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Health Screening

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:58:52 GMT

The words "health testing" are thrown around a lot and often not accurately...

And what is bred with H.E.A.R.T., OFA, and CHIC?

Each dog breed has a different set of criteria for testing depending on what ailments they commonly suffer from. The organizations that set these guidelines are each breed's own parent club--for Dachshunds this is the Dachshund Club of America (DCA).

One misconception is that registries, like American Kennel Club (AKC), set these guidelines--but their responsibility is just carrying out what the breed club states for things like conformation and health testing. It's the DCA that says piebald dapples aren't breed standard, that miniature is 11 lbs and under at 12 months old, and that Dachshunds forequarters should be strong, deep, and well muscled.

What AKC did do is create their own program that highlights breeders who prioritize these screenings & continuing education by starting the bred with H.E.A.R.T. program.

So what does the DCA say about health screening (testing)?

They recommend (as they cannot really demand) the following:

Patella Luxation Exam (knee caps)

Eye Exam (CAER) by an vet-ophthalmologist

Basic Cardiac Exam

There are additional mentions of genetic conditions but not a formal call to action for breeders and shockingly no mention of breeding a dapple to dapple, maybe it's so unethical that is should be commonly understood?

The takeaway as a puppy buyer:

If you're searching for a puppy and want one from fully health tested parents look for the AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T. certificate and get PROOF in the form of OFA and CHIC numbers or certificates to confirm what the breeder is claiming (examples of CHIC certificates and OFA certificates shown below). AKC doesn't check to see if these breeders who request bred with H.E.A.R.T. actually are . I've inquired about a number of puppies for our own program and have found breeder's with this claim who do not meet the standards.

If you'd like to go a step farther go to the OFA website and search these numbers to confirm that the certificates are true & not altered. There are breeders who have created fakes--terrible fakes if you know what the real ones look like, but still fake and beyond unethical.

The OFA - CHIC and AKC do communicate. On the registration or pedigree of an AKC bred with H.E.A.R.T. puppy there will be the logo and there should be CHIC/OFA number by the parents names (sometimes it takes a while for this so if it's a dog's first litter don't be too alarmed if these numbers are absent)

The following applies to any breeder who claims to be bred with H.E.A.R.T or states that they do all of the health testing. If a breeder is openly doing only DNA tests that doesn't immediately mean they are untrustworthy.

RED FLAGS if a breeder says...

(all things I've been told from other breeders before when looking for additions for our program)

Dachshund Coat Colors

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:35:22 GMT

There are hundreds of different coat, color, and pattern combinations when it comes to the Dachshund breed. Beyond that, coat colors develop gradually from when they are a neonate and into adulthood.

Since there are so many different combinations, I'm mostly focusing on what puppies we may produce as a breeder and only touch on the others.

The Basics

All about Shaded Dachshunds

Shading is not a color or marking but I'll use this word often to describe certain coat colors for our dogs or puppies.

A shaded dachshund is either cream or red
They are born very dark and lighten A LOT, even up to or past their 1st birthday
Some shading may remain on their ears, down their spine, and their tail. Or the shading may fade completely leaving what appears as solid red or cream.
A shaded dachshund can either have chocolate (liver) pigment or black pigment. This pigment is expressed as their shading color that fades, and more permanently their nose, paw pads, and around their eyes

Chocolate is bb and Black is BB or Bb (black that carries chocolate)

A shaded dachshund can also have patterns on their coat
When registering with AKC the term shaded will not be listed as it's descriptive only.
A shaded dachshund is genetically ay/ay or ay/at

(ay is shaded and at is pointed)

Shading is dominant
Shading in Dachshunds is NOT the same as sable

Sable is aw and needs a DNA test to confirm

Below is one of our puppies, she is a chocolate based shaded cream .

Her DNA: EE ay/at bb ii DD ...

Her coat will continue to lighten and show more cream over time. I'll continue adding pictures as she grows up.

She will be registered as cream.

The puppy below is one we bred, he is a shaded cream that has black pigment. I won't say black-based because it's more common and easily understood, I only denote chocolate-based so it's understood that it is a cream puppy shaded with chocolate rather than an actual chocolate puppy.

The last image is at 1 year old.

