Dachshunds are awesome. Cream dachshunds – even more so. But what exactly is the Irish Cream miniature dachshund? Is this a variation of the famous English Cream dachshunds or is it something entirely different? Here we’ll cover everything major you need to know about the Irish Cream miniature dachshund such as its genetics, health, and price.
What Is An Irish Cream Miniature Dachshund?
The Irish Cream dachshund, be it miniature or standard, is a long-haired dachshund with a soft creamy color and a white belly. This cute look is achieved thanks to the special and recessive “dilute” gene these dogs carry.
Essentially, it’s a gene that causes the dog’s coat color to be more diluted than it would be otherwise. So, a chocolate dog with the dilute gene becomes fawn (or Isabella) in color, a black dog becomes charcoal or silver, and so on. In this case, a red dachshund with the dilute gene gets a creamy color instead.
This sounds simple enough and there do seem to be a lot of dog coat colors that are based on such a dilute gene. So, what’s so special about the cream dachshund? Aside from its cute looks, the other part of it is that the gene is recessive, ergo – these dogs are quite rare. This not only makes them harder to find but also drives up their perceived value and prices.
What about the white belly, however? Well, it’s just that – a white belly and a feature of this coat type. It’s not a direct consequence of the dilute gene but it does set the Irish Cream miniature dachshund from the English Cream variation of this dog.
How Does The Irish Cream Miniature Dachshund Compare To English Cream Dachshunds?
Simply put, the English Cream is a solid full-body cream color while the Irish Cream has a white belly. And that’s about it. Both would have been red dachshunds if it wasn’t for the same recessive dilute gene they share, only the Irish variant would have been a red dachshund with a white belly whereas the English type would have been fully red – the most common color type for long-haired dachshunds.
Interestingly, the English Cream – also known as a Clean Cream because of its full-body single color – is more highly valued than the Irish Cream. That’s not because it’s rarer or more special in any way – breeders and experts just subjectively value the full-body single color because they’ve decided it’s more aesthetically pleasing and desirable.
So, if a white-bellied Irish Cream miniature dachshund looks better to you – excellent, go for it!
How Do The English Or Irish Cream Miniature Dachshund Compare To The American Cream Dachshund?
A third type you may have heard of is the American Cream. This coat color tends to have a bit darker and reddish creamy color that also looks pretty cool but is distinctly different. What’s key here, however, is that the American Cream’s color is not due to the same recessive dilute gene as that of the two British variants.
Instead, it’s an entirely separate genetic mutation. So, even though it looks similar and shares the “Cream” monicker, it’s a different coat type altogether. And, because it’s not as rare, the American Cream is not as highly-valued and pricy either.
Learn more about: When Do Long Haired Dachshunds Hair Grow?
Is The Irish Cream Miniature Dachshund Expensive and Is It Worth It?
This coat type is pretty expensive, yes, especially on a miniature Doxie. Standard Irish Cream dachshunds tend to be sold for somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500 on average. And these numbers get higher for miniature dachshunds as these are typically more expensive than standard dachshunds. The reason for that is simply that mini Doxies are more sought-after. Additionally, because of their slightly smaller litter sizes, there are fewer of them to go around.
So, overall, if you want to get a healthy and purebred Irish Cream miniature dachshund, you can expect to have to pay somewhere around $2,500 or more. Whether that’s worth it or not depends on your preferences and pocket depth. If you find a more affordable puppy then one of the following is likely true:
- The dog isn’t actually purebred
- You’re shopping from a puppy mill, a pet store, or a disreputable breeder and you’re getting an improperly bred puppy
- You are really lucky
Does The Irish Cream Miniature Dachshund Have Any Extra Health Problems Compared To Other Dachshunds?
Miniature dachshunds aren’t any more sickly than standard dachshunds, provided that they are bred adequately and according to standards. However, does the cream color affect the dog’s health?
It does. All diluted colors such as cream, gray/blue, fawn/Isabella, and so on come with the risk of developing Color Dilution Alopecia. This is a mild condition that can’t be cured but is treatable and can be kept in check. It simply consists of some hair loss and patching skin if you don’t care for it with the right hair care products.
Overall CDA is considered a harmless and manageable condition in dogs. There are no other major health risks with cream dachshunds, provided that they’ve been bred right and you’ve been given a health certificate for the dog.
Read more about: What Is The English Cream Dachshund Price And Is This Dog Worth It?
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