FAQs | Dappledoxies

Frequently Asked Questions

Males vs Females | Breeders | Coat Types | Coat Colors | Coat Patterns
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What is the best food for my dachshund?

The best food for Dachshunds focuses on high protein, controlled calories, and nutrients for strong bones and joints to prevent back problems (IVVD), ensuring limited carbs and fillers to manage weight and prevent allergies. Always look for foods with whole meats, prebiotics/probiotics, and avoid common allergens like corn, wheat, and soy if sensitivities arise.

What are common health concerns for dachshunds?

Dachshunds are prone to health issues, primarily Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) (back problems) due to their long spine, affecting up to 25% of them and potentially causing paralysis, alongside risks of obesity, eye conditions (PRA, glaucoma, cataracts), skin issues (allergies, tumors), dental disease, and neurological disorders (epilepsy, narcolepsy), requiring careful management like weight control, preventing jumping, and regular vet care to protect their fragile backs and overall health.

What makes it a miniature Dachshund?

A Miniature Dachshund is defined by its small size, weighing 12 pounds or less and standing about 5-6 inches tall at maturity, making it a smaller version of the Standard Dachshund (16-32 lbs). They are the same breed but selectively bred for smaller stature to hunt rabbits, sharing the same long body, short legs, and variety of coats (smooth, long, wire-haired, soft-wire) as their larger counterparts.

HOW DO I KNOW A GOOD BREEDER VS A BAD ONE?

A good dog breeder engages in proper breeding practices. These include not breeding a dog too early, ensuring their dogs are tested, healthy, and up to standards for breeding. Plus, their puppies will have the proper paperwork, vaccinations and deworming protocol. Most professional breeders can use sophisticated veterinary tools before the pups are born, such as ultrasounds to ensure the mother's pregnancy is going smoothly. After birth, the puppies will receive proper care, including deworming and vaccinations to ensure they are perfect for their forever homes. Some breeds require more grooming than others. Here at JM Kennels, our chosen breeds of Bernedoodles, Bernese mountain dogs, and standard poodles most definitely have hair that needs attention! A sign of a professional dog breeder is how well their dogs' coats, paws, and overall appearance is cared for. Professional breeders ensure their dogs receive the best of care. Many have a preferred veterinarian that understands their dogs' breed and can offer exceptional and personalized care. Beyond vet care, professional breeders invest in the highest-quality food to ensure proper nutrition, and allow their dogs plenty of room and opportunity for exercise. Socialization is huge for pups. In fact, socialization is absolutely critical so that your puppy can be happy and understand the world it's been born into. Puppies are learning the most when they are young, so it's crucial to start socialization in order to teach pups proper social behavior as soon as possible. Professional breeders take this responsibility seriously, and expose your puppy to humans, sights, and sounds for their overall health and well-being.

Males vs Females

All puppies are sweet, cuddly, wiggly, snugly, and affectionate! Who can say they’re not the most adorable companions you could ask for?

For some reason many times people have a predetermined idea that female puppies are easier to train and exhibit less aggressive behavior, but in actuality boys are just as easy. In fact, female puppies usually rule the roost, and are very independent and territorial. Females will let you know who’s boss right away and will try to establish dominance. They are more likely to fight with another female than a male is with another male.

Males are very playful, attentive, affectionate, and want to please you. They are also motivated by food (remember the way to love is through the stomach or something like that) and so males are quite easy to train. Boys love to play games and they are fun loving all their life. Females, as they age, are a little more reserved. While the independent spunk of the female is attractive, so is the gentle, attentive calmness of a male.

One myth that needs to be debunked is that males are always “humping” or lifting their leg to potty on everything. If a male is neutered early, he rarely exhibits these traits. In fact, boys who are neutered by 5 months of age usually don’t ever raise their leg to potty.

So when considering a puppy…. don’t forget those boys.
They will win your heart and keep it!

Coat Types

Smooth Coat

The original Dachshund was the smooth haired dachshund thought to have been developed in Germany from the St Hubert hound in the 1600s which is also a popular character often seen as toys or in cartoons.

For many years the smooth dachshund were the chosen variety for the English show ring. This variety also dominated the American show rings for many years.

This type of dachshund can be either miniature or standard size. It has been noted that although all types of dachshunds share many common temperament traits, the smooth coats seems to become more attached to one certain member of the family.

