What Is A Piebald Dachshund?

Are you thinking of getting a Dachshund? Maybe you’re unsure about all the different coat patterns Dachshunds have? Are you wondering if piebald Dachshunds have any known health problems? Here’s everything you need to know about piebald Dachshunds.

What Is A Piebald Dachshund? A piebald Dachshund has a solid one-colour or two-colour base coat with big patches of white pattern. It’s created by both parents having the recessive piebald gene. Dachshunds with large areas of white on their coat have a higher risk of developing health problems.

But, before you bring a piebald Dachshund into your home, there’s more you need to know! Read on to find out what piebald Dachshunds look like, whether they have any health problems and the difference between piebalds and dapples.

This article is based on research and personal experience as a Dachshund owner of 10+ years. I’m not a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist.

Piebald Dachshunds

Piebald Dachshunds are Dachshunds with piebald markings. Some people think that piebald is a colour, but it’s actually a coat pattern.

It’s seen throughout the hound family in beagles, greyhounds and basset hounds, as well as breeds like collies, bull terriers and boxers.

The piebald pattern is caused by the recessive piebald gene. To produce a piebald puppy, both parents need to carry the recessive gene.

This doesn’t mean they need to have piebald markings though. Dachshunds with solid colour or dapple coats can still carry the gene.

Are Piebald Dachshunds Rare?

Piebald Dachshunds used to be quite rare. Nowadays, lots of breeders in the US are able to produce piebald puppies.

The American Kennel Club has specific guidelines about what is and isn’t acceptable in the piebald pattern.

Breeders have to be really careful with how much white fur the Dachshund has. This is to reduce the risk of breeding puppies with health problems. 

You won’t see many piebald Dachshunds in the UK though, as they’re not accepted under the Kennel Club’s Breed Standard.

The UK Kennel Club is very strict on Dachshunds with white coats. That’s because the gene that causes white fur is often linked to health problems.

If you’re going to buy a piebald Dachshund, use a reputable Kennel Club assured breeder so you know the puppy’s health is being looked after!

Don’t use unscrupulous breeders who market the puppies as ‘rare’ or ‘unique’. You’ll probably pay through the roof and there’s a high chance the breeder doesn’t care about the welfare of the Dachshunds.

What Does A Piebald Dachshund Look Like?

Piebald Dachshunds have a solid one-colour or two-colour base coat with big areas of white. The markings are often symmetrical on both sides of the Dachshund’s head and body.

The exact pattern really depends on the individual Dachshund. On some, it can look more like the coat is white with big patches of the base colour.

For others, the white patches might cover the Dachshund’s chest and belly, while the rest of his coat is the base colour (or colours).

A piebald Dachshund has a white tip at the end of his tail, and white paws with white or partly white nails. He’ll have brown or dark eyes, not blue (only double dapples and dilutes have blue eyes).

Most piebalds will have at least 80% of their coat covered with white fur. They can have white fur on their head as long as it’s less than 50% and doesn’t cover their ears or around his eyes.  

On some piebald Dachshunds, the white patches are pure white. Others have small or large amounts of ticking (flecks of colour) throughout the white fur, giving it a more dappled look.

Can Piebald Dachshunds Have All White Bodies?

A piebald Dachshund should never have an all-white body, even if he has spots on his head.

You can get what is called an ‘extreme piebald’, where the Dachshund is entirely white apart from some colour on his head and tail. However, this type of breeding is very cruel and not approved by Kennel Clubs.

The piebald pattern can occur with any of the basic coat colours, including red, cream, black and tan, black and cream, chocolate and tan, chocolate and cream, blue or Isabella.

However, dilute colours like blue and Isabella are cruel on the puppies and can lead to serious health complications!

You can also have Dachshunds with more than one pattern on their coats. For example a dapple piebald, or even a dapple brindle piebald.

The blended patterns are very intricate and look lovely. But you have to be very careful that the breeder you’re buying from knows exactly what they’re doing.

The genes that create the different patterns don’t always mix well.

Do Piebald Dachshunds Have Health Issues?

While the piebald pattern itself is not thought to be associated with health issues, dogs with large areas of white in their coat have a higher risk of health problems. For example, congenital deafness and eyesight issues.

This is why the UK Kennel Club doesn’t allow piebalds or any Dachshunds with white coats, apart from a small patch on the chest (and even that is not desirable).

The American Kennel Club is more lenient on this. Although it’s still strict on how much white coat piebald Dachshunds can have and where this can be on the body.

Like all Dachshunds, piebalds are also at risk of Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) and other back issues due to their long, low bodies.

However, this has nothing to do with the piebald gene and relates to the Dachshund breed in general.

Can You Breed Two Piebald Dachshunds?

Yes, you can breed two piebald Dachshunds. When you breed a piebald Dachshund with another piebald Dachshund, you get piebald puppies.

However, you need to be careful that the parents do not carry the dapple gene. That’s because, if you breed two Dachshunds with the dapple gene, you risk producing a double dapple puppy. This can have serious health problems like congenital eye and ear defects.

Just remember that not all Kennel Clubs agree that the piebald pattern is ethical for Dachshunds.

There are plenty of adorable Dachshunds out there with other coat colours and patterns that definitely won’t cause them any health problems.

If your heart is set on a piebald Dachshund, you could always look at dog shelters or rescue centres to see if you can adopt one.

What Is The Difference Between A Piebald And Dapple Dachshund?

It’s really important to be able to tell the difference between dapples and piebalds.

If two dapples are bred (including two dapple piebalds, or a dapple piebald and a dapple), this could produce a double dapple and the Dachshund may suffer badly with his health.

In terms of genetics, the difference between a piebald Dachshund and a dapple is that the piebald markings are caused by a recessive gene. Whereas the dapple markings are caused by a dominant gene.

Both parents must carry the piebald gene to produce a piebald puppy. Whereas only one parent needs to have the dapple gene to produce a dapple puppy.

Also, all the puppies in the litter will be piebalds, whereas only some of the puppies would be dapples.

Are Piebald And Dapple Dachshunds Easy To Tell Apart?

It’s quite easy to tell apart a pure piebald and a single dapple, as single dapples don’t have the big areas of white coat like piebalds do. 

However, double dapples are harder to tell apart from piebalds because they do have big patches of white fur.

The difference here is that piebalds do not have the swirls or splodges of colour on their fur like double dapples do. 

BUT, it gets very tricky when you have a dapple piebald. That’s because those Dachshunds do have swirling within the coloured patches!

Dapple piebalds are VERY hard to tell apart from double dapples. They both have patches of white and the dapple pattern in the patches of colour.

Here are some ways you can tell them apart:

• Generally, dapple piebalds will have bigger areas of white than double dapples (although this isn’t always the case)
• Double dapples can have blue eyes, while piebalds should never have blue eyes (again, not all double dapples have blue eyes, so this may not help)
• Piebald markings are often symmetrical (but that doesn’t mean that double dapple markings can’t be symmetrical too)

It’s not that easy, but there are some slight differences!

So, there you have it! Piebald Dachshunds have a solid one or two-colour coat with large patches of white pattern. The pattern is created by both Dachshund parents having the recessive piebald gene. Just bear in mind that large areas of white on a Dachshund’s coat can mean they’re at higher risk of health issues.

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