His DNA would presumably be Ee or EE and ay/ay or ay/at BB or Bb ii

This puppy is an example of a shaded cream piebald . At birth the white areas (piebald) will be solid white and over the weeks can develop ticking or roan. This example shows ticking only (see the spots on his feet/legs).

Piebald

We have produced quite a few piebald puppies. Piebald is another one where it will change and develop over time. Piebald is essentially just the white that develops and spreads across their body during gestation. These white areas can also be filled with ticking (spots) or roan (colored hair finely interspersed with the white hairs).

Black and Tan Piebald with a great example of heavy roan . Can you see how finely the dark and light hairs are combined? To me, it leaves an end coat color very similar to an Australian cattle dog.

Black and Cream Piebald with ticking and roan . This boy is a slightly less extreme example as his sister above only because he was born with a lot less piebald markings (white). He also has a bit more visible spotting on his feet.

Shaded Cream Piebald -- I'll update these photos as he grows and see if he shows roan, but he already shows that he will have ticking on his feet. Also, see the earlier photos above for another example of a shaded cream piebald.

All about 'ee'

This section can get confusing so here are the cliff notes:

All "ee creams" are genetically red
Most breeders will refer to these coats as clear creams
ee stops all other genetic coat traits from being visible except for piebald
Even if an ee dog is genetically any of the following: dapple, brindle, pointed, sable, shaded...they will not show it visibly

Below is an example of a clear cream piebald puppy that we bred. They are born light, unlike shaded creams, and remain light-colored.

This is NOT a clear cream -- she is a shaded cream with less shading at birth. But she did lose just about all of her shading leaving a similar end result for her coat color.

If you've been looking around for a dachshund puppy you have probably heard of an 'ee cream'. Genetically, and in very simple terms, the E locus (extension) determines if the dog's genetic coat color extends normally--does the dog express their coat color or is it only able to produce shades of red.

Example: if a dog is genetically black and cream (at/at and ii), will the E locus allow that coat to be visually seen?

EE- yes, that black and cream dog will indeed be black and cream. No restriction of color.

Ee- yes, same. However, if breeding the 'e' can be important to know.

ee- no, all coat colors are removed and replaced with red (or shades of red).

Click through for more examples.

How To Make Deposits or Payments

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 23:05:24 GMT

We can accept deposits through our Zelle or our Good Dog account. When we meet in person for pick-up day we can do the remaining amount the same two ways or cash. Please do not make a deposit without speaking with me first to make sure your adoption application has been reviewed.

All payments will be followed up with a receipt sent via email.

How pay using Zelle:

Request a link from me or search using my same phone number from our calls or texts.

How to pay using Good Dog:

The good dog platform automatically includes payment protection and fees for access to their puppy training library. These are not mandatory fees and do not affect me as the seller. It is at your discretion if you want to incur the added fees, but if you don't want to pay them just follow the instructions below.

Shopping List For Your New Dachshund

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:40:11 GMT

A guide to the items you need, didn't know you need, and will want to have as your new puppy grows.

Don't feel like you need to go TOO crazy with items for your new pup. There's plenty of gimmicky items for sale out there but some that may be worth the splurge. I'll divide everything into two lists with the absolute essentials (in my eyes) at the top and some things you may not have considered toward the bottom.

For reference we send puppy home with: a small bag of starter food, mini blanket with mom & littermates scent, a soft-squeaky toy, a bag of soft treats, a collar & leash, and protection against fleas & ticks.

The Puppy Essentials

The Optional Extras

None of these links are referral or affiliate, I don't gain anything when you click them or make a purchase. These are all items that we either personally own or recommend based on experience.

Quick Guide to Puppy Vaccinations

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:36:41 GMT

Mother's Milk

When puppies are born to a healthy, vaccinated mother, their mom’s colostrum provides antibodies that give them passive immunity from diseases during early life. The length of time that this immunity lasts isn’t a set amount of time and varies greatly depending on mom’s level of immunity as well as the specific disease. Vaccine schedules are variable but the goal for all is to try and time the puppy’s initial vaccination with when they are the most likely to lose their passive immunity but without overlapping that passive immunity—and definitely before they’re exposed to any life-threatening diseases. Puppies who are vaccinated while they still have passive immunity won’t gain new or more immunity, but it would just render that vaccination ineffective as though nothing had been given at all. For these reasons, the initial core vaccine is given somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks of age with enough boosters following that over the course of a few months.

