A dapple Dachshund is a Dachshund with a dapple pattern on its coat. Dapple puppies are created when a solid colour Dachshund is bred with a dapple Dachshund. The markings look unusual and distinctive, which is why the dapple coat is so popular.
THE ORIGIN OF THE DAPPLE DACHSHUND DOG
It is because of the long and low profile of the Dachshund that they were first bred. They were first used as working dogs in Germany, over 600 years ago. Their job was to dig into badger dens to empty them of the animals hiding inside. If you aren’t too familiar with badgers as a species, they are not the most mellow of creatures, which is why a fierce Dachshund was such an excellent match for this job.
The bark of this dog is also not a coincidence; the loud bellow noise that Dachshunds make was essential, as it helped their owners locate them when they were working underground in these badger sets.
With a long history in Germany, it is not too surprising to learn that the Dachshund has been a national dog of Germany since the 19th century.
DAPPLE DACHSHUND PHYSICAL FEATURES
Whilst the Dachshund is known as a small dog, it is interesting to note that there are actually two size variations of this breed: standard, and miniature. There is no marked difference in height for these breed standards, as Dachshunds in general do not grow to be taller than 9 inches.
The main thing that sets apart the two size variations is weight, not height. A standard Dapple Doxie will weigh in the region of 16 to 32 pounds, whereas the miniature Dachshund can weigh up to 11 pounds. Therefore, a miniature Dapple Dachshund could be quite a lot lighter than a standard dog of this breed.
Aside from the coloring, which we will get to in a minute, there isn’t much to distinguish the Dapple dog from any other Doxie dog. They have the same profile, which is a long and low body, with well defined muscles. They have short legs, but long ears, which are a throwback to their badger hunting days in Germany; helping them to hear better when they were doing their jobs.
Appearance
A dapple Dachshund has a swirling or spotting pattern on top of a solid base coat colour or two base coat colours. It really depends on the Dachshund’s base coat colour as to how obvious the dappling is. Sometimes it’s really bold and striking, while on other Dachshunds it can be very subtle. This is also to do with how much of the pattern the Dachshund has, as some may only have a few spots here and there, while others look like they’ve been covered in splatters of paint. Thankfully, the single dapple marking is fine ethically and doesn’t come with any associated health issues. That’s as long as your Dachshund puppy comes from a reputable breeder of course.
Double Dapple Dachshund
A double dapple Dachshund is created when two dapple Dachshunds are bred. Double dapple Dachshunds have very unusual blends of markings on their coats with big patches of white. Sadly, double dapples can be sickly dogs and have all sorts of health issues.
This is because breeding two dapple Dachshunds actually passes on the recessive gene for white markings, which creates conformation, vision and hearing issues in the Dachshund.
How Does A Double Dapple Dachshund Look Like?
Double dapple Dachshunds usually have big patches of white fur with splotches of the dapple pattern over it. Some will have more white in their coat than others, but most have it on their neck, paws, nose and tail. While this might look pretty, white fur is associated with severe health defects in Dachshunds and may cause major health problems for them. The dapple pattern itself is usually more intricate than with single dapple Dachshunds, almost like two different patterns intertwining with each other with a multicoloured effect. Because of the recessive gene, double dapple Dachshunds may have blue eyes. They might have one eye blue and one dark, or both eyes might be blue. If the Dachshund has white markings on his face, he’s more likely to have blue eyes. This isn’t always the case though. Some double dapples will have two dark eyes, just like Dachshunds with regular colours or patterns. Dachshunds usually have deep tan or cream markings over their eyes, but with double dapples you might see a lack of pigmentation around the eyes.
Health Risks Of Double Dapple Dachshunds
Sadly, 1 in 4 double dapple Dachshund puppies has health problems related to the recessive gene. So it really is a huge issue that these poor dogs are still being bred irresponsibly for their rare or beautiful coats.
Here are some of the health issues double dapple Dachshunds suffer with:
Wall eyes: Wall eyes is when the double dapple Dachshunds’ eyes point in different directions, almost like a lazy eye.
Deformed eyes: Sadly, one or both of the double dapple Dachshund’s eyes may be deformed from birth.
Abnormally small eyes or micro eyes: Some double dapple Dachshunds can suffer from a rare condition called microphthalmia, which is when one or both eyes are small and sunken in the socket and the third eyelid (the membrane at the corner of the Dachshund’s eye) may be bigger than usual.
Missing eyes: In some instances, the double dapple Dachshund puppies are born with an eye missing or no eyes at all.
Blindness or partial blindness: Double dapple Dachshunds often have sight problems related to their eye deformities or another congenital eye defect, which can lead to varying degrees of blindness and even total blindness.
Deformed ears: The double dapple Dachshunds may have deformed ears, which can lead to hearing problems and ongoing issues.
Missing ears: Some poor double dapple Dachshund puppies are born with one or both ears missing.
Deafness or partial deafness: It’s common for double dapple Dachshunds to suffer from hearing problems or even total deafness.
Temperament
You may consider a Dachshund to be a big dog, in a little dog’s body, as there are some characteristics that seem well beyond their petite dimensions. Firstly, they are stubborn and brave, and they are almost certainly never shy. In fact, shyness is considered to be a fault of this breed as it would not fit in with the characteristics stemming from their origin.
Not only are they tenacious and courageous, but they will also give you a run for your money on the exercise front. You may not be aware of this, but Dachshunds can be active dogs which like spending time with their owners outdoors.
Intelligence
It takes a smart cookie (or, in this case, a dog) to do the job that they were bred for in Germany all those years ago. Dachshunds are clever dogs, although they are equally as stubborn. This means that they can achieve many things, but they may choose to ignore your commands in the process.
This is just the nature of the breed, and something that you should consider before choosing one as your pet. If you are patient and resilient, you could really get the most out of this breed.
Lifespan
The lifespan of any dog is hard to predict, as there are many factors that can play a part in this. Not only will it depend on environment, care, and the quality of the breeding, there may also be breed health issues to be aware of, as well as other conditions that your dog may get during its life.
Despite this, there are numbers available so you can get an idea of the average lifespan of this Dapple Weiner breed, which may be helpful for you if you are making rough plans for the years ahead.
The average lifespan for a Dachshund is 12 to 16 years, and because they typically mature into an adult dog at the age of 12 months old, you should hopefully have many years to spend with your pet whilst they are in their prime years.
Content Writer (Erakina By RTMN)
18-12-2021
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