Albino dogs are not the same as white dogs.; Albinism is the result of genetics as it occurs when certain recessive alleles are passed on and the individual does not have the correct amount of the enzyme tyrosinase, which is involved in the production of melanin. Therefore, albinism congenital disorder; this is very important to clarify because too often we talk about albinism without knowing what it is.
Some people argue that albinism is not a desirable characteristic in dogs because it is associated with many biological deficiencies . This opinion prevails in many dog breed standards. Others argue that albino dogs can live well if they receive the necessary care and attention, and therefore there will be no problem allowing them to breed.
However, given that albino dogs deserve to be loved and cared for properly , it should be kept in mind that these dogs are susceptible to health problems that can limit their quality of life and even cause serious difficulties in some cases.
Therefore, if you have an albino dog or are planning to adopt one, it is important to read this HowMeow.ru to get more information about the characteristics of albino dogs and how albinism is diagnosed. This will give you a good starting point for understanding if your dog is albino and the care and attention that an albino dog requires.
Origin story: how do albinos appear?
Before the official recognition of the breed, breeders bred dogs of any color, as they were primarily interested in the working qualities of dachshunds.
White, dark-spotted dogs similar to dachshunds are depicted in ancient paintings and frescoes, indicating that these colors were quite popular in the past..
However, after the standard was approved, white dachshunds were excluded from breeding, but despite this, such puppies continue to appear from time to time.
What causes the appearance of white color in these dogs?
There may be several reasons for this:
- Lightened to white cream.
- Leucism, or, in other words, true white color.
- Extreme degree of spotting. These dogs have individual colored hairs or small pigment spots on the skin.
- Albinism. In this case, the dog completely lacks pigmentation due to the fact that a genetic failure prevents the synthesis of pigments.
The birth of albino puppies is often caused by the mating of two marble-colored dogs.
Share your experiences with albino dogs
Although it is rare, albinism is not limited to any specific breed of dog. Have you ever owned or met any albino dogs? What breed or mix was the dog? If you lived with and cared for an albino dog, what differences or adjustments did you make in terms of regular exercise or living conditions to ensure his needs were met? We'd love for you to share your experiences with albino dogs in the comments!
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The white dachshund can rarely be seen on the street, since these animals are not intentionally bred in breeding nurseries.
But dogs of this color continue to be born from time to time.
They look unusual and unique.
Especially if there is no pigmentation at all.
So how do white dachshunds appear and is it worth getting such a pet?
Marriage or breed?
White and white-and-white colors are not included in the breed standard and are considered a breeding defect.
Expert opinion
Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich
Expert dog handler.
“Many people find white dachshunds interesting because of their unusual appearance. However, it should be remembered that predominant white is almost certainly associated with the double merle gene, and this can negatively affect the dog's health. It happens that white dachshunds with colored spots appear due to the genes of their distant white-and-white ancestors. In this case, the dachshund, of course, will be recognized as a breeding defect based on color, but its health, with proper care and maintenance, will not be worse than that of standard individuals.”
Coat patterns are sometimes confused with albinism
Restricted color patterns in non-albino dogs produce two coat patterns, each of which produces limited color patterns on the dog's coat and skin. These patterns are known in breed standards and kennel clubs as "piebald" and "merle". Drunk dogs are predominantly white in color, which shows large spots or patches of dark coloring. Merle-coated dogs have spots or flecks of color not only on the coat, but also on the skin.
Dogs with merle coats also tend to have heterochromatic or mixed-colored eyes. As in white cats, the genes responsible for coat, eye and ear color are not causally linked, so white and albino dogs are not necessarily more likely to become blind or deaf. However, a rare genetic combination known as "double merle" does carry health risks. Double merle dogs, like Keller in the photo above, can be mistaken for albino dogs. Unlike true albinos, who, aside from mild sensitivity, are usually healthy, dogs with double merle coats are at higher risk for both deafness and blindness.
Advantages and disadvantages
pros:
- They look unusual.
- Smart and intelligent.
- Friendly.
- They get along well with children, except for the smallest ones.
- They have a cute and funny appearance.
- They have a peculiar sense of humor.
- These dogs have a well-developed hunting instinct.
- They are very sensitive, which makes them good guards for apartments.
Minuses:
- Predisposed to injuries and diseases of the back and spine.
- They love to dig up the earth.
- If brought up incorrectly, they become willful and stubborn.
- Quite cocky towards other people's dogs.
- Prone to gluttony and obesity.
Dachshunds do not tolerate rough treatment and can sometimes be very touchy and vindictive..
Dimensions, weight and other distinctive features
The white dachshund can be one of three sizes:
- Standard. Weighs about 9 kg, chest circumference is over 35 cm.
- Miniature. Weighs from 4.5 to 5 kg, chest volume is 30-35 cm.
- Rabbit. Weight - up to 3.5 kg, chest circumference - less than 30 cm.
By type of coat they can be smooth-haired, long-haired and wire-haired.
Smooth dogs have short, dense hair that lies close to the body and is quite soft..
Long-haired white dachshunds have long hair only on the body, ears, legs and tail, but their muzzle and head are covered with short, close-fitting hair.
Wire-haired individuals have coarse and rather stiff hair, similar to the hair of terriers and forming eyebrows, mustaches and a beard on the dog’s face.
The body format of white dachshunds is very stretched, the legs are very short, but not curved . The head resembles a wedge shape, the stop is not pronounced, but rather smoothed out. The muzzle is slightly hook-nosed, not too long, but not short either, with a deep and strong mouth.