This many vaccinations is considered completely safe and essential to ensure protection against preventable diseases, however if you’d prefer to reduce the number of vaccinations your puppy receives it is absolutely possible to have a veterinarian do a serum titer. This is just a blood test that will definitively tell you if your dog has antibodies present or if it does in fact need the vaccination. However, at this moment in time, it’s usually more cost effective to just vaccinate again than do a titer.

Core Vaccinations

A core vaccination covers diseases that AAHA has deemed necessary for all dogs regardless of their lifestyle. These vaccines are typically a combined or an all-in-one style of vaccine usually abbreviated as DAPP, DHPP, or DA2PP. The following are considered core vaccines: Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Rabies. Rabies is a vaccine separate from the combination vaccine and is a legal requirement for all dogs in the United States (exact laws vary slightly depending on your state). You can search your state’s Rabies vaccination laws by following this link https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-rabies-vaccination-laws.

Non-Core "Optional" Vaccinations

Beyond the core vaccinations you have what are called non-core or optional vaccines. This is where you want to have good dialogue with your veterinarian who will know which diseases your dog could be susceptible to due to your geographic location or your dog’s lifestyle. For example, a dog that attends a regular doggy-daycare would need to be additionally vaccinated against Bordetella (kennel cough) or a dog who has an active outdoor lifestyle may need to be vaccinated against Lyme disease.

Leptospirosis

One recent update that was made by the AAHA in June 2024 changed Leptospira from a non-core to a core vaccination. It’s important to mention though that the way they worded their recommendation leaves room for veterinarians to interpret the implementation of this now core vaccine differently. Any puppies leaving us prior to 12 weeks old will not receive this vaccination as it’s initial dose is given no earlier than 12 weeks of age. Speak to your veterinarian about what they think is best for your individual dog.

The table below is the vaccine schedule we follow for our breeding program right now and conforms to AAHA recommendations--it can and will change as new information is made available. While the 6 week vaccine may be unnecessary, at worst it's just a waste of money and at best it can help protect a puppy from two horrific diseases if they lose their passive immunity early. We start with the DPv alone as it has a safer minimum age per manufacturer instructions. We then follow that vaccine with the core 5-way at 8 weeks.

The AAHA's vaccination schedule states that for initial vaccinations a puppy needs 3 doses of a combination (core) vaccine between 6 and 16 weeks of age and with spacing of 2-4 weeks in-between doses.

**Parvovirus has been known to oftentimes have a potentially longer passive immunity timeline as compared to other diseases. Between 18-20 Weeks old, Puppy may need a booster for Parvovirus or have a titer test completed. This can be given alone and is commonly referred to as Neopar when not a combination vaccine. Please conduct research on leptosporia vaccine (now L4) and make the best decision based on your needs. Always communicate questions & concerns to your veterinarian.

References

AAHA. (2022). Recommendations for core and noncore canine vaccines. Retrieved from https://www.aaha.org/resources/2022-aaha-canine-vaccination-guidelines/recommendations-for-core-and-noncore-canine-vaccines/

Reed, Kinsey. (2024). Leptospirosis vaccine becomes core vaccine for dogs. Retrieved from https://news.okstate.edu/articles/veterinary-medicine/2024/vet-viewpoints-leptospirosis-vaccine

Singler, Emily. (2025). Update: AAHA guidelines designate Leptospirosis vaccine as core. Retrieved from https://www.aaha.org/newstat/publications/leptospirosis-vaccination-recommended-to-be-core-for-most-dogs/

IVDD

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 20:27:39 GMT

"Did you know the Dachshund is a short-legged breed, not a long-backed one? It's the genetics of short legs that pre-dispose Dachshunds to back disease."

