What Color is that Dachshund?

 This section is to help in the definition of Dachshund color. (To be used as a guide…not a standard)

                                                     The RED Dachshund

May range from a deep red or mahogany with black highlights (a black dorsal stripe and/or black hairs interspersed in the coat) to a clear light red. Reds should have a black nose and black nails. Reds could also have a liver nose and liver colored nails. (Similar color to the chocolate and tan). A clear red has no dark hairs anywhere in the coat and its nose and tail would also be light. All of these would still be registered as a Red. Red is a Dominant color.

                                                The BLACK/TAN Dachshund

A black and tan dachshunds coat will be black all over with tan points (tan on feet, over eyes, on face around muzzle, on chest, under tail). Black and tans will have a black nose and black nails. Breeding too many black and tans will slowly reduce and/or eliminate the tan points (this is a fault-this is meant to be two-color). Black and tan is a Dominant color to the dilutes (Blue, Isabella or Fawn). Black and tan is only recessive to Red.

                                                  The BLACK Dachshund

A black dachshund will be black all over. Black dachshunds will have NO tan points.

Blacks will have a black nose and black nails. This is not the result of continuous breeding of black/tan to black/tan. True blacks appear to breed dominant over the black and tan.

                                           The BLACK/CREAM Dachshund

A black and cream dachshunds coat will be black all over with cream points in place of the tan points (Cream on feet, over eyes, on face around muzzle, on chest, under tail). Black and creams will have a black nose and black nails.

The CREAM Dachshund

A cream dachshund will have a cream colored coat. The cream color should cover the entire body. The lighter the cream color the better! Creams should have a black nose and black nails. The cream color can range from a dingy looking white to a butter color. Creams can have a darker overlay. This would be referred to as a “Shaded” cream. Cream dachshunds can only have smooth or long hair. A “cream” colored wire hair dachshund would be referred to as a “Wheaten” (True Imported English creams are only long hair, any smooth cream is not pure and may be the result of breeding clear light reds to eventually produce a “cream” or breeding a cream into the smooth lines) Cream is a recessive color.

                                       The CHOCOLATE/CREAM Dachshund

A chocolate and cream dachshunds color can range from a light milk chocolate brown to a dark chocolate brown with cream points (cream on feet, over eyes, on face around muzzle, on chest, under tail). The lighter the cream colored points the better! A chocolate and cream dachshund will have a brown to light brown nose and nails (A true chocolate/cream will NEVER have a black nose). They will have brown eyes and on occasion green to hazel eyes. Both parents must be chocolate and cream or carry for chocolate and cream in order to produce chocolate and cream pups. Chocolate and cream is a recessive color.

                                         The CHOCOLATE/TAN Dachshund

A chocolate and tan dachshunds color can range from a light milk chocolate brown to a dark chocolate brown with tan points (tan on feet, over eyes, on face around muzzle, on chest, under tail). A chocolate and tan dachshund will have a brown to light brown nose and nails (A true chocolate/tan will NEVER have a black nose). They will have brown eyes and on occasion green to hazel eyes. Both parents must be chocolate/tan or carry for chocolate/tan in order to produce chocolate/tan pups. This is a two-color (must have tan points) Chocolate and tan is a recessive color.

                                             The CHOCOLATE Dachshund

A chocolate dachshund will be chocolate colored all over. Solid chocolate dachshunds will have NO tan points. The chocolate color can range from a light milk chocolate brown to a dark chocolate brown. A chocolate dachshund will have a brown to light brown nose and nails.

This is a recessive color, it must be showing or carried in both parents to appear but breeds dominant to chocolate/tan.

                                                The BLUE/TAN Dachshund

This is a dilute of the black and tan. A blue and tan dachshund CANNOT have any black on its body anywhere. A blue and tan is close to gray in color. Blue and tans should have gray eyes, a gray nose and gray nails. Both parents must blue or carry for blue in order to produce blue pups. This color often experiences poor coat quality due to poor standards of breeding.

They have a tendency to have color mutant alopecia. Blue and tan is a recessive color.

                                        The ISABELLA/TAN Dachshund

This is a dilute of the chocolate and tan (a mixture of blue/tan & chocolate/tan). Isabella and tans will appear to be a washed out chocolate and tan. An Isabella CANNOT have any chocolate on it. An Isabella and tan will have gray eyes, gray nose and gray nails.

This is a recessive color; it must be showing or carried in both parents to appear.

Isabella may be only obtained when the lines of both parents contain both blue/tan and chocolate/tan. Breeding an Isabella to a blue carrying chocolate should produce both Isabella & blue. Isabellas have a tendency to have a color mutant alopecia. Isabella is a recessive color.