Why Are Creams Recognised in the UK but Not by the FCI?

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Few Dachshunds attract as much attention as the long-haired cream Dachshund.

Their pale ivory, cream or golden coats, often combined with dark pigmentation and the flowing coat characteristic of the long-haired variety, give them a distinctive appearance.

They are also surrounded by a surprising amount of confusion.

Are cream Dachshunds a separate breed?

What does “English Cream Dachshund” actually mean?

Why can a cream Dachshund be recognised by the Royal Kennel Club in the United Kingdom, while cream is not accepted by the current FCI Dachshund standard?

And perhaps most importantly:

Is cream simply a colour, or is there something genetically different about these dogs?

The answer is more interesting than it might first appear.

Cream Dachshunds are Dachshunds, not a separate breed.

The difference between the British and continental European situation is primarily a matter of breed standards, breeding history and terminology, combined with the complex genetics that produce canine coat colour.

To understand the subject properly, it helps to separate three things:

1. The Dachshund breed itself. 
2. The genetics and appearance of cream colouring. 
3. The rules different kennel organisations use to recognise that colour. 

The Dachshund originated in Germany and was developed as a working hunting dog, particularly for hunting animals such as badgers both above and below ground.

The FCI recognises the Dachshund as a German breed in Group 4 – Dachshunds. Its recognised varieties are based on three size varieties — Standard, Miniature and Rabbit Dachshund — and three coat varieties: Smooth-haired, Long-haired and Wire-haired. 

The history of the Dachshund therefore goes back considerably further than the modern expression “English Cream Dachshund”.

It is a commonly used descriptive term associated particularly with cream-coloured Dachshunds from British breeding lines, especially long-haired Miniature Dachshunds.

“English Cream” is not a fourth Dachshund variety.

The breed is the Dachshund. Long-haired describes the coat variety, Miniature describes the size variety, and cream describes the colour phenotype.

The current FCI Dachshund standard specifies which colours and patterns are accepted.

The FCI recognises the Dachshund in three size varieties and three coat varieties, including the Miniature Long-haired Dachshund. 

The colour section of the FCI standard describes accepted Dachshund colours and patterns, including red, black or brown with tan markings, dapple and brindle. Colours and patterns not mentioned in the standard are disqualifying.

Cream is not included among the accepted colours in the current FCI standard. 

This is an important distinction.

The FCI does not define a cream Dachshund as a different breed.

Rather, cream is a colour that falls outside the current FCI breed standard.

The situation is different in Britain.

The Royal Kennel Club currently includes Cream (fawn) among the accepted colours for Miniature Smooth-haired and Miniature Long-haired Dachshunds. It also recognises black/chocolate and cream combinations in those varieties. 

This means that, within the British system, a Miniature Long-haired Dachshund does not automatically fall outside the breed standard simply because it has a cream coat.

Cream Dachshunds have therefore been able to exist within recognised British pedigrees and breeding programmes.

The difference between the two systems is fundamental.

A colour can be accepted by one kennel organisation and not accepted by another.

That does not change the biological identity of the dog.

This is perhaps the question we hear most often.

The important thing is not to invent an explanation that the FCI itself does not give.

The FCI standard defines the accepted characteristics, colours and patterns of the Dachshund.

It does not state that cream is excluded because cream Dachshunds are inherently unhealthy.

It does not identify cream itself as a disease.

It simply does not include cream among the accepted Dachshund colours, meaning that a cream Dachshund does not conform to the current FCI colour standard. 

The current position can therefore be described accurately:

Cream is outside the FCI Dachshund breed standard because it is not an accepted colour under that standard.

That is very different from saying that cream Dachshunds are somehow biologically “not real Dachshunds”.

This is where the expression “English Cream” comes from.

Cream long-haired Dachshunds became established within British breeding, and particular British pedigrees and breeding lines became associated with this colour.

Because cream was accepted by the British breed standard, British breeders could maintain cream Dachshunds within the recognised breeding and showing system.

Over generations, these dogs became associated with a distinctive British breeding tradition.

As dogs from these lines were exported internationally, the term English Cream Dachshund became increasingly familiar outside Britain as well.

Today, the term is widely used to describe cream Dachshunds associated with this British tradition, particularly long-haired Miniature Dachshunds.

There is no single internationally standardised definition of the term “English Cream”.

Within the Dachshund community, it is commonly used for cream Dachshunds associated with historical British cream lines, particularly long-haired Miniature Dachshunds.

This gives us an important distinction.

“Dachshund” is the breed.

“Long-haired” describes the coat variety.

“Miniature” describes the size variety within systems that recognise it.

“Cream” describes the coat colour.

And “English Cream” is a commonly used historical and breeding term connecting a cream Dachshund with the British cream-breeding tradition.

It is therefore misleading to describe English Cream as though it were a separate breed or an additional Dachshund variety recognised by the FCI.

There was no single moment when cream Dachshunds suddenly became popular.

Rather, several factors came together over time.

1. Cream was accepted by the British breed standard

Because cream was accepted, British breeders could maintain cream Dachshunds within the recognised breeding and showing system. The current Royal Kennel Club standard continues to list cream for Miniature Long-haired Dachshunds. 

