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Again, please see the references page, the c/c/p index page, and the c/c/p alleles page for more information on the genetic studies behind the colors and patterns.
patterns
As patterns are carried on different genes in most cases, more than one pattern can (and almost always does) exist on or can be carried by a dachshund.
solid
A solid is pheomelanin (red, blush, or cream) or solid eumelanin (black, blue, chocolate, or isabella). Therefore, any color (red, blush, cream, black, blue, chocolate, or isabella) can be solid, covering the entirety of the body, lacking [at least visual] points.
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ASPS: | ay[ay/at] | [B/b][B/b] | [C/cch][C/cch] | [D/d][D/d] | E[E/e] | kk
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ESPS: | [ay/at][ay/at] | [B/b][B/b] | [C/cch][C/cch] | [D/d][D/d] | ee | [K/k][K/k]
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KSES: | [ay/at][ay/at] | [B/b][B/b] | [C/cch][C/cch] | [D/d][D/d] | E[E/e] | K[K/k]
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There are at least three solid patterns in dachshunds:
a-series pheomelanistic solid A.K.A. ASPS (ay)
- ASPS is dominant; one parent must show (or carry for, if ESPS) it in order to produce it.
- ASPSes are the most common type of solid-patterned dachshunds.
e-series pheomelanistic solid A.K.A. ESPS (e)
- ESPS is recessive; both parents must show or carry for it to produce it.
- When a dog of any color or pattern that carries recessive e ([E/e]e) is mated to another dog of any color or pattern that carries recessive e ([E/e]e), they can produce a recessive pheomelanistic dog (a dog with two recessive e alleles; "ee"). Thus, both parents must show or carry ESPS in order to produce it; it is recessive.
- The ESPS pattern will suppress the production of all eumelanin on the coat as well as the following patterns: points, ASPS, KSES, brindling, dappling, and masking. For instance, a dachshund could be a chocolate/red pointed ("chocolate-&-tan") or chocolate/red ASPS, but if it has two recessive e alleles making it an ESPS, its coat will be completely pheomelanistic (red, "tan"), and the only part of its body that can still show chocolate is its nose, lips, pads, etc.
- A way to tell whether a red, blush, cream, etc. is a non-dappled, non-grayed, ASPS or ESPS is to look at the whiskers; a non-dappled, non-grayed, ASPS should have eumelanistically-colored whiskers, but a non-dappled, non-grayed, ESPS should have pheomelanistically-colored whiskers.
- ESPS is not a very desired pattern in dachshunds for two reasons: because dapple also exists in the breed and because ESPS tends to suppress skin pigmentation as well in many individuals.
- Most pheomelanic (red, blush, cream) solid or semi-solid dachshunds are black-based, but many have a base of chocolate or of the dilute of either (blue or isabella). This eumelanistic color is seen on the nose, nails, eyeliner, lips, etc.
- Many ASPSes are eumelanistically shaded, but some are not shaded at all.
- Some ESPSes are pheomelanistically shaded, but some are not shaded at all.
- It is often difficult to tell whether a pheo (an ASPS or ESPS) is shaded in chocolate or isabella or whether it is shaded in pheomelanin. You can't necessarily tell by the nose, etc., which of the two it is.
- Dogs that are pheos that aren't shaded could be either ASPS or ESPS in pattern. ESPS will totally (usually) block or mostly (unusually) block every other pattern except double dappling, the parti patterns, and minus factors from showing.
- The majority of pheomelanistic (whether ASPS or ESPS) dachshunds with chocolate noses are unfortunately mistaken as dilute reds/blushes/creams.
k-series eumelanistic solid A.K.A. KSES (K)
- KSES is dominant; one parent must show (or carry for, if ESPS) KSES in order to produce it.
- There seem to be different varieties or expressions of KSESes. One type is the true solid, a completely solid eumelanin. Another type is phantom, or seal, which has pheomelanin highlights. And another type is the incomplete solid, which is genetically pointed but looks like a true solid from a distance, and in bright light or sunlight, you can see the points are really there; they simply blend in well, or are phantomy/sealish in color in comparison to the rest of the coat's color.
