more years old. Blue dogs are at risk of developing skin infections and allergies.

Chocolate & Tan

Chocolate and tans will have the same tan markings as black and tans, but

the self color will be a rich chocolate-brown. Dark eyes are preferred,

but hazel eyes are often seen in chocolates and is acceptable. Chocolates

do tend to sunburn, and if out in the sun too long hair on the neck and back

sometimes can turn a reddish tint.

Chocolate and creams will be identical to chocolate and tans except that

the points will be creamy in the same areas the tan markings are on the

chocolate and tan.

Isabella & Tan

Isabella is the dilute version of chocolate and tan. The main body color is

a silvery-fawn, similar to that of a fawn Doberman or Weimeraner. The

tan markings on an Issy may be pale and not easily noticed due to dilution

factors. This color is also known for CDA, as in the blues,

Wild boar

The jury is still out on whether wild boar is a color or a pattern. Wildboar

is also called "aghouti". Most body hairs on a wild boar will be banded with

three or more colors or shades. Wild boar occurs most commonly in wires

but can occur in smooth as well. Red is most common in wild boar, and some

dilution factors are thought to play into the silvery-fawn shades sometime

seen. It is thought that wild boar may be like the sable pattern in longhairs.

Dachshund Patterns

The Dachshund patterns are: dapple, double dapple, brindle, piebald, and sable. Any of these patterns can be superimposed over any of the self colors noted above. While it's possible to have more then one pattern on a dog it is not desirable. Conformation and temperament are much more important then coat color/pattern, and wise breeders should take note of that.

Dapple

A dapple will have patches of lighter color intermingled with patches of self color. Sometimes dapples will have a patch of white on the chest. The dapple gene in dachshunds is the same as the merle gene in Australian Shepherds and Collies.

Black and tan dapples have patches of silvery/grayish hair mixed in

with black hair. This combination gives a mottled effect to the coat.

Even on dogs where the coat is predominantly silver/gray, if even one

black hair is present the dog should be registered as black and tan dapple.

When the dapple pattern occurs across the dog's face one or both eyes

may be blue or marbled.

Chocolate and tan dapples have areas of yellowish-tannish hair along with

patches of chocolate hair.

Red dapples are very often hard to distinguish because the pattern of

lighter red patches is often not very distinct, and fades with age. Some

red dapples have darker blotching rather then lighter.

The dapple gene is a semi-dominant gene, which means that one parent must have

the dapple pattern in order to produce a dapple puppy. Two solid dogs cannot produce a dapple. A Dachshund is a dapple if it has even one tiny dappled patch on it. Sometimes this dappled patch is only noticeable when it is a puppy, usually on the ears or belly, and often fades away with age. This dog should still be registered as a dapple, because it will produce some dapple puppies when bred to a dog with no pattern present.

Double Dapples usually have large areas of white on their bodies in

addition to the self colored and dappled patches. A black/tan double

dapple will have patches of mixed steel blue, black, and silver on a white

background. Double dapples' eyes may be completely blue, and they may

have white blazes on their heads, white tail tips, and extensive white on

their feet, bellies, and sides.

Double dapple breeding commonly produces pups that partially or completely deaf, partially or completely blind, sometimes with no ears or eyes at all, and also with undersized ears and eyes. Double dapples are produced when two single dapple dogs are bred together, although the entire litter will usually not be double dapple.

Brindle is one of the less commonly seen patterns in Dachshunds. Dark

stripes like a zebra are superimposed over the dog's self color. A red

brindle will have blackish stripes all over its body, while a black and tan

brindle may only show brindle in its tan markings because the dark stripes

would not be visible against the dog's black coat. A chocolate and tan dog

cannot produce black pigment, so the stripes on a chocolate and tan brindle will be chocolate, and will only show up in the tan markings as well. One parent must be a brindle in order to produce a brindle puppy.

Piebald is a white-spotting pattern super-imposed over any self color; there is no variation in the color of the solid spots or patches as there is in dapple Dachshunds.

True piebalds never have blue eyes, always have white tail tips, and

never have shading within their body spots. The amount of white on a

piebald is variable ranging from a full or partial white collar, white chest,

belly and feet and a white tail tip (often incorrectly referred to as "Irish

spotting"), to an almost pure white dog with a patch of color on the head

and at the base of the tail. This wide range in the amount of white on a piebald is simply part of the piebald pattern and all variations are acceptable, although from a health standpoint, dogs with a lot of white, especially on the head and ears, are not desirable as there is the possibility of deafness.

Be aware that dapple piebalds bred by irresponsible people can look very similar to true piebalds. Sometimes the only way to know for sure is to know the genetic background of the parents. Watch out for hearing defects in such puppies, especially if they have a lot of white on the head and body.

Black and tan piebalds have solid black body patches on a white background, but they may have tan markings, or spots, where tan markings would normally occur on a self-colored dog, such as the face, feet, and under the tail. It is incorrect to refer to black and tan piebalds as tricolors. Red piebalds have solid red spots, sometimes with intermingled black hairs, on a white background.

When ticking is present tiny dots of color appear on the white areas varying in amounts from a few single dots to an abundance of dots which run together to form a roaning effect, similar to that seen in English Setters and German Shorthair Pointers. Ticking is just a part of the piebald pattern and any amounts, or none at all, are acceptable.

Piebald is a true recessive gene meaning that both parents must be piebald and/or carry the piebald gene to produce a piebald pup. True piebald bred to true piebald always produces an entire litter of piebald pups. Occasionally, a puppy will be born out of two self-colored parents (with no piebald background whatsoever) that will show white on its chest (most common), toes or feet (next most common), belly, throat, face, and/or tail tip. This is NOT a piebald; it is a mismarked solid-colored dog exhibiting what are referred to as "minus" factors - little understood genetic factors which affect the amount of pigment in the coat. These minus factors are independent of the piebald gene and can occur with any self color. This pup should be registered as just plain red or black and tan, or whatever self color it may be, with NO pattern.

Sable is probably the rarest pattern of all and perhaps the most difficult

pattern to describe. Many people mistakenly call a red dog with a heavy

black overlay a sable. This is incorrect; the dog should be registered as

red with no pattern. A true red sable is so dark it almost looks like a black

and tan from a distance. All body hairs, except on the face and feet, are

banded with two colors, the self color occurs closest to the dog's body while the darker color occurs near the hair tip. The face and feet are usually just the dog's self color. 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. One parent must be a sable to produce a sable pup. As mentioned earlier, wild boar may be the expression of the sable pattern in a wirehaired dachshund.