This allowed cream lines to be preserved over generations instead of automatically being treated as outside the British breed standard.

2. British breeding lines developed a recognisable tradition

Cream became associated with particular British pedigrees and breeding histories.

As dogs from these lines were exported, their British ancestry helped establish the name “English Cream” internationally.

3. The colour is visually distinctive

The pale cream coat, often combined with the long-haired coat, dark pigmentation and characteristic Dachshund shape, creates a very distinctive appearance.

Naturally, this attracted enthusiasts and breeders.

4. Rarity increased interest

Because cream is not accepted under the current FCI standard, dedicated cream breeding has historically been much less common within continental European FCI breeding programmes.

This relative rarity has contributed to the fascination surrounding cream Dachshunds.

However, rarity should never be confused with quality.

A rare colour does not automatically make a dog healthier, better structured or better bred.

The FCI standard has an important practical effect.

In countries where breeders work primarily within the FCI system, cream is outside the accepted Dachshund colour standard.

Consequently, there is little incentive for breeders working strictly within that system to establish breeding programmes specifically around a colour that cannot be accepted under the breed standard.

This can create a self-reinforcing cycle:

Cream is outside the standard → fewer FCI breeders specialise in cream → fewer cream Dachshunds are produced within FCI breeding programmes → cream remains uncommon.

The situation in Britain developed differently:

Cream is accepted → British breeders can maintain cream lines → cream becomes established within recognised breeding programmes → cream becomes associated with British Dachshund breeding.

The difference is therefore not necessarily that British and continental European Dachshunds are biologically different.

It is largely a consequence of different breeding histories and different breed standards.

This is where the subject becomes considerably more complicated.

There is no single universal “cream gene” that explains every cream dog.

Canine coat colour is produced by interactions between several genes that influence the production, distribution and intensity of different pigments.

Two major types of pigment are particularly important.

Eumelanin is the dark pigment responsible for black and brown colouring.

Phaeomelanin is the red/yellow pigment responsible for colours ranging from deep red through yellow and into very pale shades.

One of the most important genes involved in this process is MC1R, commonly referred to as the E locus.

MC1R plays a major role in regulating whether pigment-producing cells produce eumelanin or phaeomelanin.

Research has shown that in several dog breeds, dogs with two copies of certain recessive MC1R variants, commonly described as e/e, can express red or cream phenotypes. However, the exact colour produced by this genotype varies between breeds and depends on additional genetic factors. 

This is an important point because it shows why coat colour genetics cannot always be reduced to one simple gene.

Additional genetic loci can influence how strongly phaeomelanin is expressed.

For example, research has identified variants in MFSD12 that can contribute to extreme dilution of phaeomelanin, producing very pale cream or white coats in a range of dog breeds. 

The result is a much more complicated genetic picture than the simplified explanations often found online.

This is one of the most confusing subjects surrounding English Cream Dachshunds.

Many breeder websites describe English Creams as carrying a “Chinchilla gene”, sometimes referring to this as a C-locus mutation.

The terminology is widespread within parts of the English Cream Dachshund community.

However, it is important to distinguish traditional breeder terminology from what has been firmly demonstrated by modern canine genetics research.

Scientific research has identified multiple genes and loci involved in canine pigmentation, including MC1R and MFSD12, among others. 

The genetics behind pale cream phenotypes are therefore not adequately described by simply saying:

“English Cream = Chinchilla gene.”

That is an oversimplification.

For this reason, we prefer to talk about observable colour, pedigree and documented genetic information rather than presenting “Chinchilla” as though it were a universally established single-gene explanation for every English Cream Dachshund.

A cream-looking coat is a phenotype.

The genotype is the underlying genetic combination that contributes to producing that phenotype.

These are not the same thing.

Two dogs can look very similar while carrying different genetic combinations.

Likewise, knowing that a dog is cream does not automatically tell us every genetic variant that dog carries.

This is one reason responsible breeders should use appropriate genetic testing alongside pedigree information and physical assessment rather than attempting to determine breeding genetics from coat colour alone.

Two expressions you will frequently encounter when researching cream Dachshunds are Shaded Cream and Clear Cream.

A Shaded Cream is a cream Dachshund with darker hairs or a darker overlay, particularly around areas such as the ears, back and tail.

Some shaded cream puppies are born considerably darker and gradually become lighter as they mature.

A Clear Cream is a much more uniformly pale cream phenotype, with little or no visible dark overlay.

These terms are useful descriptions of appearance.

However, they should not automatically be interpreted as two completely separate genetic varieties.

Coat colour is influenced by multiple genetic factors, and the appearance of an individual puppy can change substantially as the coat develops.

This is one reason why pedigree and appropriate genetic information are more reliable than judging a puppy's colour from a photograph alone.

The image most people associate with an English Cream Dachshund is a Miniature Long-haired Dachshund.

This is closely connected with the history of British cream breeding lines and with the fact that the British breed standard specifically recognises cream in the Miniature Long-haired variety. 