- KSES has been present in the breed from the beginning but was somewhat uncommon until recently.
points (at)
A pointed has a eumelanistic basecoat along with pheomelanin points, the points being on the eyebrows, the muzzle, the chest, the feet/legs, under the tail, and on some dogs, a little on the inner side of the ears.
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red-pointed: | atat | [B/b][B/b] | CC | D[D/d] | E[E/e] | kk
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blush-pointed: | atat | [B/b][B/b] | Ccch | D[D/d] | E[E/e] | kk
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cream-pointed: | atat | [B/b][B/b] | cchcch | D[D/d] | E[E/e] | kk
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- Both parents must show (or carry for, if ESPS) points in order to produce points; points can be carried.
- D-series dilution usually dilutes the points / lessen the contrast of the points to the base color.
- Pointed red (red/blush/cream) dachshunds are theoretically not possible (although there is something out there that can look it); if a dachshund is reddish, has points, and doesn't have a wolf pattern, it is chocolate/* pointed.
- Cream points are a light creamy color, and red (tan) points can range in color from light tan to rich copper to red to muddy red/tan.
- Cream- and dilute cream-pointed dachshunds often have larger pointed areas as compared to the same areas in red-pointed ("tan-pointed") dachshunds. The pictures at right show the common difference in the size/profuseness of points from a chocolate/red pointed on the top to a chocolate/blush pointed in the middle to a chocolate/cream pointed on the bottom.
- Points are called trim in some breeds and phantom in poodles.
shading (?; unknown)
Shading is an interspersion of darker hairs on the body, usually on the ears, down the back sometimes extending down the sides, and sometimes down the tail or ringing the tail.
- The lack of shading is called clear.
- An ESPS (whether red, blush, or cream) will not show eumelanistic shading if it is shaded; it may look clear, as no eumelanin can be produced on its coat, or it may be shaded in a darker pheomelanistic color.
- Shading is most easily seen on an ASPS dog, and it is also most easily seen when the ASPS's base color is black, as opposed to a base color of chocolate, blue, or isabella. Shading on a KSES phantom black can be seen, as it will be the only truly black part of the dog's coat, having no pheomelanistic interspersions of hair like the rest of the coat. Shading on a KSES chocolate or pointed chocolate is of a darker color of chocolate than is on the rest of the body. (It is possible, but doubtful, that these hairs are black.) Comments about the shading on other colors/patterns will have to wait, as I have yet to see it occur on others.
- For the first few weeks of a black-shaded ASPS (whether red, blush, or cream) dog's life, the shading may be so heavy that it can easily be mistaken for having a wolf pattern, but it will eventually lessen as the dog grows up and may even disappear altogether.
- The stripe of shading down the back is called the trace.
wolf (aw?; not known for certain)
A wolf pattern is a pattern in which some or all of the hairs on the body are banded in two or more distinct colors. The dog's self-color will be present at the tips of these hairs, and the inner band[s] will be [different colors of] pheomelanin.
- A shaded ASPS dog, otherwise known as red/blush/cream with shading (a eumelanistic pattern overlay), is often mistaken for having a wolf pattern by those who are not familiar with what a wolf pattern actually looks like. In most cases, one simply cannot tell from a picture whether a dog has a shading pattern or a wolf pattern.
- The placement or proliferation of wolf (banded) hairs is irrelevant; if the dog has more than a few banded hairs, it has a wolf pattern. It is a commonly-repeated myth that a sable or wild boar-patterned dog 'must look like a black-&-tan from a distance'. The truth is, a wolf-patterned dog may have banded hairs to any extent and in any configuration on its body, and the outer hair coloration absolutely does not have to be black (that color will be the base color of the dog). To repeat, in most cases, one simply cannot tell from a picture whether a dog has a shading pattern or a wolf pattern (or both).
- Wolf is known as agouti or wild-type in some other breeds, and it is known as sable in german shepherds.
sable
A sable has some or all hairs banded with two colors.
- One parent must show sable in order to produce it; it is dominant.
- Sable is rare and is only known to occur on longhairs.
wild boar
A wild boar has some or all hairs banded with either three or four colors.
- One parent must show wild boar in order to produce it; it is dominant.
