English creams

What is a "True Cream" Dachshund?

When it comes to dachshunds, the term "cream" is often thrown around, but not all "cream" dachshunds are the same. Some may look golden, strawberry blonde, or even have a black overlay, but these are not necessarily true “cream.”

True "cream" refers specifically to the longhaired English Cream Dachshunds with UK ancestry. Anything else commonly called "cream" or "American cream" is actually a variation of red.

The English Cream: What Makes It Special?

A true English Cream Dachshund is the result of a unique genetic combination. These dogs are longhaired, with black noses and black nails.

How is a True English Cream Different?

True English creams have the Chinchilla Dilution (C) gene, which only affects the red and tan colors, not black or chocolate. This means that English Creams can have black overlay on their coats, while still being considered "cream."
Puppies are often born dark, sometimes looking solid black. As they grow, their cream color slowly replaces the black, and they eventually become lighter in color over the next 6-8 weeks.
Some puppies will end up with a clear golden-buff color, called "clear English cream". Others may retain a bit of black overlay, which is referred to as "shaded English cream".

What About the "American Cream"?

Many people refer to "American Cream" dachshunds, but this term is often used incorrectly.

What is an American Cream?

American Creams are the result of the Blue Dilution (D) gene, which affects not just red, but also black and chocolate coats.
These puppies are born light—sometimes almost white. As they age, their coats darken and turn into shades of red.
Any overlay they have will be blue (not black), and their noses and nails will be blue as well.

Because of this dilution, American Creams are essentially diluted reds, not true cream.

Genetics Behind English and American Creams

There are two distinct gene series responsible for the different types of “cream”:

Chinchilla Dilution (C): Responsible for the true English Cream, which only dilutes red and tan pigments, leaving black unaffected.
Blue Dilution (D): Responsible for the American Cream, which dilutes red, black, and chocolate pigments, turning them into various shades of blue.

True English Cream Genetics:

True English Creams are born very dark (often appearing solid black).
Over time, their cream color gradually emerges from underneath the dark coat.
By the time they are fully grown, they have a beautiful longhaired coat with a black nose and black nails.

Why "American Cream" is Not Correct

Before the import of true longhaired English Creams from the UK in the mid-80s, what we now call American Creams were actually referred to as "dilute reds."

When AKC and the Dachshund Club of America began to register true English creams, some breeders started calling their dilute red dachshunds "cream" in an effort to capitalize on the newly recognized color. This is why dilute reds were mistakenly labeled as "American cream."

How to Identify a True English Cream

A true English Cream Dachshund can be traced to UK ancestry within the last 5 generations. If you don’t see a UK-registered "cream" within the pedigree, it’s likely not a true English Cream.

Additionally:

If the pedigree includes blue & tan or isabella & tan dachshunds, it’s likely a dilute red, not a true English cream.