Apart from their long legs, the Dachshund breed is my favorite. I love especially Dachshund Colors. This is not the “I love them because of their cuteness” kinda interest. Let me tell you why.
I recently wrote a blog post about interesting Dachshund facts. I also mentioned their poor reputation during World War I. The American Kennel Club (AKC), rebranded them to try and redeem their popularity. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.
Their natural appeal to pet lovers and their many colors were a huge part of their success.
Dachshund Shades and Colors
The dachshund breed offers a wide range of appearances by combining different hair types, colors and patterns. Some colors and patterns can pose health risks. Let’s take a closer look.
Their different colors and all combinations are therefore not only visually pleasing, but also historical for the breed’s current status.
Continue reading to find out more about these colors. You can also find all their color patterns, which I found fascinating.
Standard Dachshund Patterns and Colors Based on Different Kennel Clubs
There are 15 Dachshund color options. These include black and cream and black and tan.
These shades come in six different patterns: brindle (dapple), sable (piebald), brindle-dapple (brindle), sable (brindle dapple), brindle dapple), sable (brindle dapple), brindle dapple), dapple sable (brindle dapple), and double dapple.
This section will discuss which colors are recognized by the American Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club, United Kennel Club and Federation Cynologique Internationale.
Please note that color names can vary but still refer to the same shade.
Coat Types of Dachshund
1. Smooth
The smooth-coated coat is the most popular among Dachshunds. Smooth coats should be shiny and sleek. There is still some fur density, which should feel soft and plush.
2. Long Haired
Long-coated Dachshunds are characterized by long, flowing hair. Their coats are usually straight and slightly wavy with feathering running from their ears to their legs. This coat needs more maintenance each day to keep it tangle-free and neat.
3. Wire Haired
The wire coat is an older addition to the long- and smooth-coat varieties. Wire-haired dachshunds were created to be more resilient to extreme conditions.
Their coat is rough and bristly. According to breed standard, they should be kept short all over the body and have a distinct eyebrow and beard.
Wire-haired breeds are hand-scraped to preserve colors and texture.
Dachshund Patterns and Colors
AKC divides dachshund color into three categories
- One-Color
- Two-Colored
- Patterns
Two or more colors can be grouped together in patterns. However, they have distinct characteristics that allow us to further classify their appearance.
We would classify a dachshund as Chocolate and Tan if it is primarily Chocolate with Tan markings around the muzzle, eyebrows and legs.
If their coat is spotted, patched or striped with the same colors, we call it a Chocolate Piebald Dapple, Chocolate Piebald, or Brindle.
Identify the self-color first, then the pattern or secondary colors.
Comparison of Two-Colored Coat and Pattern Coat
- Tan and chocolate
- Chocolate Dapple
One-Colored Dachshund
One-colored are classified under Red or Cream.
Red Dachshunds can range from a deep brownish-red shade to almost yellow.
Cream Dachshunds have a light, blonde color with no reddish tones.
- Red
- Shaded Red
- Cream
- Shaded Cream
- Red and shaded red
Shading is a combination of black hairs running down the back, ears and tail, which creates a slight darkened effect. This is also known as Overlay (and should not be confused with the Sable)
You also have the option of Diluted Red. This color is sometimes called Fawn, Isabella or misidentified as Chocolate-Red.
We will discuss the possible side effects of dilution on health. See Diluted Colours.
Two-Colored Dachsunds
Combination of two colors. This includes a dominant base color that runs throughout the body, as well as cream, tan or chocolate markings on the chest, legs, and ears. Black and Tan are the most popular combination.
- Tan and black
- Black and cream
- Tan and chocolate
- Tan and chocolate
- Wild Boar
- Blue and Tan
Luna’s owners provided the blue and tan images
Two-colored coats are a combination of:
- Black
- Tan
- Chocolate
- Cream
- White
- Fawn (Isabella)
- Grey (Blue).
Wild Boar & Chocolate Boar
Wild Boar, a rare combination of colors, is still two-colored by default. It can only be found on wire-haired dogs.
