Blue Dachshund: Your Essential Guide

If you love Dachshunds and are looking for a new family member, you have come to the right article. Many people prefer a particular breed but would like something unique about their new puppy. For wiener dog lovers, you can find that uniqueness in a Blue Dachshund.

No doubt, the silvery-blue coat colour, and pattern make the Blue weiner dogs very special.

In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about the Blue Dachshund: from the genetics behind its colour to its health, lifespan, and activity levels.

What is a Blue Dachshund?

The Blue Dachshund looks just like any standard or miniature dachshund, except it has a unique coat color. Dachshunds come in quite a few colors, with the most common colors being Black and Tan, Red and Chocolate and Tan.

Blue is a dilute colour in dogs, and it is a dilution of traditional black and tan colour. Blue dachshunds have a beautiful grey/blue colour with light tan points.

Don’t confuse Blue with an Isabella coat in dachshunds. Although they look similar, Isabella is a dilution of a chocolate colour.

A true Blue Dachshund will have no black anywhere on their body; even their paw pads are unique. When you look at a Blue Dachshund puppy, you will see a blue tint to their nose, nails, and paw pads to match their coat.

Blue Dachshund: Genetics

To understand how a Blue Dachshund gets its beautiful coat color, we have to look at their genetics.

All dog breeds carry 39 sets of chromosomes. The chromosomes you find in dogs are not that different than the ones you will find in a human. These long gene chains are what make your puppy unique.

Every Blue Dachshund will get one gene in the chromosome set from each parent. It is the way that these chains are put together that decides the coat type, color, and pattern your new little friend will have.

Coat

There are three coat types written into the genetics of dachshund, smooth, long, and wire coat. Today most breeders will not breed dogs with different coats.

They choose to keep a truer coat by only breeding two dogs of the same coat type. It means that the puppy will have two coat genes that are the same, such as smooth, smooth.

The many major breed registries stopped allowing dogs that were a cross of two different coats in 1977. There are still a few dogs from countries that have not banned the cross mating that can carry two separate coat length genes. It means you will have individuals that carry a gene pair that can read as smooth, wire, etc.

You can easily see if your new Blue Dachshund is a mixed coat carrier, or a true coat carrier by looking at their pedigree.

Colour

The genetics of coat colour in Dachshunds is far more complicated than coat type because there are so many different variations of colour in the breed today.

When exploring these colour genetics, it is essential to remember that coat colour and coat pattern while in the same wheelhouse, are two separate types of genetics.

The colour genes simply write the code for what colour coat your puppy will have. Genetically there are only six base colour coat genes carried by dachshunds.

What makes things more complicated is when the dilute gene is also carried. It is this dilute gene that creates a Blue Dachshund.

Pattern

The coat pattern genes will tell your Blue Dachshund’s coat what kind of design to have. Some patterns that are created by different genes include dapple and piebald. Solid coat patterns colours in Dachshunds are not very common; many countries don’t even have them.

Dilute colours were not commonly seen in Dachshunds until around 20-25 years ago when they gained popularity with owners. Dilutes such as the Blue Dachshund must have a pair of the recessive dilute gene to become the colour they are.

What is a Blue Dapple Dachshund?

A Blue Dapple Dachshund is another change in the genetic chains that will make a beautiful coat pattern. The Dapple coat pattern happens because of the merle gene.

The merle gene was not always popular within the dachshund breeding world. In fact, merle is a pattern that you will see more with Collies, Great Danes, and Australian Shepherds. However, in recent years this unique coat pattern has seen a spike in popularity, so it is becoming more common.

When a Blue Dachshund has the merle gene, you will see a coat pattern that has patches of darker and lighter colouring, looking like splashes of colour over the coat.

The merle gene can also cause blue eyes in dogs, a dachshund can have two blue eyes, or a blue eye and a brown eye, also known as bi-eye in dogs.

In order to have a true Blue Dapple Dachshund, your new puppy will need at least one parent that is a dapple.

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Double Dapple Blue Dachshund

You can also have a Double Dapple Blue Dachshund if both parents are dapple.

