questions

[doxielady5569128]

Ok.  I have some questions about a coat pattern on dachshunds.  What exactly does a double dapple colored dachshund look like?  I do know it is not a desirable trait to look for in the breed, but I'm not sure why?     Just curious. Thanks.

[Jeri]

Boone is double dapple.  This results when both parents carry the merle gene and pass it on to their offspring.  Dapples have the merle gene, so when two dapples are bred together, you get a double dapple.  Most double dappe pups are born with hearing and/or vision problems.  Some dogs are born completely blind AND deaf, which is why one should NEVER breed dapples together.  Yet because of greed, breeders continue this practice.  My Boone is a double dapple.  He was born deaf, and has irregular pupils which seem to affect his vision slightly.  Just the same, his breeder kept him as a stud dog for eight years, even though he probably passed his hearing and vision problems onto his offspring.  The large white patches are where the merle gene presents itself.  Piebalds can also have lots of white, but their markings tend to be symetrical, and double dapples are asymetrical.

Here is Boone:

[Jeri]

Tried to post three pics of Boone, but only succeeded with one.  These other two should show his asymetrical markings and messed up pupils.

[Doxherding Karen]

Is Boone a dachshund? :thinik:

Karen

(I'm asking because I was thinking of Merlin, who is long-bodied, but has a grey, smooth/broken-coat body, and legs that any dachshund DREAMS of having!  That's why I got him DNA tested.  I 'm thinking 1/4 broken-coat Jack Russell terrier and 3/4 doxie. 
We're waiting to hear from MMI Genomics to solve the mystery! )

[Jeri]

Oh yes, Boone is all dachshund, and a very handsome one at that! 

Can't wait for the DNA results for Merlin!

[Barb]

I could just smooch all over that sweet face !   

[doxielady5569128]

Thanks!   We saw one advertised in the newspaper that is a red double dapple dachshund.  I thought i had heard most are either deaf and blind.   I just don't understand why people keep breeding this type of dachshund.   The one we saw in the paper was advertised as "free to a good home" .  Which immediately got my suspicions raised about its health.   

[Doxherding Karen]

People breed them for one reason only - money.  They depend on uninformed customers who buy "cute" or "awesome" dachshunds with double dapple coats, not realizing what they're getting into. 

Same reason English bulldogs are dying from respiratory problems because they are bred to have a smashed in snout, which is critical to dogs' respiration, and brain cooling.  Dogs pant to cool off, for heaven's sake.  About three or four years ago Nat'l Geographic had an article about dogs.  A picture of an adorable English bulldog getting intensive vet care was in the article.  The notes on the picture said the bulldog had a C-Section and died from respiratory distress.

We should encourage people to boycott double dapples.  The only way to end this is to get out of the market.  Then maybe double dapples will go out of fashion and stop appearing on the rescue pages.

Karen

[TerriL]

Well said Karen!

[doxielady5569128]

 Thanks for the insight everyone.   Now that I habve researched it a bit, I definately agree that making double dapples should be banned.  It just breaks my heart that people would intentionally "create" an animal they knew would have problems just to make a buck.      What is the world coming to?

[krs123]

Very interesting info! What a shame that people are so greedy out there that they would sacrafice a dogs hearing and sight for an x-tra buck!! I noticed you had commented on piebald's. Bandit is a piebald and they classify him as a blk/tan but he is mostly white with black markings. Where does the tan play a role? (although he does have small tan markings around his face). I will try and post some new pics tonight. Any known problems with the piebalds that you know of or that i should be aware of?
thanks
krs123

[Jeri]

I don't know much about pies.  As far as I know, they don't have the deafness/blindness problems that plague double dapples.  I only mentioned pies so that Karen wouldn't see a pie with it's symetrical markings and mistake it for a double dapple, but I should have made it clear that peibalds are not caused by inheriting the merle gene from both parents, and do not have the same problems as double dapples even though they too have white markings.

Every piebald I have even seen was a normal, healthy dog.  Almost every double dapple I know of has either hearing and/or vision problems.

[Jeri]

I could just smooch all over that sweet face !   

And he would let you, and give you some stinky smoochies in return!

[Doxherding Karen]

I could just smooch all over that sweet face !   

Hey there, Barb, I'd be happy to smooch with you. . .and I just had my dental so I have minty fresh breath and clean teeth!

Whadda you say, babe, wanna get together for a little "face to face" hmmmm???

Roscoe, the Handsome One

[doxielady5569128]

Porky is a piebald and he is in great health. Never had any problems at all.   His only thing is he is allergic to milk and has some environmental allergies (i.e. weeds, etc...) that flare up once in a while.    So I don't think Piebalds are predisposed to anything more than other dachshunds.   I'll have to research it and find out for sure though. 

[scootersmom]

You know, Scooter has a large white patch on his chest...I've often wondered whether that meant he was a double dapple and it was just showing up weirdly.  It actually reminds me of a paint/pinto horse's markings, right down to the shape of it.  Very strange.