The Dapple Dachshund: A Truly Unique Looking Animal

So what  is a Dapple Dachshund really??  Many of you may have seen one of these very unique looking dogs either at a friend’s house or at a pet shop, and thought to yourself what kind of dog is this.  But instead of being a separate breed of dog, the Dapple Dachshund simply has a different pattern.  Referred to as “Merle” in other animal breeds, many people mistakes this as a different color but the truth is it’s simply a different pattern.  This unique pattern is often highly sought after and some consider a dog with this pattern very rare. This has led to many breeders to specialize in these beautiful animals. Let’s take a deeper look at what causes this unique pattern to occur.

So What Makes Causes This “Merle” Pattern to Occur?

The marble looking coats of these dogs occurs because of a dominant gene that one parent possesses over the other parent.  This gene causes the dog’s color to be lighter in contrast than a non-dapple animal, giving it a marble like pattern all over the body or in patches.  When a puppy receives this dominant gene they will always develop this coat pattern.  This is why specialty breeders are able to breed these dogs over and over again with the same results.

Is There Any Risk When Breeding This Dominant Gene?

When you are breeding these lovely animals, you have to be extremely careful not to breed two dogs that contain the dominant gene. While some of these puppies are born with two dominate genes might come out perfectly healthy and normal, others will not be so lucky. Very negative result can happen if these two dominant genes collide.  Very severe abnormalities have occurred in these double gene offspring including blindness at birth, born with no eyes and deafness.  This tragic occurrence can really cast a negative shadow on those who breed these dogs.

So Should You Own One of These Animals?

Some people will shy away from purchasing one of these animals because they fear they are contributing to negative breeding practices.  But if you do your homework and check out the person you are going to purchase your puppy, you can avoid adding to the problem.  Breeders who have been in business for a long time will have a proven track record of producing only healthy animals.  So make sure to get plenty of references from any breeder you choose to do business with.