The mixture of shades can be light, medium, dark, or nearly black. It is characterized by “agouti” hairs that have multiple colors.
Chocolate
The color of the nose is what defines a chocolate-colored two-colored coat. Their coat color is considered chocolate if their nose is darker than black (resembling a chocolate shade).
Common Two-Colored Combinations
- Tan and black
- Black and cream
- Blue and Tan
- Isabella and Tan
- Chocolate and cream
- Tan and chocolate
- Wild Boar
Diluted Colors
Dilution is when an adult or litter dog is a carrier of a dilution gene ( Colour Dilution Alopecia or CDA), but it doesn’t affect all dogs.
Color Dilution is a genetic defect which affects the pigment and creates unusual colors in the hair shaft. This is usually used to produce:
- Isabella / Fawn (Diluted Red)
- Blue / Grey (Diluted Chocolate)
Blue and Tan
Some dogs may develop Color Alopecia, which can cause permanent hair loss and hair follicle damage below the skin.
Although puppies will have a healthy coat and appear happy, dogs with hair problems will experience hair loss between 6 and 3 years. Adult dogs that are unable to grow new hair may look patchy or completely bald.
Color Alopecia may also be present in adult dogs, but they do not have a diluted coat.
Patterns
Although pattern coats can come in any color combination, the unique markings on them help us classify their coat type.
- Black and Tan Piebald
- Brindle Piebald
- Red Piebald Long Haired
- Red Piebald (with ticking)
- Red Sable
- Chocolate Dapple
- Silver Dapple
- Silver Dapple Piebald
- Black and Tan Brindle
- Red Brindle Piebald
- Red Piebald Long thanks to ‘Pecans’ owners
- Black and Tan Piebald
- Misspells wrods
You may have noticed that patterns can include multiple colors, markings and even multiple patterns.
Additional markings may include Overlay, Ticking or Striped.
Sometimes there is no apparent pattern. However, they can be pattern carriers or have patterned pups. This is particularly important when breeding Dapples (See Double Dapple).
Pattern Coats Consist Of:
- Dapple
- Double Dapple
- Brindle
- Sable
- Piebald
Terms Other Than
Ticking refers to colored spots or freckles among the patterns.
Striped is a particular brindle pattern which resembles tiger stripes (usually in red and black shades).
Dapple (Merle)
Dapple refers to a pattern that has irregular patches or splotches with dark pigment overlaid on top of a lighter one. You will most often find a background of white, grey or brownish with patches of brown, black or tan on top.
There are many options for Dapple patterns that include Piebald, Sable and Brindle. You can also choose to have ‘Ticking and shading throughout your body.
Dappled Dachshunds (merle) – The dapple pattern can be described as areas of lighter color that contrast with the darker base color. This may be any color you choose. The dominant color should not be either the light or the dark.
Quick Quiz About Dachshunds
Which Dachshund Might Be Considered Merle or Dapple?
- A dachshund with a tiniest bit of red on its body.
- An adult puppy who was born with merle patches will grow up to be a solid-colored dog.
- A dog with a tiny patch of merle in one ear.
Answer: All three are possible merle carriers
Dapple can be partially or fully apparent and may only appear as a patch of hair with a discolored color. They can also appear solid colored but may have dapple parents.
In both cases, the dog will be considered dapple.
This distinction is important because you should never breed two Merle carriers. Otherwise, you will get what is known as a Double Dapple (or Double Melle).
Hidden Dapple
This dog is a dapple, whether you believe it or not. This puppy is a carrier because his parents were dapples. You should also pay attention to the tiny (but barely visible) black hair on his ear.
Double Dapple (Double Merle)
Two merle (dapple-carrier) carriers can breed their litter to become ” doubledapple”. They are more at risk for health problems. Often being born deaf, blind, or both.
It is therefore illegal to breed two merle gene carriers and it is considered inhumane.
Merle-bearing Merle should not be crossed to solid colored mates who aren’t known for being Merle.
