Dapple Dachshund: Dog Breed Characteristic & Care

The Dapple Dachshund is an extremely unique and striking breed of variety, famous for its exceptional coat pattern and active, energetic personality. The Dapple Dachshund has an irregular, mottled pattern in the coat, with darker spots and lighter areas; this is a true lover, intelligent, and brave companion, like any other Dachshund.

It discusses aspects ranging from history to the dapples and other physical traits and attributes, personality characteristics, common health issues, and general care needed by this breed.

Breed Overview

Breed Group	Hound Group (American Kennel Club)
Height	8 to 9 inches
Weight	11 to 32 pounds
Coat Length & Texture	Coats can be smooth or wiry in texture, and short, medium, or long in length.
Coat Color	Most commonly, dapple dachshunds have a dark base coat color (tan, chocolate, or black) with flecks of lighter spots all over the body. Cream, blue, and silver are also possible coat colors, as well as red which is rarer
Exercise Needs	Moderate
Intelligence	Very Intelligent
Barking	When necessary
Life Span	12 to 16 years
Temperament	Smart, affectionate, vigilant, playful and stubborn
Hypoallergenic	No
Origin	Germany

Dapple Dachshund History and Origin

Dachshund, commonly known as the “wiener dog,” was originally bred in Germany to hunt small games like rabbits and badgers. The term “Dachshund” translates into German as “badger dog,” whereby its function as a small dog made to dig into dens and get its prey is very evidently defined.

The Dapple pattern of a Dachshund is due to the genetic variation of the dog’s coat color. The merle gene causes patches of color to appear light or dark in the coat because of the dapple pattern.

This gene that gives rise to this dapple pattern is not exclusive to Dachshunds since it is also found in breeds such as Australian Shepherd and Collie, among others.

The dapple pattern has been characteristic in Dachshunds for a long time, but it gained much popularity with the public after breeders began promoting this specific color variation. Dapple Dachshunds are not a breed but a specific coat pattern that is classified within the general group of the Dachshund breed.

Physical Features of the Dapple Dachshund

Dapple dachshunds possess the fundamental profiles of other dachshunds but with a difference in the pattern of the coat. There are essentially three coat varieties: smooth-coated, long-haired-coated, and wire-coated.

The most observed style of dapple in a dachshund coat will be any of these, with the exception of having either a smooth or a long-haired dapple coat.

Size

Dachshunds are small dogs measuring 8 to 9 inches in height. Their sizes vary from the standard and miniature Dachshund. A standard Dachshund weighs 16-32 pounds, while a miniature will weigh less than 11 pounds.

Weight

The two sizes of Dachshunds are discussed above. The standard Dapple Dachshund weighs between 16 to 32 pounds, while the miniature Dapple Dachshund weighs less than 11 pounds.

Coat, Color and Texture

The pattern could be any color, base colors include black, chocolate, and red, marked by lighter spots or patches of silver, gray, or cream. It will be different for every dog because some have more extensive markings than others. The coat is smooth. It has a short, sleek coat with very little grooming needs.

Long and Wire Haired

The fur of Wire-haired Dachshund and Long-haired Dachshund are longer, falls more, and requires frequent grooming to avoid matting. Coarse, felted texture; also, must be groomed often because the coat is roughly the same length.

Physical Body

Long, stretched body in Dachshunds but very short in height. Their unique appearance makes them quite recognizable. They have well-muscled backs and powerful, sturdy legs. They also have a deep chest, and their stretchy, elongated body allows them to easily dig into small areas.

Temperament and Personality of the Dapple Dachshund

The Dapple Dachshund, like any other Dachshund, is bold and confident. They often describe them as fearless with a very high hunting instinct. This breed may be short in size but surely are big in attitude; furthermore, they will not back away from a challenge or drawback when necessary. Their key temperament traits include the following:

Affectionate and loyal

Dapple dachshunds tend to bond with their owners very thoroughly and love nothing better than the warmth of family members being around. They can become highly affectionate and demand attention, cuddles, and companionship.