-Dachshund Health UK

The Genetic Impact

Back disease in Dachshunds is by and large a genetic issue. All dachshunds are genetically predisposed to be vulnerable to back disease. And in order to keep the focus of this blog on things that we CAN control this section will be brief. There is not yet a reliable genetic test that can help breeders decrease the risk. Right now the best thing we can do is breed dogs who do not show signs of back disease, keep up to date with the latest research, and cross our fingers that in the future scientists can pinpoint the issue and generate a definitive test. For an in-depth understanding on why genetic testing isn't a reliable indicator for back disease in Dachshunds this is a very helpful article ( Is There an IVDD test for Dachshunds? ). The UK, who seems to continually be ahead of the US when it comes to matters of breeding have implemented a way of screening dam & sire by means of X-ray: dogs with two or more calcified discs at age 2 should not be used for breeding. Right now this is being carried out in Norway, Denmark, and Finland but it's too early for evidence that this selective breeding reduces the occurrence of back disease. This is a pre-breeding health measure I'm keeping my eye on to implement into our own program and am eager to see what new data is released in the future.

Avoiding Back Disease in Dachshunds

what you CAN do

Images Copyright

Image 1: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/herniated-disc-dog-silhouette-dachshund-1965589672

Image 2: https://images.app.goo.gl/qGS4PnGbaQ8dyxsr6

Image 3:Royal Canin

Image 4: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-dachshund-long-haired-dog-wearing-1099785380

AKC Spay & Neuter Research

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 17:11:58 GMT

Please follow the link to read more about AKC's new research on spay & neuter age.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/study-updates-spay-neuter-guidelines/

Temperament Testing

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:24:18 GMT

I do longer do formal temperament testing--it takes a huge amount of time & organization and my puppy's results have always been in the mid-range. If I ever have a puppy I suspect to be an outlier I will perform some testing so I can find him or her the right fit.

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (VPAT)

Conducted at 7 weeks of age (day 49 of life).

The VPAT was developed based on decades of research and consolidated into an easy to apply test. Puppies are scored 1 - 6 on ten different tests. It's important to note that there is no 'right' answer or response for the puppies in these tests. The goal is to uncover the disposition of the puppy to see if they are suitable for homes with children or other pets, a young family or older couple, and an indication of what they will be like personality-wise as they develop further. While based on research the results of these tests should help you make a decision but doesn't need to be the deciding factor. All of our puppies should rate mostly 3's or 4's.

The scores of these tests are as follows:

Source of scores: https://www.volharddognutrition.com/choosing-your-puppy-pat

Avidog Puppy Evaluation Test (APET)

The APET took the basics of the Volhard Test and added tons more scientific research to create a highly detailed and rigorous test. There are 23 testing components that help evaluate 33 different temperament characteristics. Once completed, each puppy will have an individual profile that can be used to pair puppies to their future homes and tailor a training plan to match their temperament. We also discover a temperament profile of the litter so we as the breeder can many any adjustments we need to in the first 8-weeks to ensure the likelihood of desirable traits.

We can complete one of these tests between 7 and 8 weeks, ideally closer to 8 weeks. This test is highly detailed and requires a LOT of set-up and assistance from outsiders. We will typically utilize the VPAT as it is simpler and yields similar findings in our experience.

To read the full Avidog Puppy Evaluation Test Guide click here .

Puppy Culture

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:29:02 GMT

A personal backstory: My first dog that I owned as an adult was a female black lab mix. She was the most amazing, loving dog but as she turned one and started becoming a true adult dog she began to show really bad signs of aggression toward other dogs. I was devastated and admittedly clueless as to how or why this was happening.

Sadly, I've heard so many of the same stories from others who have or had a great dog, but...they're food aggressive, or they can't take them around other dogs, or they're fearful to have them around their children. And I'm not one to judge from who, where, or how they acquired their puppy at that time. I'm far from a great example of finding a reputable dog breeder--I got my black lab mix for $150 from a woman I found through craigslist. She was kind and the puppy was healthy but I didn't know any better, I was 18 years old. I firmly believe that had I done my research and found a dog that I knew had received even a small level of ENS or early socialization I would have avoided this situation. Could something have happened later in my dog's life to make her aggressive? Sure, I'm not trying to skirt blame, however, had she been raised following the puppy culture program I believe that whatever spooked her or created this fearfulness would have been mild in her mind and she would have psychologically moved past it rather than holding onto it and allowing it to grow. Creating a healthy response to the unknown or different is the exact foundation of the puppy culture program.

