Marble dachshund: color features, character and content

This amazing marbled dachshund dog is a very active, friendly and affectionate pet that quickly becomes a loyal and devoted friend of every family member. It is great for keeping in an apartment, for large families with children, it is distinguished by its curiosity and calm character.

To date, there is only a hypothesis about the origin of this breed. The assumption is based on the found ancient Egyptian images of short dogs with a long body and short legs. These papyri are about 2000 years old. The long-standing progenitor of the breed is considered to be undersized hounds, as well as terriers, so dachshunds have excellent hunting skills, a sharp canine scent and intelligence.

Dachshunds were mentioned at the beginning of the 18th century. The first representatives of this breed were larger than modern ones and weighed about 18 kg. The size of the newly hatched individuals gradually decreased, which allowed the dogs to hunt small animals. The oldest representative of the breed is the short-haired dachshund.It was bred in the 17th century as a result of crossing short hounds and pinschers.

Long-haired breeds appeared in the 17th century. Their ancestors are smooth-haired dachshunds and spaniels. In 1879, the breed standard was designated.

Several types of dachshunds are known in nature:

• short-haired;
• long-haired;
• wire-haired.

By size, dogs are divided into 3 types:

• standard (height at the withers up to 25 cm);
• miniature (dwarf);
• rabbit (small, height up to 15 cm).

In addition, the breed standard allows for several types of color:

• plain;
• two-color;
• brindle;
• marble.

Brown and tan coloration is also common. These dachshunds have a brown nose instead of the usual black. Sometimes animals have white spots. If they are small and there are few of them, then this is not considered a marriage in the breed. Tiger-colored dachshunds are not common, but their appearance is worthy of attention. Its peculiarity lies in the presence of dark stripes on a red background.

Among the wire-haired breeds, there are also boar-colored dogs (brown with light tan), absolutely black, gray-blue, beige-brown and others. These colors are not considered a breed standard, but are perfectly acceptable. The most unusual of all varieties is the marbled dachshund, which has an unusual coat color. This breed is a rare decorative species.

Individuals of the marble breed are characterized by an elongated head narrowed to the nose with a sloping forehead. The ears hang down to the center of the cheekbones. The body in dogs is long with a strong skeleton and developed muscle mass. The neck goes into a straight back, the stomach is tucked up. Feet are short but strong and well-defined.

Thickened saber tail. The average weight of a marble dachshund, depending on the variety, is from 3.5 (rabbit) to 9 kg (standard). Like all types of breeds, marbled ones differ in the types of wool:

• wire-haired dachshund has a short, hard coat, which forms a pronounced beard, mustache and eyebrows on the pet's face;
• long-haired the variety has short, smooth hair on the face and head, and on the body, legs, tail and ears it is longer, slightly curly;
• in smooth-haired marble dachshund the pile is very short, soft and adheres to the body.

The main feature of the breed is the color of its coat: on a dark background, there are chaotic spots of a lighter color, evenly distributed throughout the body. The location of spots on a dog's body is strictly individual and is not repeated in other individuals of the same species.

Very often in the litter of marbled dogs, puppies are born with blue eyes. This is due to a gene mutation. And there are also odd-eyed dachshunds, in which one eye is blue and the other brown. The blue-eyed marble dachshund is highly decorative. The coat of such a dog almost always has a black-red color with a gray tint, a dark marble or coffee-marble shade is highly valued. Light brown or gray patches distributed over the body have different outlines.

When choosing a marble dachshund, you should definitely pay attention to bright contrasting shades of wool. As puppies grow older, the color of the spots may change. The lighter ones will become smaller, darker and brighter. If the base color is dark, the number of spots may be reduced. That's why it is better to choose a puppy with a large number of them.

The first time in the new house, the little marble puppy will need a lot of attention.It is imperative to explain to all family members, especially children, that the puppy is small, weak, and needs peace and quiet. In order not to injure the baby, he must be carefully picked up, not lifted by the paws. It is recommended for young children at first to completely prohibit carrying the puppy in their arms in order to avoid falling.

By nature, marble dachshunds are friendly, affectionate, quick-witted. They are mobile and hardy. Dogs are strongly attached to their owner, they catch his mood by the intonation of his voice. Pets require a lot of attention and care.

Of the negative qualities of character, it can be noted rancor.

For breeding marble colored puppies a prerequisite is that one of the crossed individuals has a standard color. The gene for marbled dachshunds dominates the genes of other species, which provides marbled offspring. Unfortunately, the breeding of the marble breed has its own risks. It is associated with a mutation in the marbling gene, which can negatively affect the organs of sight and hearing of the animal.

For this reason, it is not recommended to cross marble individuals with each other.... At best, puppies will acquire a double dose of marbling (double merle), but such experiments are fraught with weakened health in the offspring and the appearance of albino puppies.

For a favorable existence of the marble dachshund at home, it is necessary to give it due attention and care. Caring for a pet is not particularly burdensome, but it should include the following mandatory activities:

• preventive examination and vaccination in order to detect and prevent diseases;
• daily walks in the fresh air;
• regular hygiene procedures (cleaning the ears, eyes, nose, teeth, trimming the nails), bathing at least once every 1-2 months;
• daily combing of wool with a special comb or brush;
• balanced nutrition 2 times a day (dry specialized mixtures, meat, cereals, fish);
• it is necessary to monitor the weight of the dog, to prevent obesity, as it adversely affects its health.

In the most comfortable conditions, the marble dachshund can live on average 15 years. Representatives of the breed are in good health and rarely get sick.

For lovers of unique dogs, the marbled dachshund is an ideal option, although it differs from other representatives of the breed only in its peculiar shades of wool. A large number of dog breeders speak well of marbled dachshunds. The positive traits of dogs include:

• friendliness;
• independence;
• bravery;
• playfulness;
• devotion;
• resourcefulness;
• as well as simple conditions of detention.

With a significant number of positive aspects, there are some negative factors:

• hereditary genetic diseases;
• difficulty in training;
• stubborn, headstrong and touchy disposition;
• it is worth noting the considerable cost of thoroughbred puppies.

Considering the attractive appearance and peculiar character of the marbled dachshund, these animals are definitely worthy of attention. A cheerful and energetic pet in any family will create a cheerful atmosphere, become a loyal and reliable four-legged friend.

You can get a closer look at the marble dachshund in the next video.