They are Independent and Stubborn

While lovely, Dachshunds can sometimes be very independent and stubborn. As a breed bred to hunt alone, this is a good personality that requires wrangling early on, with consistency and training.

Energetic and Playful

Dapple Dachshunds are energetic dogs. They love to play and play fetch, but due to the size, they can do great in an apartment, given there is enough exercise and mental stimulation.

Brave

Because of their size, one would expect a Dachshund to be very timid, but not so, as they have the bravery of their much larger prey in their history, for which they were bred. Much of this bravery shows through in their daily behavior.

Are Dapple Dachshunds Good Family Dogs?

Indeed, Dapple Dachshunds make a great family dog for attachment and the enthusiasm they love and seek their families. That aside, small dogs aren’t ideal to be carried out to babies who can easily cause injuries from careless playing.

Generally, dachshunds adapt well to other pets, particularly cats, if socialized well. However, in the case of high prey drive, they do not mix well with small animals, such as rodents and rabbits, except when raised around them.

Common Health Issues in Dapple Dachshund

While Dapple Dachshunds are generally a pretty healthy breed, the Dachshund breed tends to suffer from serious health issues that seem more prevalent in Dapple Dachshunds than in other Dachshunds. Of these conditions specific to those suffering from the Dapple pattern.

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)

Their long back makes dachshunds prone to back problems. Intervertebral disc disease is a degenerative condition in the spinal discs to causes pain and potentially paralysis or immobility.

Dapple dachshunds, and worst, with two copies of the Merle gene, suffer from congenital deafness. Such deafness could be bilateral or unilateral.

Eye disorders

Dapple dachshunds are more prone to several eye disorders, including cataracts and retina problems, which may lead to complete blindness.

Hip Dysplasia

Less common in Dachshunds than most larger breeds; can occur. This represents a failure to properly develop the hip joint. Generally, arthritis or chronic pain results.

Skin disorders present amongst those Dachshunds in such coat patterns as dapples- namely, this pattern of the coat comes associated with some degree of several different skin disorders as on some parts of a dapple’s body; this can often trigger a sunburn in this place in a Dachshund.

Care for Your Dapple Dachshund

Care for a Dapple Dachshund requires all its odd physical and emotional needs. In a nutshell, here is what your Dapple Dachshund requires in care: 

Exercise

Dachshunds are active dogs even though they are not very big; they need regular exercise. They get sufficient regular exercise from daily walks and playtime in the yard but require mental stimulation toys and interactive games.

Grooming

The coat type will determine what grooming is needed for a Dapple Dachshund. Smooth-coated Dachshunds are not very grooming-intensive. Brush weekly to keep shedding under control.

Long-coated Dachshunds must be groomed rather often to prevent mats from forming. Wire-coated ones must be hand-stripped quite often to maintain their texture and feel.

Diet and Nutrition

Dachshunds tend to be obese often; thus, eating well-balanced meals with proper quantities is recommended.

Give them the best food quality depending on their age, size, and also according to their activity. Don’t over-feed them and, most importantly, do not feed them treats that can accumulate unhealthy weight.

Training

Dapple dachshunds need to be patiently and consistently trained. Although very intelligent, at times, they can become independent and stubborn. Socialization from an early age and obedience training will help them to grow into good companion animals.

Routine Veterinary Visits

Regular vet visits must be made to check out potential health issues, mainly their back, eyes, and ears. Keep up-to-date vaccinations, flea/tick prevention, and routine screening.

Wrapping Up!

These great charming Dapple Dachshund varieties will be fantastic dogs, playful, bold in personality, and eye-catching coat patterns.

They suit everyone with a good active lifestyle and are just great pets for families or singles. They do possess unique health concerns, yet, under proper care, they will be loving family pets.