- Wild boar is only known to occur on wirehairs and shorthairs.
brindling ([K/k]br)
A brindle has either a pheomelanistic basecoat with darker hairs making stripes over the body; OR, a pointed eumelanistic basecoat color with darker hairs making stripes over the points.
- One parent must show (or carry for, if ESPS) brindle in order to produce brindle; brindle is dominant.
- A brindle whose basecoat color visually predominates is called a brindle, whereas a brindle whose base color (basically, the color of the stripes) visually predominates is called a reverse brindle.
- Note that because of brindling, a red-pointed (or even diluted red-pointed) brindle puppy may be born looking like a non-red solid, and its points will become visible within a few weeks.
parti-coloring
Parti-color consists of three different patterns, all of which produce white on the body in different amounts and places. The opposite of parti-color is the dominant "self", non-pattern-white coloration (S).
- If the self-color allele is present (S, as in SS, Ssi, Ssp, or Ssw), then the dog may not show any parti-color pattern; all parti-colored patterns are typically recessive. However, parti-color alleles are incompletely recessive in some dogs, and a dog that carries for one (but not two) may look like a like it has one or more white mismarks up to the point of almost looking like a tuxedo.
- A dog can carry a maximum of two parti-colored patterns (si, sp, or sw), in any combination; i.e., sisp, spsw, and sisw are possible, along with the pure sisi, spsp, and swsw.
- A parti-colored dog that has another pattern other than a spotting pattern shows that other pattern on the colored areas, not on the white areas.
- A parti-color may have a butterfly or dudley nose.
- Parti-colors are almost non-existent in nature, as "standing out in a crowd" is not conducive to staying alive in the wild. (This is the reason why camouflaging mutations, such as brindling and dappling, came about.) Parti-colors have been bred for in domesticated animals because it was originally easier for people to distinguish their animals that way, and later it also became useful for hunters who wanted to be able to easily see their hunting dogs when hunting so they wouldn't accidentally shoot them instead of the prey.
tuxedo (si)
A tuxedo is solid or pointed that usually, but certainly not always, has a well-demarcated white chest, white collar, white feet, white tailtip, and oftentimes a white spot or line on the head.
- Tuxedo is called irish spotting, mantle, or boston in some breeds. It is a common pattern in basenjis, collies, and the greater swiss mountain dog.
- Both parents should show or carry tuxedo in order to produce a true tuxedo; tuxedo (si) is recessive.
- If both parents are tuxedo, all their offspring will be tuxedo.
- Tuxedo is probably the most uncommon of the three parti-color patterns.
piebald (sp)
A piebald is a solid or pointed that is roughly half self-colored and half white, with the white areas being well-demarcated from the colored areas. A piebald usually, but certainly not always, has a white chest, four white legs, white underbody, and white tailtip, among other areas.
- Piebald is called pie, pinto, or pattern white in some breeds. It is a common pattern in basset hounds, beagles, and cocker spaniels.
- Both parents must show or carry piebald in order to produce a true piebald (spsp); piebald (sp) is recessive.
- If both parents are piebald, all their offspring will be piebald.
- Piebald can be the cause of cochlear deafness, also called color deafness, when it occurs over the ear; the absence of pigment cells in the hairs of the inner ear results in a loss of sound transmission. (To date there have been no studies published that scientifically determine the frequency of this within the dachshund breed itself.)
- Piebald is not tricolor in the traditional sense of the term (as is seen in beagles, for instance); a traditional tricolor is defined as a pointed dog with a saddle (as), and saddling does not exist in dachshunds.
- It may be difficult, if not impossible, to visually tell the difference between a piebald (spsp) and a half-tuxedo/half-piebald (sisp).
extreme white (sw)
An extreme white is nearly all white (sometimes completely white), often with just part of the face, part of the ear(s), and/or an area, usually near the base of the tail, well-demarcated with its self-color.
- Extreme white is called white in some breeds. It is a pattern of white bull terriers and dalmations.
- Both parents must show or carry extreme white in order to produce a true extreme white; extreme white (sw) is recessive.
- If both parents are extreme white, all their offspring will be extreme white.
- Extreme white can be the cause of cochlear deafness, also called color deafness, when it occurs over the ear; the absence of pigment cells in the hairs of the inner ear results in a loss of sound transmission. (This type of deafness is commonly seen in dalmations, cocker spaniels, english setters, white bull terriers, etc. To date there have been no studies published that scientifically determine the frequency of this within the dachshund breed itself.)
