Dachshund Colors
Writen By Angie (Parizo) Baumhover on 6/27/98
This page is copyrighted and not to be used without written permission from Angie Baumhover
RED - (can appear in all coats): The most familiar and common of dachshund colors. A red dachshund can be any shade of red, from blonde to deep dark mahogany -- all of which is just red. It should have black eyes, a black nose, and black nails. For a red to produce black/tans, it must carry the tan point gene. A red that does not carry the tan point gene cannot ever produce anything but red puppies.
DILUTE RED - (can appear in all coats): Also called an EE red or chocolate-based red -- all of which is just a red. A red dachshund with liver color nose and nails. 'liver-nose' means its nose and nails would be the same color as the chocolate and tans. Can have CDA.
CLEAR RED - (can appear in all coats): Some people call it Strawberry Cream, Strawberry Blond, and Creamy Red. It is still just a red that may or may not carry for the cream color. A Clear Red is a lite red dachshund with a black color nose and nails.
AMERICAN CREAM - (can appear only in smooth and long hair) At birth, appear to be white to pale blond. When they get older, they often appear to be a clear red color (See Clear Red at the top of the page for description) and should have the darkest eyes, nose, and nails. If you have a Wirehair appearing to be cream, it is called Wheaten. American creams should be reg as a red.
ENGLISH CREAM - (can appear only in smooth and long hair) At birth, some English creams can appear sooty, almost black, and others will be born lemon-colored. The color as they get older will look like the oily yellowish part of non-homogenized milk. The lighter, the better, and should have the darkest eyes, nose, and nails. Colors range from a dingy-looking white to a butter color. They can have a black overlay (known as sable.) True English Cream lineage can be traced to England
DILUTE CREAM - (can appear only in smooth and long hair): EE cream. A cream dachshund with a liver color nose and nails. 'liver-nose' means its nose and nails would be the same color as the chocolate and tan. Can have CDA.
WHEATEN - (can appear only in wire hair) The color of the oily yellowish part of non-homogenized milk. The lighter, the better, and should have the darkest eyes, nose, and nails. Colors range from a dingy-looking white to a butter color.
WILD BOAR - (Can appear only in wire and smooth hair) technically a color but in essence, a pattern. These terms (especially sable) are often mistakenly used to refer to an interspersion of black hairs on the back and neck over red color. A true red sable/wild boar will appear to be black and tan from a distance. The undercoat beneath black being red. Sable/wild boar is a very heavy layer of black over the base coat color. This is an unusual pattern. This is a pattern that cannot be truly labeled until the pup reaches six months of age. Many pups labeled sable/wild boar lose black overlay and become simply red with no pattern.
BLACK/TAN - (can appear in all coats): The second most familiar dachshund color. A black and tan dachshund will be black all over with tan points (tan on feet, over eyes, on the face around the muzzle, on chest, under the tail). It will have black eyes, a black nose, and black nails. Black/tan is recessive, which means a black/tan bred to a black/tan will produce all black/tan unless they both carry the chinchilla factor, which will create a recessive red puppy.
BLACK/CREAM - (can appear only in smooth and long hair): A black and cream dachshund will be black all over with cream points (cream on feet, over eyes, on the face around the muzzle, on chest, under the tail). It will have black eyes, a black nose, and black nails.
SOLID BLACK - (can appear in all coats): A black dachshund will be black all over without any tan points. It will have black eyes, a black nose, and black nails. This is not the result of continuous breeding of black/tan to black/tan. Black breed true and appear to breed dominant over the black/tan. The black is simply the 'B' gene lacking the tan point gene.
BLUE/TAN - (can appear in all coats): A BLUE AND TAN CAN NOT HAVE ANY BLACK ON IT. A blue and tan are close to gray. It will be a gunmetal blue color with tan points. Its color should resemble a blue Doberman. It will have gray eyes, a gray nose, and gray nails. This is a recessive color. It must be showing or carried in both parents to appear. Can have CDA.
SOLID BLUE - (can appear in all coats): A Blue dachshund will be gun metal grey all over without any tan points. It will have gray eyes, gray nose, and gray nails. Solid colors appear to breed dominant over the tan points on this breed. The Blue is simply lacking the tan point gene. Can have CDA.
CHOCOLATE/TAN - (can appear in all coats): A chocolate and tan will be from milk chocolate brown to dark chocolate brown with tan points (tan on feet, over eyes, on the face around the muzzle, on chest, under the tail). It will have a brown to light brown nose and nails. A true chocolate/tan will NEVER have a black nose. It will have brown to light brown eyes and, on occasion, green to hazel eyes. This is a recessive color. It must be showing or carried in both parents to appear. Can have CDA.
CHOCOLATE/CREAM - (can appear only in smooth and long hair): A chocolate and cream dachshund will be chocolate all over with cream points (cream on feet, over eyes, on the face around the muzzle, on chest, under the tail). It will have light brown eyes and, on occasion, green to hazel eyes, brown to light brown nose, and nails. Can have CDA.
SOLID CHOCOLATE - (can appear in all coats): A chocolate will be a dark chocolate brown all over without any tan points. It will have brown to light brown eyes, 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. Can have CDA.
ISABELLA/TAN - (Fawn/Tan) (can appear in all coats): AN ISABELLA AND TAN CAN NOT HAVE ANY CHOCOLATE ON IT. An Isabella and tan is diluted chocolate and tan. It will appear to be a bar of washed-out chocolate and tan. Its color should resemble a Weimaraner but with tan points. It will have gray eyes, a gray nose, and gray nails. This is a recessive color. It must be showing or carried in both parents to appear. Can have CDA.
ISABELLA/CREAM - (fawn/cream) (can appear in all coats): AN ISABELLA AND CREAM CAN NOT HAVE ANY CHOCOLATE ON IT. An Isabella and cream is a bar of diluted chocolate and cream. It will appear to be a bar of washed-out chocolate and cream. Its color should resemble a Weimaraner but with cream points. It will have gray eyes, a gray nose, and gray nails. This is a recessive color. It must be showing or carried in both parents to appear. Can have CDA.
SOLID ISABELLA - (can appear in all coats): An Isabella dachshund will be a lite wash-out chocolate all over without any tan points. It will have gray eyes, a gray nose, and gray nails. Solid colors appear to breed dominance over the tan points on this breed. Isabella simply lacks the tan point gene. Can have CDA.
