Mary Allen
What is a Tiger Dachshund?
The tiger dachshund is a breed of a dachshund that is particularly noticeable for its patterned coat colors. The color of the fur is caused by the merle gene.
The Tiger Dachshund: a Specialty Within the Dachshund Family
The tiger dachshund is basically a very old color variation of the fur, which appeared in the documents of the German dachshund club as early as the end of the 19th century.
Each tiger lid is unique, as it has very individual characteristics in its drawing. In Germany, this form is currently not bred very much.
The tiger dachshund (tiger dachshund) has particularly noticeable fur. In addition, it cannot be said of the tiger dachshund whether the coat pattern will change in the course of life.
A light coat in puppyhood can turn darker the older the animal gets. A special feature is that the tiger dachshund can have blue eyes.
Tiger Dachshunds Must Not Be Mated!
Another biological or genetic peculiarity is that tiger dachshunds may not be mated.
Such a mating would result in so-called double tigers (double dapple), which as a rule have very serious health problems.
In addition to a lower life expectancy, blindness, deafness, chronic pain, and sometimes severe disfigurements are part of the appearance.
Stillbirths are not infrequently the result of this ‘forbidden’ tiger dachshund mating.
Since When Are There Tiger Dachshunds?
Elongated body, short legs, long snout, and floppy ears: the physical characteristics are those of a dachshund and yet – the color scheme of this breed representative is anything but typical. Many believe that the spotted tiger dachshund is a fad. A new breed to offer dog lovers with unusual tastes a new creation.
But far from it. Color drawing has been around for a very long time. The tiger dachshund was first mentioned at the end of the 18th century. But this color is probably even older.
When the Deutsche Teckelclub e.V. was founded in 1888, one of the founding fathers (Emil Ilgner) had a tiger dachshund himself. This color has also always been entered in the club’s records. The tiger dachshund is therefore not an invention of modern times.
Where Does the Name Tiger Dachshund Come From?
This may always remain a mystery. Because the color of the tiger dachshund can have plates, spots, spots, stinging, and all sorts of shades, but stripes are not found in the tiger dachshund. Nevertheless, this term has been used by Dachshund breeders for years and friends of the breed also know what to think of under the name.
How Does This Extraordinary Coat Color Come About?
As always, the genes are to blame. If two dachshunds are paired together, the genes decide which traits are revealed in the offspring. This also includes the coat color.
The marbling of the fur in a tiger dachshund is caused by the merle gene. This ensures that the basic colors black, brown, or red are brightened. Sometimes called the Merle factor, it describes the mutation of a chromosome in the dog’s DNA.
The mutation not only affects the fur but can also spread to the color of the eyes or internal organs. Sometimes tiger dachshunds have so-called glass eyes or the iris is colored blue or white. Either only partially or even completely. However, this does not affect the dog. With the exception of the tiger dachshund, glass eyes and the like are absolutely undesirable with other dachshund variants.
Each tiger lid is unique, as it has very individual characteristics in its drawing. In Germany, this form is currently not bred very much.
The tiger dachshund (tiger dachshund) has particularly noticeable fur. In addition, it cannot be said of the tiger dachshund whether the coat pattern will change in the course of life.
A light coat in puppyhood can turn darker the older the animal gets.
The Merle Gene
If we now designate the merle gene of the tiger dachshund with “M” and the monochrome gene of all other dachshunds with “m”, the following possibilities arise for the offspring, depending on the mating:
- m / m = no Merle factor (it is not a tiger dachshund);
- M / m = mixed mix (merle-colored tiger dachshund);
- M / M = true to breed (double merle, these tiger dachshunds, also called white tigers, are predominantly white in color and often have health problems).
To avoid double merle, it is not allowed to breed two tiger dachshunds together!