- It may be difficult, if not impossible, to visually tell the difference between a piebald (spsp), a half-tuxedo/half-extreme white (sisw), or a half-piebald/half-extreme white (spsw).
spotting
Spotting occurs on the white area(s) of the body caused by parti-coloring. It is the occurrence of individual hairs or small- or medium-sized patches of hair to be the same color as it would have been had there been no white present in that area.
- A lack of any type of spotting is called plating.
- In many, perhaps most or even all cases, a side effect of plating causes all or parts of the footpads to be pink (totally lack pigment). Cherry's back feet, at left, demonstrate this. She has a base color of black and a self color of red, so her non-parti-colored hair is red, but her nose, nails, eyerims, and footpads are black. However, parts of her footpads lack pigment entirely, courtesy of her plating. This causes them look pinkish, because without pigmentation, you can see her blood showing through her skin.
- I have never seen spotting to occur on the white of double dapple dachshunds, although I have seen it occur on the white of double dapples of other breeds. I do not know whether this has been a coïncidence — whether all the double dapple dachshunds I have seen have happened to be plated, or whether there is another factor common to dachshunds (one that suppresses the expression of spotting when double dappling is present) that is not common to the other breeds I have seen double dappling in.
ticking (T)
Ticking is small, single-colored, self-colored spots on the white areas of the body.
- Ticking is called belton, flecking, or speckled in some breeds.
- Ticking does not become visible until a couple of weeks to a few months after birth.
- Both parents must show or carry (if not themselves parti-colored) one non-ticking allele (t) in order to produce parti-coloreds with no ticking (tt); ticking (T) is dominant.
roaning (R?; uncertain)
Roaning is self-colored splattering on the white areas of the body.
- Roaning is called belton in some breeds. (Note that belton is also in use in some breeds to denote ticking.)
- One parent must show or carry (if not themselves parti-colored) roan in order to produce roans; roaning is dominant. The allele causing roaning is not yet known.
- It is not known for certain if roaning is visible at birth or if it develops over a couple of weeks to a few months after birth.
- It can be impossible to tell a heavily-ticked dog from a roaned dog.
dappling (Mm)
A dapple is a solid or pointed with diluted, variegated spotting anywhere on the body.
- The dilution of dappled areas affects eumelanin more than pheomelanin, which is why dappling on some pheomelanistic dapples is often difficult or even impossible to see.
- One parent must be dapple in order to produce dapple; dapple (M) is dominant.
- If dappling occurs over the eyes or a part of the eye, the eyes or part of the eye will be blue. All or almost all dachshunds that have blue or partially blue eyes are dappled. (Like huskies and australian shepherds, there might be undappled dachshunds, though very rare, that have blue or partially blue eyes. See the "eye coloration" page for more information.)
- Dappling can be the cause of hearing and/or sight impairment. In one study, it was found that roughly 37% of dapple dachshunds are hearing-impaired to some degree. I do not know a figure for sight impairment.
- Any variety of dapple may have a butterfly or dudley nose.
- A "silver dapple dachshund" is somewhat of a misnomer; it can decribe just about any color of dachshund that is dappled. A dappled dachshund is either solid or pointed, and it is either red, blush, cream, black, blue, chocolate, or isabella. A few examples of perfectly clear descriptions would be 'red dapple', 'black-&-cream dapple', and 'isabella-&-red dapple'.
- Some people may mistake a non-d-diluted (red, cream, black, or chocolate) dapple for a d-diluted (blue or isabella) dapple if the dapple has a large amount of dappling on it. In the photo at left are three dapples: the top one is a red dapple, and the bottom two are chocolate-&-red dapples. Some may mistake the middle one as being an isabella-&-red dapple, simply because it has a large amount of dappling on it as compared to the bottom one.
- A dapple who has a large amount of dappling on it (a dapple that is noticeably more than roughly 50% dappled) may be referred to as a reverse dapple, but neither this overdappling nor is underdappling preferred; roughly 50% dappling is best.