Double Dapples are mostly white or very light in colour, with some merle patches. Blue eyes can be either one or both. The paw pads and nose may have a mottled, brownish or pink pigmentation.
Mistaken Identity
Double dapple is not a common dachshund color. This could be due to the piebald pattern, dilution gene or very light cream colors.
Double dapples might also have other signs such as blue eye, pink nose or pink eye rims.
Brindle
Brindle can be described as “tiger stripes” by many breeds and animals because it has similar markings, red-shaded stripes and black stripes.
Dachshunds come in two colors: Black and Tan Brindle or Red Brindle. The former is more visible visually.
Wildboar should not be confused for brindle. Wildboar is similar in shading, but it is much lighter than Brindle. Brindle has more stripes.
Although Brindle isn’t officially recognized by AKC, it’s still loved by pet owners.
Sable
The hair that is sable is black-tipped, while the rest of the hair turns into red (mostly). You can see lighter hair closer towards the skin if you examine the undercoat.
Shaders are not to be confused with shading. This is when black hairs mix with red or cream hairs.
Sable is multicolored single hairs. Shading is multiple solid colors hairs on one coat.
Sable is not a condition that occurs on hairstyles with wire or smooth hair.
Piebald
Piebald, or Pied by definition, is made of incongruous or different colors.
It’s the presence or absence of white spots on animals that can be considered a problem. This is a common mistake made by owners who assume that the dark spots are placed over white. This is because white is more common.
Piebald is a result of a common, but harmless, mutation in a gene that occurs in many animals and reptiles. It results in a multicolored, spotted coat for Dachshunds that can be mixed with any color or pattern.
Single-Colored Dachshunds: Description and Pictures
Dachshunds that are single-colored do exactly what their name suggests. Their solid color is rich, velvety and they don’t have any markings.
These are the six versions:
Cream Dachshund
Creams are the most elegant of all Dachshund colors. Because they resemble bunny rabbits, they appear softer than their cousins.
Their coat shade can be as light or dark as you like, or it could be a little darker or creamer. There are two types:
Clear Cream Dachshund
Clear cream Dachshunds are free from any black tint. The photo shows that their entire body and face aren’t colored in any way. This is because of the “Chinchilla” diluting gene.
Shaded cream Dachshund
Because they are dominant EE genetic, shaded cream Dachshunds will have black accents in their coats. This is most common in English-cream Dachshunds, and it fades over time.
Red Dachshund
Red Dachshunds tend to be rusty brown. Because they can be created by one copy of the dominant red gene, they are quite common. They also have black nails and noses.
They are similar to creams and come in two varieties:
Solid Red Dachshund
This red Dachshund does not have any black or white markings on its coat.
Shaded Red Dachshund
Shaded red Dachshunds are covered in a black layer on their ears, tail, and back. These should not be confused for Sables as they are completely different.
Wheaten Dachshund
They are extremely rare. They are a mix of light brown and whitish colors, which is the same color as wheat.
This coat color was originally only available to wiry-haired Dachshunds. You can now see wheaten Doxies with either smooth hair or long-haired by interbreeding different types of coats.
Black Dachshund
The AKC labels solid black Dachshunds as non-standard because they are difficult to find. Sometimes they are found in litters, particularly those that were produced in puppy mills.
They should have tan points. However, it is suppressed by recessive genetics that should have been identified through DNA testing.
Chocolate Dachshund
Chocolate Dachshunds with no cream or tan marks on their bodies and faces are difficult to find, just like solid black Dachshunds. Since I was unable to take a sample photo of one, I’m sure you know this already.
This color variation is not standard AKC so they aren’t allowed to join conformation show.
Fawn Dachshund
Fawn is also known by the name isabella. It can be found in all kinds of Dachshund hairs. This is usually seen as a faded chocolat tone. However, some pups may appear lighter yellowish.
Two-Colored Dachshunds Description & Pictures
It is hard to resist falling for the Dachshund charm, especially when they have two coat colors. Here are the most well-known bi-colored Dachshund types:
Wild Boar Dachshund
This coat color intrigued me immediately when I heard it. I am used to hearing basic terms like red, black, and chocolate. But not wild boars.