A double dapple is different because all dogs that are double dapple will have white markings within their coat pattern as well as the merle pattern. The most common stand out white markings on a double dapple will be white banding around the paws and neck.

However, this combination is rare because of the genetic health concerns associated with this pattern. For this reason, the double dapple pattern in dachshunds is not accepted by AKC.

Most breed experts advise against breeding two dapple dogs together, they also encourage potential buyers not to seek out the double dapple puppies.

The best way to help your dachshund live longer?
Watch our video to find out!

Blue Dachshund Lifespan

The Blue Dachshund is a generally healthy dachshund variety. You just have to ensure you get the annual vet checkup done on time and remain vigilant to any changes in your doxie.

In this case, you can expect your Blue dachshund to live 12-16 years.

Blue Dachshund Price

The price of your new Blue Dachshund will vary on your location and other factors, such as the reputation of the breeder and a puppy’s pedigree.

You can expect, on average, to pay $900-$2500 for your blue dachshund puppy.

Blue Dachshund Health

The Blue Dachshund is, in general, a healthy dog. If you make sure to sign your pet in for regular vet visits, feed it a good diet, and provide proper exercise, your Blue Dachshund will remain in a good health for a long time.

However, as with any breed of dog, some known health issues can happen with the Blue Dachshund as well.

The biggest health concern you must be on the lookout for with your Blue Dachshund is color dilution alopecia. This form of alopecia only happens within the dilute coat colors of the breed, and it is an inherited genetic condition.

There can be many different symptoms of the colour dilution alopecia; however, the main one is the thinning and loss of the hair.

You can also expect to see dermatitis, skin sensitivities, higher risk for skin infections, and higher risk for some types of skin cancer.

Color dilution alopecia is entirely treatable and kept under control if you work hand in hand with your vet as soon as you notice any symptoms.

While color dilution alopecia is the most common health issue you should look out for in a blue dachshund, it is not the only one. Other health issues include:

• Spinal problems (Intervertebral disk disease)
• Food allergies
• Acanthosis Nigricans
• Cushing’s Syndrome
• Eye problems
• Mast cell tumours
• Seizures
• Obesity

Above is a list of most common health issues, they might never occur in your Blue dachshund. However, they are possible complications you need to be aware of.

If you take your time and make sure you are getting your Blue Dachshund from a reputable breeder, you’ll be able to see health records. That due diligence, combined with regular vet care, is the best way to keep your weiner dog happy and healthy.

Exercise & Activity Requirements

The Blue Dachshund is a surprisingly active little dog and loves to get out with their human. When doing activities with your Blue Dachshund, you do need to be aware of a few limitations that these dogs have.

Due to having such a long back and short legs, weiner dogs are prone to spine issues.

One in every four dachshunds develops IVDD throughout their lives.

Therefore, you really should not allow your dog to go up or down any staircases. When it comes to furniture, they also really should not have access to jump up or down, as it can lead to complications.

Particular measures will help your little legged friend up and down from furniture without any worry about a back injury. For instance, you can buy a dog ramp or carry your doxie up and down the sofa or stairs.

Now when it comes to activities that blue dachshunds can do, you should look at spending at least one hour per day exercising your Blue dachshund.

Spending time with their family being active is not only good for your pup’s physical health but mental health as well. Many dachshunds enjoy running on flat ground, exploring wooded areas, and chasing toys.

They will almost always be happy to join in on any activity the family is doing, so make sure you don’t forget to let them play too!

To Sum Up

Now that you have all the information needed about the Blue Dachshund, you will be able to pick the perfect pup for your family.

Remember always to ask your breeder questions, and make sure they have health records they can show you as well. If you can visit the breeder personally before purchasing, you should. Not only will you see the parents of the puppy, but it will allow your family a chance to spend some time with your potential puppy before making any decision.

Take your time, and don’t feel pressured when it comes to picking the four-legged companion for your family. Do your research thoroughly. In the end, it will all be worth it when you take your Blue Dachshund puppy home!