- Dapple is called merle in other breeds, leopard in catahoulas, and tri-color in beaucerons.
double dapple (MM)
A double dapple is a solid or pointed with areas of white and areas of diluted, variegated spotting anywhere on the body.
- Double dapple is a result of two dapple alleles. One area of dappling (diluted pigment) that overlaps another area of dappling (diluted pigment) will create a white area (complete lack of pigment).
- The lack of pigment (caused by double dappling, harlequin and dappling, harlequin and double dappling, or even just dappling by itself) is related to nerve development. Double dapples may be partially or wholly blind and/or deaf (they can even be born without eyes), and they may have skeletal, cardiac, and reproductive abnormalities. In one study, it was found that roughly 55% of double dapple dachshunds are hearing-impaired or deaf. I do not know the figure for sight impairment or blindness.
- Further, half of all double dapples are thought to be in a lethal combination and result in spontaneous abortion. The ones that survive may be hearing impaired or deaf, sight impaired or blind or born without eyes,
- Both parents "must" show dapple in order to produce double dapple. However, it should be noted that there are some dappled dogs that only have a hint of dappling in a small area, and there are also cryptic dapples - those that show no indication of being dappled, whether because they are ESPS or for another reason.
- A double dapple and a non-dapple will only produce dapple offspring. Two double dapples will produce only double dapple offspring.
- It can sometimes be difficult to tell a double dapple from a dappled parti-color, and in those cases, seeing the parents (or perhaps the pedigree) is the only way to know for sure which of the two the dog is.
- I do not recall ever seeing a double dapple dachshund with ticking showing in its white areas, but I believe I have seen this in at least one other breed. If you have a picture of this occurring, please contact me!
possible dapple modifiers:
mottling (? Mm; unknown)
Mottling, as I call it, is pheomelanistic spotting (red ("tan") mottling, blush mottling, or cream mottling), meaning it is the lack of eumelanin production on random, clumped areas on the hair and probably also the skin, on an otherwise eumelanistic dog.
- Mottling only shows in the presence of dappling, and therefore it is a dapple modifier.
- Mottling may or may not be the same as patchwork; the apparent differences are that it is pheomelanic instead of eumelanic and that I have only seen it occur on pointeds (which may be that the at alleles play a part in the production/expression of the pattern).
- Grendel, at right, demonstrates red mottling on a chocolate/red pointed dapple. You can see some patches of red hairs mixed in the chocolate on her shoulder and around her neck, as well as spots of red on other parts of her body.
- Please note that mottling does not make a dapple any more or less "special" than any other dapple.
- Mottling is also found in australian shepherds, catahoulas, and possibly koolies. It is called running copper in australian shepherds (only red, not cream, is present in aussies).
patchwork (? Mm; unknown)
Patchwork, as I call it, creates one or more extra shades of eumelanin, not counting the diluted (dappled) base and pheomelanistic points, if any.
- Patchwork may occur in splotches mottled into the "normal" dapple coat color or it may occur in larger, more well-defined patches.
- Patchwork only shows in the presence of dappling, and therefore it is a dapple modifier.
- One parent must show (if dapple) or carry (if not dapple) for patchwork in order to produce patchwork.
- Please note that patchwork does not make a dapple any more or less "special" than any other dapple.
- Tweed, assuming it is the same pattern (it probably is not), is found in australian shepherds, catahoulas, great danes, and koolies, but it is called patchwork in a general sense in catahoulas.
whitening (? Mm; unknown)
Whitening, as I call it, creates white splotches along with the normal dapple pattern.
- Whitening (assuming it exists as a separate entity from minus factors) only shows in the presence of dappling, and therefore it would be a dapple modifier.
- Please note that whitening would not make a dapple any more "special" than any other dapple and in fact in some cases might produce some of the more significant issues that are typically associated with double dapples.
harlequin (Hh? Mm; uncertain)
Harlequin turns white the dilute areas caused by dappling.
- Harlequin only shows in the presence of dappling, and therefore it is a dapple modifier.
- One parent must show (if dapple) or carry (if not dapple) for harlequin in order to produce harlequin.
- On a few harlequins, the dappling shows, but on most the dappling does not, making the dog look like a multi-colored, ragged-edged parti-color.