The wild boar’s color is named after its animal nameake, which makes sense since the similarities are quite obvious. This coat makes Dachshunds look black and tan at a distance. But up close you will see their unique goldish highlights, which make them stand out.
One more thing. These are only found in wire-haired Dachshunds.
Black and Cream Dachshund
This Dachshund is quite the show-off. This Dachshund is a standout if you place all of the Doxies in a side-by-side arrangement. This is why?
The coat blends the two darkest Dachshund colors, black and cream. The cream points can be seen above their eyes, under their tail, around their muzzle and on their chest. Their eyes, nose and nails are still black.
Tan Dachshund and Black
The dog in the above photo isn’t a Doberman. It’s actually a black-and-tan Dachshund.
Black Doxies have a tan and tan coloration. They are black all over and have tan points around their eyes, feet, chest, and tails. Their tan accents look similar to the cream.
This color is recessive so if two Dachshunds with different colors are bred together, the chances of them producing a litter with the same color are higher.
Blue and Cream Dachshund
Although they aren’t as flashy as black and cream Dachshunds, they look almost the same, especially if the base coat has a darker tone.
Let me clarify, but before I get into it, I am not referring to the blue color in the sky. As with other dogs, Dachshunds have a blue coat that is very close to gray. It is more gunmetal in tone.
These cream points can be seen on the muzzle, around their eyes, under their feet and on their tail.
Blue and Tan Dachshund
This rare combination is very welcome by Dachshund lovers. This dog’s base coat is dark metallic gray with tan points. The points are located in the same place as the blue and creamy Doxies.
This dog looks very similar to a Doberman blue at first glance.
Chocolate and Cream Dachshund
Do you not want to bring home this adorable Dachshund? Yes, I do. It’s all due to their coat colors.
Their base hairs are predominantly a dark chocolate color that covers their forehead, ears and back. This is mixed with cream points that range from a blonde to off-white. It’s really cool!
Chocolate and Tan Dachshund
Another two-colored Dachshund, the chocolate and tan Dachshund, will seduce you with their adorable looks. You don’t have to be too serious, I’m sorry. But just take a look at Doxie in this picture.
This Dachshund breed’s chocolate coat is a great match for their dark tan points. Their eyes, nose and nails don’t have any dark tint so they are brown to light brown.
Fawn, Isabella, and Cream Dachshund
Contrary to what some breeders might have you believe, fawn and cream Dachshunds don’t have a chocolate-toned appearance. Their primary hair color is isabella. However, their cream points can be either off-white or golden.
Pet owners often say their pets look like Weimaraners, with cream points. I completely agree.
Fawn, Isabella, and Tan Dachshund
The last, but not least, Dachshund color combination of fawn/tan is the fawn/tan.
The primary coat of this dog is diluted chocolate, called fawn (or isabella), while the markings are deep tan. This variety is often confused because the concentration of the tan hues can be almost identical to that of isabella.
What are the Different Dachshund Designs?
I’m sorry if you feel it’s time for me to close this tab.
This section will show you six amazing color options that you have if you’re looking to bring home your Doxie.
Brindle Dachshund
Brindle Dachshunds have a unique personality. Their light-colored base coat (usually tan, or red) is what makes them stand out. They also have visible patterns in their coat that can be compared with tiger stripes.
These alternating streaks can be black, liver or blue, gray or isabella, which means “fawn”.
Dapple Dachshund
The Dachshund in the above photo is a blue-and-tan dapple Dachshund. You will see dark spots in the washed-out blue coat.
These patches can be associated with the merle gene, which is why they are regarded as problematic. As we talk about the relationship between coat color, health and Dachshunds’ health, I will give you some context.
Sable Dachshund
Sable Dachshunds look dark despite having light-colored coats due to their black-tipped hairs. Because of their black-tipped hairs, some sable Doxies have black masks.
