First the Dapple Dachshund...

 

All Dachshunds have one base color.  A pattern in another color, like the dapple pattern, can be superimposed over the base hue.  This also occurs with the Piebald pattern, bringing on the white overlay to the base color.  The Breed Standard states that, apart from the dapple pattern which is expressed as lighter colored areas contrasting with the darker base color and neither the light nor the dark color should predominate one another.

The dapple design can vary from a huge smattering of splashes to one single spot.  Even dapple Dachshund puppies from the same litter can look entirely different. 

In order to get dapple Dachshund puppies, one parent must have the dapple pattern.  This pattern is caused by the merle gene.  A dog who has even one barely detectable dapple spot is a dapple.  Dapples can also have pattern on the roof of their mouth and between their toe pads and can have blue eyes that can pigment brown and blue, it is very important to check these areas when labeling a puppies color.  They should be registered as such, because they will produce dapple puppies who might have more splashed and spots.

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What is a Double Dapple Dachshund? 

 

When both parents are dappled, each will pass

on the dapple (merle gene), to create double

dapple Dachshund puppies.  In addition to

having even more intricate kaleidoscopic color

patches, double dapples usually have large

areas of white on their bodies.  If dappling

appears on the face, the eyes might be an icy

shade of blue.  These characteristics can be

quite striking, and some breeders will try to

create double dapple puppies for their

uniqueness.   

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Double Dapple vs. Piebald

Dapple and Piebald are caused by two totally different genes. Dapple is Dominant. One parent must be dapple in order to produce dapple puppies. Piebald is Recessive. Both parents must show or carry Piebald in order to produce a Piebald puppy. Being recessive, if both parents are Piebald, all the puppies would be Piebald (just like with Chocolate).  There is far less documented evidence that Piebald carries health risks in the way that Double Dapple does.  However, it is reported that increasing amounts of white in the coat increase the likelihood of deafness and the most common cause of congenital deafness in dogs is pigment related.  As discussed above Piebalds produce the white over lay of the base color, it is possible to breed a "dapple piebald".  A dapple piebald is the production of a piebald and dapple dachshund.  For example: Breeding a Black and Tan Dapple to a Black and Tan Piebald, will produce a, Black and tan dapple Piebald. This can have a similar appearance to the Black and tan Double Dapple.  Now this is why it is very important to purchase from a reputable breeder to be able to know what you have. 

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Double Dapple Health Risks

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There are lethal genes commonly associated with Double Dapple Dachshunds. The problems associated with the lethal genes in Double Dapples are varying degrees of vision and hearing loss, including missing eyes or “micro eyes”. Blindness and/or deafness an be caused by the Double Dapple gene combination.                                                                                  ***Remember that single Dapple Dachshunds DO NOT have these lethal health problems.

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Why would someone do this?

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For every deformed double dapple, there is a different excuse. Here are a few of those 'excuses' and a few solutions.

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1.  Simple ignorance:  Genetics are a complicated matter and many breeders won't even take the time to try to learn. 

     Solution:  TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN! 

2.  Genetic background unknown:  Although the only way to get a double dapple is to breed two dapples together, there are many people that don't know they own a dapple. 

     a.  Red dapples and Cream dapples often fade as they get older.  A Doxie that was poorly dappled at birth, and is red it color, will probably not be recognized as a dapple later in life. 

     Solution:  Don't breed reds to dapples.  If you do, make sure you examine every puppy from head to toe at birth.  This is when the dappling is most noticeable.  Be sure to mark a puppy as a dapple, even if it has no hint of dapple at eight weeks of age. 

     b.  Other colors of dapples are often so lightly dappled, they are not marked as dapple on their papers.

     Solution:  Again, be sure to record dapples at birth.   A good sign of a dapple (assuming one of the parents was a dapple) is if a puppy has any blue flecks in the eyes.  The dapple pattern can color the iris of the eyes, just as it covers the color of the coat.  When the dapple pattern hits the iris, it turns it blue, like that of a Siberian Husky.  Since the dapple pattern is so sporadic, it can hit just a spot on the eye, causing a normal color eye with a tiny blue fleck.   Always mark blue eyed or partial blue eyed pups as dapples if there is even the slightest chance that it is a dapple. 

3.  Mistaking double dapples for piebalds:  This is the most aggravating of all the mistakes made.  Without getting into the genetics behind a piebald, I will tell you that a piebald is a normal color Doxie with varying amounts of white.  A piebald does not have dapple.  A piebald does not have blue eyes, or partial blue eyes.  A Piebald is normally marked symmetrically...meaning that if one ear is black, the other ear is black.  If one paw is white, the other paw is white.  If one side of the face is white, the other side is equally white.  A double dapple is not symmetrical.  You will often see one leg normal colored and the other leg totally white.  One side of the face can be white and the other side dappled.  These are the easiest way to tell if a dog is double dappled or piebald.

     Solution:  If you aren't sure if your dog is double dapple or piebald, look at the pedigree!  A double dapple will always have a dappled dam and a dappled sire.  A piebald can come from any color, but you will normally see piebald in the background.  Since piebald is recessive, it is possible to have two plain black & tans produce a piebald.  However ONLY TWO DAPPLES can produce a double dapple. The ultimate test of a double dapple is to breed it to a plain colored dog.   If the puppies are dapple, your dog is a double dapple!

Note:  There is a lot of evidence of people marking double dapples as piebalds.   I was curious to see what AKC had to say about it, so I called them and told them that I had a litter of Doxie puppies and one of the puppies had a lot of white on it.   I was told that if the puppy had 50% or more white, to mark it as a piebald.   This is absolute INCORRECT and DANGEROUS information!  Use a combination of the info given to you here to determine if your dog is a double dapple or a piebald. 

4.  For the show ring:  There is no doubt about it, a double dapple is stunning.  The combination of dappling and white is flashy and many breeders purposely breed dapple to dapple in hopes of show prospects.  If you know what you are doing; if you know the risks; if you don't mind the chance of deformed puppies; then "More Power to You." 

     Solution:  I'm left to do my best Forrest Gump impression and say "...and that's all I got to say about that..."

5.  Greed:  If we go back to the genetics behind a double dapple, you will remember that a double dapple results when two dapples both contribute their dapple gene to one puppy.  That puppy, if he goes on to breed, will have two dapple genes that will be shuffled and eventually dealt out into the gene pool.  Since the dapple gene is dominant, and the only thing that puppy has is a dapple gene, there is a 100% chance that every, single puppy that dog produces will be a dapple. 

In other words, a double dapple will ALWAYS produce dapple puppies, even when bred to a normal color dog (black & tan, chocolate & tan, etc.).  Since dapple puppies normally command a higher price, there are breeders who purposely breed dapple to dapple, in hopes of getting a double dapple.  That double dapple can then be used to produce all dapple puppies...all of his life.  It is interesting to note, that even a dog which is totally blind and deaf will NEVER produce a deaf or blind puppy (providing that he isn't bred to another dapple or carrying some other genetic defect that causes deafness/blindness).  The deafness/blindness seen in double dapples is only a result of the two dapple genes. 

Solution:  There is no solution for this sort of breeder.   Greed is more powerful than compassion.

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BREED RESPONSIBLY

BUY RESPONSIBLY

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