Eumelanistic Colors

Black (BB or Bb) Black is black. The Nose, nails, eye rims, and lips are black, and eyes are dark brown. Two blacks can only produce blacks, unless they both carry for chocolate, in which case they can produce chocolates, both carry for dilute, in which case they can produce greys, or both carry for chocolate and dilute, in which case they can produce chocolates, isabellas, and greys.

Chocolate (bb) Chocolate is usually close to a milk chocolate in color but can be a lighter or darker chocolate. Nose, nails, and lips are brown, and eyes are brown, tan, or green. Two chocolates can only produce chocolates, unless both carry for d-series dilute, in which case they can produce isabellas.

Isabella (bb dd) Isabella is diluted chocolate. Nose, nails, and lips are chocolate and eyes are gray-green, tan, or light hazel. Color dilution alopecia occurs in many isabella dachshunds. Two isabellas can only produce isabellas.

Blue (BB dd or Bb dd) blue is diluted black. It is a slate grey color, sometimes with a slight bluish tint to it. Nose, nails, and lips are grey with a bluish tint, and eyes are grey or hazel. Two blues can only produce blues, unless both carry for chocolate, in which case they can produce isabellas.

Pheomelanistic Colors

The C group affects concentration of pheomelanin. It encompasses the following alleles: C, cb (blue-eyed dilution), cch (chinchilla dilution), ce (extreme dilution), c (albino dilution). In the C group dilution only visually affects pheomelanin, not eumelanin.

Chinchilla causes dilution of red (phaeomelanin) pigment to a lighter shade of tan or yellow. Extreme chinchilla causes more dilution, usually to cream or light yellow.

Red (CC) A red can be any shade of red, orange, brown, tan, or beige. Nose, nails, and lips are black (if BB or Bb) or brown (if bb), and eyes are dark brown, brown, or tan. Red is often called tan when it occurs in conjunction with points.

Cream (cchcch) Cream is creamy-colored. Nose, nails, and lips are black (if BBor Bb) or brown (if bb), and eyes are dark brown or brown. A cream should have no reddish tint to its coat. - Cream is caused by what is known as chinchilla dilution (ch) on both C alleles, a type of dilution which affects pheomelanin but not eumelanin; therefore, two chinchilla-diluted C alleles will turn a red base coat into cream or turn red points on a pointed dog into cream. An "English cream" is a cream dog that was born in England. What some people call an "American cream" is a extreme dilution of red, also called "ee" red.

Dilution

The D group alleles affects concentration/depth of eumelanin and pheomelanin. It encompasses the following alleles: D (full concentration of pheomelanin/eumelanin), d (dilution of pheomelanin/eumelanin). D group alleles dilution affects eumelanin to a great extent than pheomelanin.

The dilution gene occurs on the D locus. It is recessive, so d is dilute and D is non-dilute, and in order for a dog to be dilute it must have the genotype dd. A dog which is Dd or DD will have normal pigment.

The dilution gene affects eumelanin (black and chocolate), although phaeomelanin (red) may be lightened slightly as well. When a dog has two copies of the d allele it impairs its ability to make full-colored pigment, so the pigment it does produce is lighter than on a normal dog.

The main giveaway that a dog is a dilute is its nose color. The coat may be entirely sable or recessive red, but if the dog has a blue nose, it is genetically blue. With pigmented chocolate and isabella dogs, it's common for both colors to have pink noses, and it is also common for isabellas to have darkish noses which look chocolate.

The dilution gene also causes the eyes to become amber. The color is likely to be lighter than the amber eyes seen on chocolate dogs.