The ears are hanging, set high, touching the leading edges of the cheekbones. The eyes are small, set slightly at an angle. Eye color can be either brown, amber or gold, or blue. Albino dachshunds also have reddish eyes.
The nose is black, brown or beige. True albinos also have pink hair.
The limbs are quite strong and muscular, the tail is medium in length, slightly curved.
The dachshund should not look weak or frail: these dogs have strong bones and well-developed muscles.
Varieties of white dachshund colors with photos
- Black and white . There are quite large black spots on a white background.
- Brown and white . The main background is white; there are brown spots of various sizes and shades on it.
- Red and white . Red spots of any intensity and brightness, scattered over the white main color of the coat.
- Tiger-white . Brindle spots on a basic white background.
- Double merle on a white background . Marble color, complemented by large white spots, occupying more than 50% of the total body area.
- Speckled . Small speckled spots are scattered on a white background. Their number can vary, to the point that the dog has only one, barely noticeable dark spot.
- Cream . Highly bleached cream looks like white, but usually has a subtle yellowish tint.
- True white . The color of the coat is pure white, the pigmentation of the nose, edging of the eyelids and lips is black or brown.
- Albino . A color completely devoid of pigmentation, in which even the pupils look reddish. The eye color is either pale blue or pinkish red.
The white-spotted color should not be confused with the marbled color: with the latter, the main background is not white, but a beige or grayish tint.
Partial albinism in dogs
Some dogs may appear to be true albinos but retain some pigmentation, which will be most noticeable on the nose or stomach. We may call this partial albinism, but in fact there is a range of melanins, and thus a wide range of albinisms exist and are seen in dogs.
However, in cases of partial albinism, dogs produce only a small amount of melanin, enough to produce limited coloring. With the exception of small areas of pigmentation, whether in the eyes, skin or coat, what remains will retain that extremely pale, color-tinted appearance.
Life expectancy and health
On average, white dachshunds live 12-13 years.
Like other members of this breed, they can be predisposed to a number of ailments.:
- Spinal diseases.
- Chest deformity, also called swimmer's syndrome.
- Optic nerve atrophy.
- Cataract.
- Congenital deafness.
- Epilepsy.
- Obesity.
- Inflammation of the ears.
CAREFULLY!
In addition, white dachshunds may have congenital blindness and an increased tendency to allergies.
Finally, like all dogs with weakened pigmentation, their immunity is somewhat worse than that of ordinary representatives of the breed of other colors.
Basic rules of care
Caring for an albino dog is not much different from caring for a regular dachshund.
The dog should be periodically combed with a brush or, if we are talking about a long-haired pet, with a wide-toothed comb. The wire-haired white dachshund needs trimming, while the long-haired dachshund needs a little trimming.
As a rule, these dogs are bathed somewhat more often, since the white coat gets dirty faster . However, you should remember that albino dachshunds are very sensitive to chemicals, therefore, you need to wash them with shampoo as little as possible.
The dog's eyes and ears should be examined every day. Clean them when dirty.
Nails are trimmed 1-2 times a month depending on the age of the pet . Although, usually, adult dachshunds wear them off themselves during walks.
It is necessary to strictly follow the vaccination and deworming schedule.
Interesting Facts
Unusual facts about the BShO breed:
- There is a legend that the white Swiss shepherd was obtained as a result of the crossbreeding of a shepherd with a polar wolf.
- In 1882, Greif, a white male, represented German shepherds at the Hanover Dog Show.
- The White Swiss Shepherd is the dog breed of choice for the Rockefeller family.
- Despite the fact that Switzerland has completed the formation of the White Shepherd and this country was the first to apply, the FCI recognizes the contribution of overseas partners. That is why the names “white Swiss shepherd” and “American-Canadian white shepherd” are often equated.
Price range
White dachshunds rarely appear in nurseries and are regarded as a breeding marriage. Therefore, their cost is relatively low: from 10-15 thousand rubles, sometimes a little higher.
However, breeders often sell white albino puppies for more than standard-colored puppies with documents, and then the cost of a white dachshund can reach 35-40 thousand rubles or more..
How to choose?
People who decide to purchase a white dachshund must understand that for such a pet the exhibition career and admission to breeding will forever be closed.
However, what’s even worse is that the white color in these dogs is often due to a genetic fault and is the cause of many serious health problems.
It is for this reason that when choosing such a puppy, you need to pay special attention to checking his vision and hearing, especially if we are talking about an albino dachshund and not a white-spotted dog .
It would also be advisable for the selected baby to be examined by a veterinarian before purchase: this is necessary in order to identify possible pathologies associated with albinism.
IMPORTANT!
You should not buy such puppies secondhand or from advertisements if the seller cannot provide documents on their origin.
The fact is that some breeders breed true albinos with each other, as a result of which puppies are born only white, but more than half of the litter has congenital pathologies of varying severity.
You need to purchase a white dachshund only from a kennel, and the puppy must have a birth certificate marked with a pedigree marriage.
Historical reference
The white Doberman was artificially bred in the 70s of the 20th century.
For the first time, a female of the usual dark brown color gave birth to an albino puppy in 1976. Once the puppy reached reproductive age, attempts were made to cross the born albino bitch with a Doberman male of normal color. The experiment was not a success: the puppy was born brown.
White Dobermans are considered very rare.
Subsequently, an albino puppy was nevertheless born after mating a white mother with her normal-colored son.
All white representatives of the breed in the United States are descendants of the first albino bitch. Therefore, white people are considered an incomplete albino.
