If you’ve been yearning to own a beautiful dog breed, then you’ll be amazed to meet the Piebald Dachshund. The Dachshund variety is known for its eye-catching coat, mostly white and dotted with brown, tan, or black patches.
Of course, the beauty of the coat is not a good enough reason to get this breed. Well, Piebald Dachshund doesn’t disappoint when it comes to other qualities as well. The pup is friendly, playful, and curious, making it a wonderful pet for the entire family.
If you think a Piebald Dachshund will make a perfect pet for your family, then you need to take your time to understand this breed more. You need to understand the genetics of this breed, its appearance, personality, and how to care for it. This guide covers all these.
History and Origin of Piebald Dachshunds
Dachshunds originated in German in the 15th century, where they were used as hunting dogs. They resulted from breeding two Dachshunds that had piebald recessive genes. Their name means “badger dog.”
The name resulted from the dog’s previous hunting role, which involved chasing badgers and foxes into burrows. The dog is known for its unique appearance, characterized by long bodies and short legs.
This physical appearance made it easy for Dachshunds to hunt successfully, as they would easily squeeze into small spaces. Their high intelligence made them perfect for hunting even larger animals, as they would easily outsmart other creatures.
The breeding came about because dachshund owners began to favor the piebald pattern. Breeders took on the challenge and started breeding specific types of coats. Some of them included piebald and dapple. Thanks to its breeding, the Piebald Dachshund is now very popular and easy to find.
Although modern Dachshunds are not hunting dogs but are kept at home as pets, they still maintain their hunting instincts. The dogs have athletic bodies, are courageous, and are always alert, which is typical of a hunting dog. They are friendly to other animals and humans as long as the other party doesn’t pose any threat.
What Does a Piebald Dachshund Look Like?
Piebald Dachshund is one of the most beautiful dog breeds to own, thanks to their uniquely dotted coat. The dominant color in their coats is usually white; in fact, their coats are 80% white. The dots on the coat can be different colors, including black, tan, brown, chocolate, or fawn.
The dogs have all their entire four toes white. The fur in their chest area is also white with no dots of other colors. It’s also common to find Piebald Dachshunds with an entirely white coat with only a dash of color on their tails and heads.
The dog also boasts of an elongated body, short legs, and floppy ears. They have either short, long, and wire-haired coats.
What Does Piebald Mean?
The word piebald simply means patches or spots consisting of two colors, mostly black and white. A piebald Dachshund comes with one or two colored base coats with big patches. The patches or dots can be of any color, including black, brown, or tan, with the base coat usually being white.
Some people think that piebald is a specific color. However, it’s usually a pattern of the coat. The pattern comes about as a result of breeding two dogs that carry the piebald recessive gene. For a puppy to be pure Piebald, both parents must have the gene.
Are Piebald Dachshunds Rare?
Piebald Dachshunds used to be very rare, thanks to their unique patterns. However, that’s no longer the case since many breeders have learned how to breed and distribute this dog everywhere. However, the breed is not yet common in solid color colored Dachshunds.
Also, not every dog that looks like a Piebald Dachshund is purebred. Others breeds may also portray patched in their coats with the white base, but they’re not piebald Dachshunds. If this is the breed that you want, make sure you get it from a reliable breeder.
Are Piebald Dachshunds Purebred?
Piebald Dachshund are bred between purebred dogs. As a result, the dog’s puppies are also purely bred. The purebred ones carry the piebald recessive gene. Their puppies must also come from purebreds with the recessive piebald gene.
However, since breeders often try to play around with different patterns, not all Piebald breeds are purebred. So, even though Dachshunds are the ones that are commonly purebred, you can still find other species too. If you get one that's not purebred, you should know that it might require different care from the purebred ones.
The Piebald Dachshund Size
Regarding size, Piebald Dachshund comes in standard and miniature variants. A standard one grows to about 8 to 9 inches tall and weighs 16 to 32 pounds. The miniature one grows up to about 5 to 6 inches with a weight of up to 11 pounds.
You might also notice a slight difference between male and female piebald Dachshunds. Mature males can grow up to 9 inches tall, while females can grow up to 8 inches tall. The weight tends to remain the same for adult male and female Dachshunds.
Piebald Dachshunds Life Expectancy?
Thanks to their size, Piebald Dachshunds tend to live quite longer than other larger breeds. The dog can live for up to 12 to 16 years. However, their years on earth can be prolonged if they’re healthy and strong enough. The years can also be short lived by various health problems.
Make sure you take good care of your dog by feeding them nutritious dog food and taking them for a run to maintain their physical fitness. Also, take them to the vet for regular checkups. If you maintain and take good care of this breed, they’ll surely live a long life.
Piebald Dachshund Common Health Problems
Piebald Dachshunds are generally healthy dogs, but like any other dog, they can get a few health issues here and there. Most of their health issues are the same as other Dachshunds varieties. Common health issues are usually genetic, while some may come about due to poor care.