My personal experience was the very reason I wanted to look deeper into how I can do my part as not only a dog owner and most especially when raising puppies so that they have a solid start in life and avoid developing any unwanted behaviors or idiosyncrasies. So with that in mind, here is a more in-depth look into the puppy culture program that we have adopted for whelping and raising our own puppies.

Prenatal: Before Puppies are Born

While this program mostly encompasses exercises for the puppies it actually starts with the dam (mom). Having a healthy dam who receives adequate exercise, attention, and a healthy diet is the most basic starting point for producing quality puppies. Our dams are fed Purina Pro Plan as well as specific supplements that are beneficial to pregnant dams and Dachshunds. Also, at the most basic level we make sure that they are current on all of their vaccines & dewormings.

Neonatal: 3 - 14 Days Old

For the first two weeks of life is when we implement the five Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) exercises. These include tactile stimulation, 3 positioning exercises (supine position, head up, and head down), and thermal stimulation. Each exercise is only done for a few seconds each time daily but sets the scene for what comes in the following weeks. Puppies are born both deaf and blind so by handling them in these specific ways early in life helps them adjust when additional senses are added as they grow older. We've personally noticed that it helps later for puppies to have their nails trimmed, to lay relaxed on their backs, and not spook when they see a big hand coming their way in the whelping box--which I would imagine that could be quite scary if not properly introduced.

Transitional Period: Approx. 2 Weeks Old - 3 Weeks Old

This period occurs between the time that they open their eyes but before they begin to react to sounds. Their eyes typically open around the 2 week mark but can vary for each litter and each individual puppy. During this time puppies still sleep a majority of the time but also begin to do vocalizations and interact with their littermates.

Critical Socialization Period: 3 Weeks - 12 Weeks Old

There are seven key concepts that need to be covered during this critical socialization period: Communication, Emotional Stability, Habituation, Enrichment, Health, Skills, and Love.

1. Communication: teaching the puppies how to respond to a clicker, playing the box game to condition the puppies to the stimulus, and manding (sitting for attention). Jane calls these the communication trinity.

2. Emotional Stability: creating a safe environment but introducing something that mildly startles the puppy so they can calmly recover and challenging them with a barrier that they have to both mentally and physically get past.

3. Habituation: This is likely what most people think of when they hear socialization but it's just 1 out of the 7 concepts we need to touch on for this program. Habituation refers to familiarizing the puppies with a variety of different stimulus: from noises to smells, sounds, objects, animals, and people.

4. Enrichment: Create within the home, and safe adventure to areas experiences that inspire enrichment for the puppies. While exercise is important, it's equally as important to challenge their brains and promote learning and problem-solving. We do this at home by utilizing baby toys that we find at the used children's store and utilize our own property for additional adventures. On 5+ acres and with many different animals species, children, and visiting family members we're lucky that we can provide for the puppies here without venturing out far. However, car rides are an important part of this experience too so we dabble that in as well.

5. Health: We keep records of puppy's weight gain, stay on schedule with deworming's, vaccinations, nail trims, and begin grooming (including light blow drying). Our puppies also visit our veterinarian Dr. Lisa Morris at Oak Grove Veterinary Clinic before going home.

6. Skills: We introduce crates/kennels very early by allowing them free access to one in the whelping box, we also practice leash walking, potty train them to go on trays within their whelping box, work on simple commands if over 10 weeks, and keep practicing our manding.

7. Love: While this sounds obvious, the 'love' portion of the program is more than simple cuddles--although that's important too. It involves creating positive experiences for the puppies emotionally so that they find comfort and contentment in the company of both people and other dogs (cats too at our home). There are a variety of conditioned emotional response (CER) techniques that can be used but it varies from puppy to puppy on where they are at as individuals. For example, if a puppy is having emotionally seeing other dogs as a positive that can be worked on by using positive reinforcement and repetition.

After 12 weeks of age the critical socialization period closes but puppy culture has much more material and resources you can use for not only our puppies when you take them home but older dogs as well. If you want to learn more, their website is https://shoppuppyculture.com/ and be sure to check out their blog posts on their partner website https://madcapuniversity.com/blogs/articles-and-product-reviews

If you get a puppy from us I will also send home a couple page guide with some methods you can implement from 8 - 12 weeks.