What is a Double Dapple?

A week or two ago, we posted a short blog about life with a new puppy. We received several comments with questions about the photo as her coloring is unusual for a dachshund.

This is Cielo, a Double Dapple Dachshund (say that three times fast!). The Dapple color is really a pattern of spots. They can come in different color schemes, like silver and black, or brown with darker brown spots, etc. It is fairly unique in the Dachshund world.

 

The Dapple gene is dominant. What does that mean? It means that if you breed a dapple to a more standard color scheme, you will have a great chance of getting dapple puppies. However, one thing you do NOT want to do is breed two Dapples together. Because the gene is dominant, if two are bred together the dominant genes sort of cancel each other out. That is why, on Cielo, she has a lot of white. 

 

The problem, though, with two dominant genes is that a lot of recessive stuff tends to come out in Dachshunds, including some pretty heavy birth defects. Double dapple puppies have been known to be born blind and/or deaf. Sometimes they are missing eyes, or are mentally under-developed. So if you have a dapple or know anyone who has a dapple, make sure not to breed with another dapple! You'll still get dapple puppies if you breed with a more standard color.

 

The owner of Cielo's parents did not know this about Dapples, and bred two together. That's what makes Cielo a Double Dapple. Several of her siblings had birth defects, but still found very loving homes. 

The good news about Cielo, the flying Double Dapple Dachshund, is that she is healthy as can be! It's impossible to tell if she has any vision issues, as she is crazy as heck. She is fearless, loves to play, she's incredibly smart (or should I say cunning), and is so adorable it's hard to leave for work in the morning.

 

Oh -- and, she will be spayed, so sorry -- there will be no puppies from this one. It's also important that when we breed dogs to make sure we are doing so in a way that produces HEALTHY puppies genetically. If there is any question, ever, then the dog should be spayed/neutered.

 

Thanks for the comments!

 

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