So, you’re interested in dachshunds or looking into getting one yourself. They are a fantastic choice for a family pet as they are smart, friendly, and quite long-lived. However, you’re not so sure about the different kinds. So what is a piebald dachshund?
Well, a piebald dachshund is a dachshund with a solid coat that is either all one color or two colors, with large patches of a white pattern. This can only be created by both parents having the recessive gene that creates this piebald effect.
Piebald dachshunds, like all dachshunds, are great! However, there are some extra things you need to know before bringing one into the home. Read on to find out all you need to know to be a great pet owner to a piebald dachshund!
Rareness
You might think it’s quite awfully rare to get your hands on a piebald dachshund. After all, they don’t often happen naturally due to the fact that both parents need the recessive piebald gene. (We’ll get into this a bit more later). However, these days, a lot of piebalds are bred on purpose.
However, this breeding can cause some issues. Piebalds with too much white fur also have a gene that is linked to health problems down the line. This is why you should always make sure to buy your piebald dachshund from a reputable breeder.
Anyone marketing their piebalds as unique or rare (especially because they have a white coat) is both incorrect and possibly putting the puppies they are breeding in danger by posing a significant health risk.
So no, piebalds aren’t particularly rare, but they are rarer than regular dachshunds, and their beautiful coats will stand out all the same.
What Is A Piebald Pattern?
The piebald pattern is white, with areas of solid color elsewhere on the dog such as the head, tail, back, or other places. The white coat area is often speckled with spots of color as well. This is a general guideline and can be used to widely identify piebald dachshunds well. However, there are more specific qualifiers for what makes a dog a piebald dachshund.
Firstly, piebald dachshunds always have dark eyes. Their eyes are never blue or any other color. The white of their coat will always have spots that are dark gray, black, or brown. Also, the tips of their tails will be white.
The chest, paws, and tip of the tail of a true piebald dachshund are always white. You can identify whether or not the dog is a true piebald based on these characteristics and see if the breeder truly knows what they are selling.
What Causes A Piebald Pattern?
The piebald pattern is caused by genetics. More specifically, two parents, both with the recessive piebald gene, have to breed in order to make a piebald litter. This doesn’t necessarily mean both parents have to be piebald dachshunds, as the piebald pattern doesn’t show in every dog that has the gene (as that’s what a recessive gene is).
As for why the gene makes the specific pattern that it does, it is actually a genetic abnormality that results in less pigmentation in the fur than in most dachshunds. This lack of pigmentation is due to a lack of melanocytes, or melanin-producing cells.
Health Issues
The piebald pattern doesn’t come without its downsides, though. Many piebalds are known to have more health issues than regular dachshunds. This is because, as mentioned earlier, the gene that gives the piebald dachshund its partially white coat is also associated with an increase in risk for some health issues.
The most common issues to expect with your piebald dachshunds are eye problems and congenital deafness. These sensory issues can be very harmful to your dachshund, and become more common and more problematic later in life.
For this reason, the UK kennel club does not permit piebald dachshunds. However, they are more accepted by the American kennel club, though there are still restrictions on how much white a piebald dachshund’s coat can have. The whiter the coat, the more health problems the dog is at risk for.
Lastly, just as is the case with all dachshunds, piebald dachshunds are at risk for intervertebral disc disease. Although this is not specifically the case for piebalds and is equally common in all dachshunds, it is worth watching out for, as it is extremely harmful. This and other back problems are the results of the strange, long, and low body shape of the dachshund.
Personality
Despite their unique looks, piebald dachshunds are quite similar in personality to their non-piebald counterparts.
Dachshunds are friendly and playful and approach life with infectious enthusiasm. They are also quite smart and extremely loyal, making them fantastic family pets. However, keep in mind they can be tough to train due to being a bit stubborn, and a bit mischievous as well. Still, the pros outweigh the cons here, and they are an excellent presence to have around the house!
Dachshunds have a tendency to be quite loud and yappy, but this can be trained out of them in their early years. Similarly, they show a bit of separation anxiety as well. This too, however, can be solved with thorough and proper training.
Conclusion
So, that’s pretty much the basics of piebald dachshunds! They are an intelligent, loyal, and playful breed, great for families and single people alike. What stands out about this breed most though, is their looks.
Their beautiful white coats with swathes of solid color are not only unique but beautiful as well. Your pup will be the talk of the dog park in no time!
However, you need to watch out for some of the health risks associated with owning a piebald dachshund. Often, their senses of sight and hearing degenerate quickly. Also, they are at risk for spinal issues, like all dachshunds, due to their unique shape.
However, this doesn’t stop them from being a fantastic breed of dog! So, take care of your piebald dachshunds, so we don’t lose this beautiful and relatively rare breed!