05/29/2026
Patterns:
Dominant-
Sable
Brindle
Dapple
Recessive-
Piebald
(Roaning is also a pattern and is dominant, but needs Piebald expression to express. Roaning is ticking)
I also will label a puppy out of a red or tan pointed parent as red, rather than cream, if no testing is performed. Rolo and his brother Cosmo are great examples of this. Both were tested and confirmed cream, but I had labeled them as red to begin with. They’re very obviously cream as adults.
If you see a puppy from me labeled as cream, it is either tested or there is absolutely no other possibility genetically (my current litters for example).
Friendly little educational post because I keep seeing this come up lately. I am by no means an expert BUT I can confidently classify colors and patterns, if I’m unsure on a color I test them. 🤔
PIEBALD is NOT a color, it’s a pattern.
DAPPLE is NOT a color, it’s also a pattern.
A dachshund’s color and pattern are two separate things.
For example:
• Black & Tan Piebald
• Chocolate & Tan Dapple
• Red Piebald
• Cream Dapple
The white from piebald is never included when naming the color. It’s not “black, tan & white piebald.” The piebald already implies white spotting. And pleaseeee… “tri-color piebald” is not an actual color designation in the dachshund breed 🤦🏼♀️
There’s also a LOT of confusion between creams and reds and honestly? Sometimes that can be difficult in young puppies, especially depending on lighting. I’ve even questioned them myself before.
That’s exactly why color testing exists & I try to keep single testing swabs on hand.
Personally, I’d much rather label a puppy as a red and have it mature into a cream than advertise it as a cream and have it turn out red later.
Breeding responsibly means continuing to learn, research, test and educate, because accurate representation matters.
Dexter is a Chocolate & Tan Piebald (with ticking)