Last Updated on July 24, 2022 by Cristina
Here’s one dachshund color that’s very difficult to find – what is the chocolate based cream dachshund and how to tell it apart from other Doxies? This can sound like a silly question as most of us have probably seen a chocolate based Doxie with a cream-like secondary color before. The issue, however, is that distinguishing a chocolate based cream dachshund from the much more common chocolate and tan dachshund can be pretty tricky. So, here’s what you might want to know about it.
What Is A Chocolate Based Cream Dachshund Exactly?
To fully unravel what makes chocolate/cream dachshunds special, let’s look at their two colors – chocolate and cream – separately.
What Gives A Dachshund Its Cream Color?
The cream color in dachshunds looks quite a bit like the common tan dachshund color but with a lighter and more creamy note to it. The difference between the two isn’t just a matter of tones but is deeply rooted in genetics.
Both tan and cream are variations of the red base color of dachshunds – one of the only two base colors dachshunds have together with black. However, cream is a further variation of tan as it also includes the presence of the so-called “Chinchilla gene” – an intensity color allele that’s recessive and quite rare.
The fact that this “cream gene” is recessive means a couple of things – 1) that dogs can carry it even if they don’t exhibit a cream color and 2) that both parents must have that gene for there to be even a small chance that some of their pups will have a cream color in their coats.
So, as you’d imagine, dachshunds with cream coats are much rarer than dachshunds with tan colors. What’s key, however, is that when the cream or tan colors are just parts of a bi-color coat with another base, distinguishing between tan and cream can be tricky.
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How About The Chocolate Part Of This Dachshund’s Coat?
Chocolate, in dachshunds, is essentially a diluted variation of the base black color – similar to how tan/cream are variations of red. So, a chocolate/cream Doxie is very similar visually and genetically to a black/tan dachshund, just lighter and much less common.
If you’re wondering about the exact genetic make-up of a chocolate based cream dachshund, compared to black and tan dachshunds, here’s a good breakdown.
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As genetic alleles or loci in dogs are signified by couples of capitalized and small letters, genetically a chocolate cream dachshund looks like this – “bb atat Ii DD EE mm kk”. If this looks weird, just remember that capitalized letters signify dominant genes and small letters mean recessive genes.
So, the “bb” means a chocolate base, the “atat” stands for tan markings, and the “li” is the intensity gene that turns tan into cream. The rest simply mean an absence of other coat patterns – “DD” means no dilution (so the dog is brown and not Isabella), “EE” means no recessive red, “mm” means no dapple, and “kk” means no brindle or black coloring.
How Can You Tell A Chocolate Based Cream Dachshund Apart From A Chocolate And Tan Dachshund?
If you try to compare a chocolate/tan dachshund with a chocolate/cream one you might be able to tell the tonal difference between the two. It is close, however, so, in most cases, you’d need a genetic test to be sure which is which.
How Expensive Is A Chocolate Based Cream Dachshund Puppy?
A chocolate/cream dachshund won’t be as expensive as a clean English Cream dachshund but it will still be north of $1,000 in most cases, often above $1,500 and $2,000 too. This can sound daunting at first but beware of overly affordable puppies as they may have been bred by puppy mills and with no regard for health, inbreeding, and hereditarily passed diseases.
Should You Get A Chocolate Based Cream Dachshund?
If you want, there’s no reason not to. When bred by reputable and responsible breeders, these dogs are as healthy as any other dachshund and just as much fun. The initial price can cause many people to pause but if you can afford it, a chocolate based cream dachshund can be as good of a pet as it’s gorgeous.
FAQ’s
What does EE Cream mean in Dachshunds?
EE Cream Dachshunds are also known as “Clean Cream” or “English Cream” dachshunds. In essence, these are the most highly valued cream Doxies as they have a consistent light cream color throughout their coats with no darker or other colors. This value estimation is entirely subjective, of course, as other cream variants such as the Irish cream (with a silvery-white belly) or the chocolate cream are equally rare and gorgeous. The EE cream is just viewed as the most valuable because breeders, kennel clubs, and many pet owners just subjectively value the “cleanness” of a light single-color cream coat.
What is a chocolate-based red Dachshund?
As the name suggests, a chocolate based red Doxie has a bi-color coat with chocolate being the base and a few small reddish spots complementing it. These spots are usually on the muzzle, belly, and paws with some small extras here and there. In essence, this color combination is very similar to other dachshund bi-color coats such as the common black and tan. Only here the black is diluted into chocolate whereas the tan is instead a rich red.
Are chocolate Dachshunds rare?
Solid chocolate dachshunds are indeed very rare – more so than many bi-color dachshund coat variations that include a chocolate base. This can seem counter-intuitive at first but it’s logical because for a dachshund to have a solid chocolate color it also needs to have a very precise combination of genes that prevents the occurrence of a secondary red-based color such as red, tan, or cream. That’s why both solid chocolate and solid black dachshunds are incredibly rare while other dog breeds can easily come in those solid colors.
How much is a cream Dachshund?
A purebred clean English Cream dachshund puppy is a very expensive pet. Such pups will rarely cost less than $2,000 and often go above $2,500 too. In fact, if you find an “English Cream” pup for a smaller sum you should be extra wary of the pup’s health and hereditary status.
Other cream variations such as bi-color creams can be more affordable even when purebred but will also almost always be north of $1,000 or $1,500.
Jordan is an animal–lover who specializes in dachshunds. He has owned and cared for dachshunds since he was a child, and his passion for these unique dogs has only grown with time. Jordan is an avid researcher and learner, and spends a large portion of his free time studying the history, behaviour, and health of dachshunds. He has a knack for training and socializing his own dogs, and loves introducing them to new experiences. When not caring for his own pets, Jordan likes to volunteer at local animal rescue shelters, helping to find homes for abandoned dachshunds. He is a true animal advocate, and dedicates his time to ensure that all animals receive the love, respect, and care they deserve.