They show a high degree of independence, so good training is recommended to ensure a happy home. They are usually friendly and outgoing, very loveable and make excellent family pets.

Long Haired Dachshund

Long-haired dachshunds are much like the other two varieties, except their coat is longer and thicker, which gives them extra personality and elegance.

Origin

It is thought that the long-haired dachshund was created by crossing a smooth-haired doxy with other breeds including spaniels. In the U.S. long-haired dachshunds were mainly household pets until 1931, when AKC accepted the first registration for the variety. In 1940, a long-haired dachshund won the Best in Show title.

Appearance

Long-haired dachshunds come in many colors and patterns including; dapple, brindle, chocolate, cream, chocolate and black, and red. Their coat is longer in the lower part of the body (belly, legs, and tail), chest, and ears. The coat’s texture is soft, silky, and slightly wavy; much like that of an irish setter.

Coat Colors

Black and Cream Long Coat

Black and cream dachshunds feature a solid black coat with light, creamy-white or beige markings on their muzzle, eyebrows, chest, and paws. Unlike black and tan, these points are nearly white, and they possess black noses, eyes, and nails. They often display "shaded cream" characteristics, where puppies are born dark and lighten with age, sometimes leaving slight, dark shading on their ears or tails

Strawberry Cream Long Coat

Strawberry cream dachshunds are a rare, visually striking variety, often recognized as a form of "clear red" or dilute red, featuring a light red to blonde coat with a lighter-colored, almost white nose, paw pads, and cream-colored fur, distinguishing them from traditional dark-nosed English creams. They are characterized by their soft, cream-colored, or light, strawberry-red coats, often with no dark shading

Faux Blue and Cream Long Coat

A Faux Blue dachshund features a, soft, silky, long coat in a diluted steel-gray or charcoal color, often with silver markings running through their ears. This rare, striking appearance is caused by a recessive gene, resulting in a silvery-grey hue rather than a true blue color (Faux Blue do not carry Alopecia - A medical term for hair loss or baldness, affecting any part of the body)

Chocolate and Cream Long Coat

Chocolate and cream dachshunds feature a rich, chocolate-brown base coat with pale cream markings on the face, chest, paws, and under the tail. These dogs possess liver-colored (brown) noses, nails, and eye rims, differentiating them from black-based dogs. They are often considered rare and, along with other cream varieties, are generally known for a more mellow temperament.

Coat Patterns

Piebald Dapple

Not to be confused with a "Double Dapple". Piebald dapple dachshunds feature a unique coat combining the recessive piebald pattern (large white patches over a base color) with the dapple (merle) gene, resulting in marbled, spotted color patches (chocolate, black, red) on a white background, often with blue or partially blue eyes and freckled "ticking" on the legs. Blindness nor deafness is a concern in this combination.

Blue and Tan Piebald Long Coat

A blue and tan piebald dachshund features a distinct coat pattern combining a diluted blue-gray base, tan points (muzzle, eyebrows, paws), and significant white spotting, often including a white-tipped tail and freckling. This rare, striking look results from a recessive blue gene combined with the piebald spotting gene, presenting with dark brown eyes and no blue eye color

Dapple Piebald

Dapple piebald dachshunds combine two distinct coat patterns, resulting in a white-based coat (piebald) covered with patches of color that feature lighter, dappled, or marbled spots. They often display "ticking" (small freckles) within the white areas, particularly on their legs and snout. These dogs often have blue or partial-blue eyes and are distinguished from double dapples by having more defined patches

Dapple Piebald

And again....not to be confused with a "Double Dapple". Piebald dapple dachshunds feature a unique coat combining the recessive piebald pattern (large white patches over a base color) with the dapple (merle) gene, resulting in marbled, spotted color patches (chocolate, black, red) on a white background, often with blue or partially blue eyes and freckled "ticking" on the legs. Blindness nor deafness is a concern in this combination.

Faux Blue and Tan Reverse Dapple

A reverse dapple dachshund features a darker coat with fewer, smaller, or less-defined patches of lighter color, often described as a high-expression dapple (merle) pattern where the base color dominates, creating a subtly mottled, dark appearance. They are often characterized by dark spots on a lighter, silver/grey background or simply as a heavily mottled, almost solid-looking dog