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Understanding Dachshund Genetics can be extremely difficult and frustrating for most breeders. I
have decided to put together a guide that I am hoping will help breeders to understand what they are breeding for. Input on
this page is much appreciated. Thank you, Cathy Potter
RED
SABLE
BLACK/TAN
CHOCOLATE/TAN
The above 4 colors are your basic color scheme with RED being the MOST
dominant color and Chocolate/Tan being the least dominant color. Because
of their order of colors a red can "carry for" all of the colors below it , but a chocolate/tan has no colors below it and
cannot carry for them. A black/tan can only carry for chocolate/tan ect....
RED and SABLE are unique because you only need one in a breeding pair to produce this color.
Black/tan and Chocolate/Tan require that both parents either are this color or carry this color to produce this color
puppies.
Because each dog has a pair (2 genes) for color, your dog may look red but carry for black/tan or chocolate. If bred
to a black/tan you would have both red and black/tan puppies born.
Remember black/tan can carry for chocolate, but chocolate cannot carry for black/tan.
SO WHAT ABOUT THOSE ENGLISH CREAMS?
Although it isn't a pattern, the chinchillia gene which causes the cream color in the English creams, acts on the original
color like a pattern. This gene will turn Red and tan hair to cream, but does not affect any black hairs.
EXAMPLE: A solid cream dachshund with no black hairs is really a red, but the chinchillia genes have turned the
hair to cream.
In a black/cream you have a black/tan but the chinchillia genes have turned the tan points to cream, not affecting the
black hairs.
A shaded cream is really a shaded red which some call "red with a black overlay" because the overlay is not affected
by the chinchillia genes, the dog is cream with a black overlay or a shaded cream, whichever descripton you choose.
What about those American Creams? Unfortunately, many breeders do not
understand why they will suddenly have a cream colored puppy born and decide to register it as a cream when it is a dilute
red, otherwise being known as "American Cream".
The American cream is the product of a gene called the blue dilute. When two parents carry
for this gene, there is a 25% chance of a cream colored puppy being born. This puppy which is born extremely blonde, usually
with a pink nose and pads will turn red in time. Unfortunately, because breeders don't understand what they have, they register
the puppy wrong or sell it as a cream. Unlike the English Cream gene which causes puppies to get lighter with age, the American
Cream gene, or dilute gene causes the puppy to get darker with age.
1. First, take a look at your dog and write down what you see. Look below the pattern. If it is a piebald, you need to
look close. Is it really a red with a pie pattern or a black/tan with a pie pattern, maybe its chocolate/tan? Figure out your
base color. You know a black/tan only has tan by the points, so if you see red on its back in the dappling, then it is a red
dog. ect.....
Now look at the mate you are planning to breed to and write down its color, not the pattern.
So lets say you have a red piebald and a black/tan brindle. You would write down Red and black/tan. Because one of the
prospective parents is red you already know you can produce red pups, but can you produce black/tan? To determine this you
will need to know two things. Has this dog ever produced a black/tan puppy? Does this dog have a black/tan
parent? If the answer to either of these is YES, then you know your red dog carries for black/tan
and will be able to produce black/tan puppies if bred to a black/tan (remember black/tan has to be seen or carried by both
prospective parents)
If this red dog has never produced black/tan puppies when bred to a black/tan and is out of two red parents, there is
a big chance that it doesnt' carry for black/tan gene and will never parent a black/tan puppy.
RED (doesnt' carry sable, black/tan, or choc) bred to any color will produce all reds
RED (carries black/tan, sable, or chocolate) bred to:
Black/tan= reds and black/tan pups
Chocolate= red and chocolate pups
Sable= red, and sable pups
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Sable (doesnt' carry black/tan or choc) bred to any color will produce all sable.
Sable (carries for black/tan or chocolate) bred to:
Black/tan= Sable and black/tan pups
Chocolate/tan= Sable and chocolate/tan pups
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