- Dogs that are dapple or double dapple cannot be homozygous for harlequin (HH MM), as this combination is lethal and will result in spontaneous abortion. Double dapple harlequins (Hh MM) are lethal roughly 50% of the time.
- Please note that harlequin does not make a dapple any more "special" than any other dapple and in fact in some cases might produce some of the more significant issues that are typically associated with double dapples.
- Harlequin is also found in the great dane breed and may be found in the australian shepherd and catahoula breeds. In aussies and danes, it looks to often be accompanied by the tuxedo pattern. Harlequin is only thought to occur in one line of dachshunds. Assuredly, the vast majority of dapples that have white on them are not harlequins; these dapples either are double dapples, have a whitening modifier, or else are dapple parti mixes.
- Research to find the gene for harlequin is currently being conducted by Texas A&M.
masking ([E/e]m)
Melanistic mask is a blanket of eumelanin covering the muzzle.
- One parent must show (or carry for, if ESPS) masking in order to produce masking; masking is dominant.
- Masking is extremely rare in hunting dog breeds, but it is common in afghans, french bulldogs, great danes, greyhounds, and whippets.
other pigmentation factors
minus factor (?; unknown)
A minus factor is an area of white (lack of both eumelanin and pheomelanin) on the body that is not caused by a parti-color.
- A solid or pointed, non-parti-colored or non-parti-color-carrying dachshund with white on its chest or another area, such as the head or the foot, is what is known as a mismarked white; it has what is known as a genetic minus factor or minus modifier that cause the lack of both pheomelanin and eumelanin pigmentation, and this is not related to the parti-colored, [double] dapple, or dapple modifier alleles.
- Minus factors generally occur on the chest, head, or feet. They can be any size, ranging from a small spot of white to a large patch covering, for instance, the whole chest. Many pit bulls have a large minus-factored area on their chests, whereas many labrador retrievers have a small minus-factored area on their chests, and some labs may have a small minus-factored area, called a bolo, on the bottoms of one or more of their feet.
- A dog can have more than one minus factor.
- Minus factors can be present on a parti-colored. When this is the case, the white areas will usually extend farther than they otherwise would.
- The easiest way to tell a minus-factored dog from a parti-colored dog is to check the tail; a parti-colored typically has a white tailtip, and a minus-factored typically does not.
- Some dachshund lines carry for minus factors, and some do not. (I have not seen enough examples in enough families of dogs to make an educated guess as to whether minus factors are dominant, recessive, or polygenic.)
- Minus factors, especially in the form of a spot on the chest, used to be extremely common in dachshunds.
mosaic (unknown)
A mosaic has one or more patches of one color on an otherwise "normal"-looking background color[/pattern]. This includes patch(es) of one pheomelanin color on a eumelanistic base, patch(es) of one eumelanin color on a pheomelanistic base, or patch(es) of one diluted eumelanin color on a eumelanistic base.
- Mosiacs are thought to be harmless genetic flukes that cause color (or other) information to be lost. They can be caused by one of two events: 1) One allele on a series mutates into a different allele on the same series (theoretically one it otherwise carries) on one or more sections of the body. 2) Two different germ cells (either two sperm cells or two egg cells) merged before conception, meaning the dog is genetically two different dogs. This is called a chimera (pronounced "KIH-meh-ruh"). Chimeric individuals can occur in any mammal species, including humans, although they are rare.
- A mosaic spot is not reproduceable unless it occurs in the germ cells (eggs or sperm) of a sexually-mature dog.
absent patterns
The following patterns have never been known to occur in dachshunds:
- saddling (as) Saddling is a blanket of eumelanin on the back.
Saddling commonly occurs in beagles and basset hounds.
- a-series eumelanistic solid A.K.A. ASES (a)
Recessive eumelanistic solid is common in american eskimos, pulis, german shepherds, samoyeds, schipperkes, and shetland sheepdogs. It is possible it or a recessive solid eumelanistic pattern like it exists in dachshunds.
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ASES: | aa | [B/b][B/b] | [C/cch][C/cch] | [D/d][D/d] | E[E/e] | kk
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If you know of either of these patterns occuring in a dachshund, please contact me! I would like to see pictures! And, if I may use them on this website, please let me know.
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