Let’s take a closer look at the possible matings between two parents:
- Both parents are dachshunds with m / m and m / m
All offspring of these dogs are 100% m / m too. They are of normal color and there is no tiger dachshunds among them. - One dachshund is m / m and the other is a tiger dachshund with m / m
Such matings are allowed. The offspring are either tiger dachshunds M / m or normal dachshunds m / m. The probability is 50:50. - A dachshund m / m and a white tiger with a Merle factor M / M
Since there shouldn’t be dogs with double merle at all (tiger-tiger mating is prohibited by law), white dachshunds may not be bred any further. Many white tigers are sterile anyway. - Mating of two tiger dachshunds with M / m and M / m
Prohibited mating! From a purely mathematical point of view, 50% of the offspring would be born as tiger dachshunds M / m, 25% as normal dachshunds, and 25% of the offspring would be undesirable white tigers M / M (double merle). - Tiger dachshund M / m and white tiger M / M -> Prohibited mating! Tiger dachshunds are not allowed to be mated with each other.
- Mating of two white tigers with M / M and M / M -> absolutely forbidden mating! In turn, all puppies would be born as white tigers M / M. However, white tigers are often sterile anyway.
Which Tiger Dachshunds Are There?
Depending on the basic color, there are different tiger dachshunds.
On the one hand, there are the black tigers. Here there are black spots and spots on a gray background and with brown markings. Large plates are not desired. The nose is black. These dachshunds are also known as dark tigers. The basic color can have various shades from white-gray to black-gray.
There are also the brown and red tigers. Here the spots and spots are brown or red on a light gray background and there are also badges. The nose is brown. Here, too, large panels are not desirable.
Risks in Breeding Tiger Dachshunds
There are tiger dachshunds that don’t necessarily show the merle gene. This is especially true for those with a red base color. Sometimes they are not even recognizable as a tiger, but rather go through as red.
This can represent a considerable risk in dachshund breeding, because tiger dachshunds may not be mated with one another, as this can (but does not necessarily have to be) serious health problems for the puppies.
If there are matings as described under 4 and 5, there is a risk for puppies with double merle. Whether and how many puppies would actually be white tigers in such a litter cannot be foreseen. In practice, all or none of the puppies could be affected. Nevertheless, the risk must not be taken. When two white tigers are mated (see No. 6), there are always offspring with double merle.
That is why the mating of two tiger dachshunds is strictly forbidden in the DTK 1888 e.V. This is also anchored in the Animal Welfare Act and applies to other breeds with Merle as well.
Every dachshund that is to be mated with a tiger dachshund must also be tested for the allele “M” beforehand (genetic proof of parentage). This is to prevent an “invisible” tiger dachshund from being crossed with another tiger dachshund.
As a result, tiger dachshund breeding is associated with more responsibility, more effort, and more costs. A tiger dachshund puppy can therefore have a higher purchase price than a monochrome dachshund.
What Problems Can White Tigers Experience?
While the black, red, and brown tigers (M / m) do not have an increased disease risk for visual impairment or deafness, the situation is unfortunately different with the white dachshunds with double merle (M / M).
Miscarriages and stillbirths occur more frequently here, or the puppies die shortly after birth. In addition, malformations of the sense organs are more likely and the dogs can be deaf or blind. Mental illnesses are also possible. In addition, dachshunds with double merle usually don’t get that old.
Sometimes dog owners only realize after a delay that something is wrong with their animals and ask themselves, for example, why their four-legged friend is so difficult to train. That he sees badly or hardly hears, many do not think about it at first. That is why you should definitely refrain from buying the exotic-looking white tigers.
The dogs with double merle can be recognized by a large amount of white in their fur (not to be confused with the Piebald Dachshund) and a lack of pigmentation.
Beware of Dachshunds in the Colors: Blue and Isabella
With these colors, the dogs are carriers of the dilute gene. While many dogs that carry this gene are healthy, there is an increased risk of various diseases.
Problems these dogs may struggle with include:
- Dry skin
- Flaking
- Eczema
- Hair loss
- Itching
- Immunodeficiency
- Kidney problems
- Liver problems
- Decreased life expectancy
All of these symptoms can only be alleviated, but never cured because it is a genetic defect. This cannot be corrected. Affected dachshunds suffer from it for life.
These skin and fur diseases are summarized under the term CDA. CDA stands for Color Delution Alopecia. Not all dogs with this coat color will develop CDA, but the risk is increased and cannot be assessed when purchasing the puppy. The first symptoms usually only appear after a few years.
Anyone who is thinking of getting such an exotic product should therefore think about whether they actually want their dog to suffer lifelong torture just because the color blue or isabella is chic.