Brindle Piebald Dachshund
Although they are not considered standard by the AKC, Brindle Piebald Dachshunds can still be admired by Dachshund lovers because they are unique.
This is what happens when a brindle Dachshund crosses with a puppy carrying the piebald gene. The dark patches are on the white base of their coat, and some areas have dark streaks.
Double Dapple Dachshund
You may be impressed by this pup’s color scheme, but I guarantee you that you won’t want to have a double-dapple Dachshund.
This color can be achieved by breeding two merle dog breeds, which causes multiple health problems. These dogs may be a surprise to their canine friends, but their white dominant markings will make them a stress-free companion.
Piebald Dachshund
This is a cream piebald Dachshund. A recessive gene is responsible for the dark spots randomly scattered across their coat.
What are Hidden Dapple Dachshunds (HDD)?
Hidden dapple Dachshunds can be described as dogs with distinctive dapple markings or spots that lighten as they age. They are often mistaken for regular-colored puppies and accidentally bred to another type of dapple Dachshund by irresponsible breeders.
Due to the many diseases that can be associated with double dapples, mating two dapples together results in double dapples. This is frowned upon by many. So hidden dapples can easily be identified, it is recommended that studs are subject to DNA testing.
What is the Rastest Dachshund Colour?
Most solid Dachshund colors tend to be the rarest. They are rare and not allowed to participate in conformation shows at top kennel clubs.
They are listed below according to their rarity. The first is the most difficult to find.
- Black Dachshund
- Chocolate Dachshund
- Fawn Dachshund
These colors are more rare than other types, so they can be a little more expensive. If you purchased your pup from responsible breeders, this is okay.
What is the Most Common Dachshund Colour?
These are the most popular Dachshund colors. These are the best choices if you have a limited budget and still want to bring home a Dachshund.
- Red Dachshund
- Cream Dachshund
- Dachshunds in black and tan
- Dachshunds in black and cream
- Dachshunds with chocolate and tan colors
- Dachshunds in blue and tan
- Fawn (isabella), and Tan Dachshund
All the colors listed above can be arranged in different ways.
Dachshund Coat Genetics – Why Dachshunds Come in Many Colors?
Although coat color genetics can be a complex topic, I will try to make it understandable so that non-science people like me don’t get lost.
Dachshunds have two major pigments on their coats. They are eumelanin (PHA) and phaeomelanin .
Eumelanin defaults in black, while Phaeomelanin defaults to red. These pigments can be seen on Dachshunds’ coats due to genetic variations.
You may be aware that genes in all animals, including dogs, always come in pairs. There are 10 gene sequences for Dachshunds that contain different forms of the same genes or alleles. All of these genes affect their eumelanin or phaeomelanin levels, as mentioned.
Reed’s Kennels has a article dedicated to Dachshund genetics.
The Impact of Coat Color on Dachshunds’ Health and Behavior
The behavior of Dachshunds is not affected by their coat color. This is something I’m certain of. I’ve worked with many breeds and never observed a particular color as more aggressive or passive.
Also, there are no published studies that prove such a correlation. You should ignore myths that rare black Dachshunds can be wild and difficult to control. They are loyal and playful pets.
This is the area where things get a little confusing in terms of the effects of Dachshund colors on their health. Because their pigments are altered, most blue and fawn Doxies are more susceptible to Color Dilute Alopecia (CDA).
CDA can cause hair loss, hair thinning, and flaky or itchy skin. These dogs are born with normal hair. However, after six months their hair follicles begin to self-destruct so that they can no longer grow new hairs in the affected areas.
Other than this, certain Dachshund colors are predisposed for many serious health problems. These include the double dapples as well as the piebalds. These dogs have the most common health problems: blindness, deafness , microphthalmia and missing eyes.
The Dachshund Breed Council states that the above health problems are more common in double dapples than piebalds, because they carry a lethal gene.
Double-dapple Dachshunds have more white, or pigmentless, areas of their coats. This increases their chances of inheriting congenital diseases.