Their coloring also tends to put them more at risk for some health issues. Piebald Dachshunds with mostly white colors in their coats may suffer more from genetic health issues. The common health issues with these breeds are:
- Eye problems: Piebald Dachshund may suffer vision impairment issues which can lead to blindness. This problem is common with the ones holding the dapple genes. Other eye problems common with this breed include cataracts and glaucoma.
- Hearing Impairments: This dog breed is also at risk of becoming deaf a few weeks after birth. If you breed two piebald Dachshund with the dapple gene, they’ll be more at risk of hearing impairment.
- Back and Joint Issues: As the dogs get older, they get a lot of pressure on the bones coming from their long backs. They might experience a spine condition called intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), which can cause pain and paralysis. Keeping them healthy and fit can help with this problem.
- Ear Infections: Because piebald Dachshunds have floppy ears, they’re more prone to infections than breed with upright ears. You can prevent ear infections by checking and cleaning the ears whenever they have odor or discharge.
Piebald Dachshund Exercise Requirements
Piebald Dachshunds have a lot of energy despite their small bodies. Remember, they originated from hunting ancestry. The dogs love to be active throughout the day and will enjoy running, walking, or playing fetch.
To keep them happy and in shape, make sure they get at least 45 minutes of exercise daily. You can also introduce them to games such as puzzle toys and fetch.
Better yet, stimulate their mental ability through advanced training, various games, and slow feeder bowls. These dogs are used to hunting prey, and they need mental stimulation to keep their intelligence level up.
Do Piebald Dachshunds Shed?
Piebald does shed just like other Dachshunds. However, they are considered light shedders, and you don’t have to worry much about their fur all the time.
To minimize shedding and keep your house clean, you have to control the shedding by brushing the coat. Brushing once a week is enough to remove loose hair.
If you have either a wire-haired or long-haired Piebald Dachshund, you’ll have to brush your coat regularly. These fur types tend to shed a lot more. For short-haired ones, you won’t need to be so consistent with brushing as they shed less.
Piebald Dachshunds Grooming Needs
Piebald Dachshunds are not too demanding when it comes to grooming since they’re moderate shedders. However, the fact that they shed makes it necessary to brush their coats from time to time to control the shedding.
Since they’re not hypoallergenic short-haired Dachshunds only need weekly brushing. As for the long-haired and wire-haired ones, you need to put in more effort to brush them regularly, if not daily.
These dogs don’t always need to visit the groomer. However, you can treat them to some professional grooming once in a while. You can let the groomer trim their hair but never shave them down. The groomer can also do hand stripping twice a year for the wirehaired Dachshunds.
Other grooming needs include giving them a bath once in six to nine weeks. You can also get a groomer to trim their nails and clean their ears once in a while. With all these grooming needs taken care of, your piebald Dachshunds will be healthy and happy throughout their lifetime.
Training a Piebald Dachshund?
Since the Piebald Dachshunds are highly intelligent, they’re very easy to train. They’ll quickly understand and follow what their owners want.
However, they’re also quite independent breeds and can tend to be stubborn sometimes. You have to be patient and calm to train them successfully.
Start training them as soon as they come home as puppies because they can be stubborn, loud, and destructive if not trained and associated early enough. They don’t just need basic commands. Training begins with simple things such as potty training, leash manners, and barking, to more complicated things such as socialization and obedience.
One way to get them to train and be obedient is through positive reinforcement. This method will encourage them to comply. You also need to practice firmness when training them so that they obey your commands.
Better yet, consider enrolling your piebald Dachshund in a puppy training school. Professionals know how to handle them better and teach them obedience and social skills.
Other Breeds Similar to Piebald Dachshunds
Some dog breeds that are similar to piebald Dachshunds are:
- Dapple Dachshunds: Many people confuse this breed with piebald Dachshunds because they share so many similarities. However, the Dapple doesn’t have so much white on its body as the Piebalds. They still have the base color of white, but their coats are coated with darker and denser patches.
- Basset Hound: Basset hound is another breed that may look similar to Piebald because of their long bodies. However, this breed tends to grow larger and heavier with age. They’re also less energetic, making them different from the Piebald Dachshunds.
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi: This breed also has a long body that’s almost similar to that of a Piebald Dachshund. Apart from the outside look, they also portray some behaviors similar to Piebald, such as courage, stubbornness, and affection towards their owners. However, they also tend to grow larger than the Piebald and are mostly herding dogs and not suitable for hunting.
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Final Thoughts
Piebald Dachshunds are great dog breeds to have at home. They look beautiful with their patched coats and have wonderful personalities. They have the qualities of a good pet as they portray qualities such as intelligence, loyalty, and affection.
However, before you carry a piebald Dachshund home, don’t just look at the beauty and the personality. It’s important to understand the dog's care needs as well.
Luckily, piebald Dachshunds aren’t too demanding in terms of care. You only need to brush them occasionally and keep them fit. However, they have some genetic illnesses, such as hearing and vision issues, that you must be aware of before adopting.
And since this breed is fairly common these days, make sure you find a reliable breeder, so you don’t end up with a dog with a variety of health issues. Also, take your dog for regular checkups to keep them healthy.
Get more expert advice on pet-parenting by visiting the Off Leash blog at TryFi.com.
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