This does not mean that the genetics responsible for cream inherently require long hair.

Rather, the particular British cream breeding tradition became strongly associated with long-haired Miniature Dachshunds.

That historical association is one of the reasons “English Cream” and “long-haired Dachshund” are so closely linked in popular usage.

No.

This is perhaps the most important distinction of all.

The FCI recognises the Dachshund as a breed with three size varieties and three coat varieties. 

A cream Dachshund can possess Dachshund ancestry, a documented pedigree, the characteristic Dachshund body structure, the appropriate long-haired coat, the temperament and functional characteristics expected of the breed, and all the other characteristics of a Dachshund.

Its colour can nevertheless fall outside the FCI standard.

There is no contradiction between being a Dachshund and having a colour that is not accepted by a particular kennel organisation.

Breed standards are standards used by kennel organisations to define which characteristics are acceptable for registration and exhibition.

They are not a complete biological definition of every dog that exists.

There is no basis for treating cream itself as synonymous with poor health.

The genetics of coat colour and the genetics of many inherited diseases are separate questions.

At the same time, responsible breeding means that colour should never be the primary breeding goal.

Dachshunds have important breed-specific health considerations, particularly intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).

The Royal Kennel Club currently recommends IVDD screening for Dachshunds and lists additional testing recommendations for Miniature Long-haired Dachshunds, including PRA Cord1 DNA testing and eye testing. 

IVDD is a serious condition affecting the intervertebral discs of the spine.

The Royal Kennel Club's IVDD scheme uses X-rays to assess spinal calcifications and provides information intended to help breeders make more balanced breeding decisions.

This illustrates an important principle:

A responsible Dachshund breeding programme should focus on the health of the whole dog, not simply the colour of its coat.

Not all coat-colour genetics are equivalent.

Some colour and pattern combinations have well-established welfare concerns.

For example, double dapple/double merle combinations can be associated with serious eye abnormalities and deafness.

This is a different genetic mechanism from cream and should not be confused with it.

The FCI standard excludes a number of colours and patterns, and responsible Dachshund breeding therefore requires an understanding of genetics rather than simply choosing the prettiest-looking puppies. 

The responsible approach is to evaluate the whole dog and the whole breeding programme:

Health + structure + temperament + pedigree + genetic diversity + appropriate genetic testing + breed characteristics

rather than selecting dogs simply because they have a desirable colour.

The popularity of cream Dachshunds is probably the result of several factors rather than one.

Their appearance is distinctive and relatively uncommon in many European countries.

Their historical association with British breeding lines gives the colour a fascinating story.

And because cream has been accepted within the British breed standard, Britain has been able to maintain established cream lines over generations. 

The result is a colour that has become particularly recognisable and desirable among Dachshund enthusiasts around the world.

But popularity also brings a responsibility.

When a particular colour becomes fashionable, there is a risk that people begin breeding for colour first and the dog second.

For us, the order should always be the opposite.

This is worth stating explicitly.

There is nothing about the word English that automatically makes a Dachshund healthier, calmer, better structured or better suited to a particular family.

Claims sometimes made online that English Cream Dachshunds are inherently more docile or have a fundamentally different temperament are not supported simply by the dog's colour or the word “English”.

Temperament is influenced by genetics, early development, socialisation, environment and individual personality.

A responsible breeder should therefore select breeding dogs for their overall quality, not simply for the colour of their coat.

The cream colour may be what first attracts us to these beautiful dogs.

It should not be the only reason we breed them.

The simplest accurate description is:

An English Cream Dachshund is a Dachshund, traditionally associated with the Miniature Long-haired variety, displaying a cream phenotype and historically associated with British cream breeding lines.

“English Cream” is a commonly used descriptive and historical term.

It is not a separate breed and it is not an additional FCI Dachshund variety.

The British and continental European situations are different because their kennel organisations use different breed standards.

The Royal Kennel Club currently accepts cream in Miniature Long-haired Dachshunds. 

The current FCI standard does not list cream among the accepted Dachshund colours. 

Neither fact changes the underlying breed identity of the dog.

The story of the English Cream Dachshund is ultimately a fascinating example of how genetics, selective breeding, pedigree history and breed standards interact.

A colour that became established within British Dachshund breeding developed a distinctive identity of its own.

As dogs from these lines were exported and bred internationally, the expression English Cream travelled with them.

Today, cream Dachshunds can be found well beyond Britain, including in countries where cream is not included in the FCI breed standard.

For breeders and prospective owners, this makes pedigree particularly important.

A photograph can tell you what a Dachshund looks like.

A pedigree can tell you where it came from.

Genetic testing can tell you things that neither a photograph nor a pedigree alone can reveal.

Because the term “English Cream” is not itself an internationally standardised breed classification, it is especially important to look beyond the label.

A cream Dachshund advertised simply as an “English Cream” may have very different ancestry from another dog carrying the same description.

This is why we believe that prospective owners should ask breeders questions such as:

Where do the parents come from?

What do their pedigrees show?

Are the dogs genuinely descended from established English cream lines?

What health testing has been carried out?

What genetic testing has been performed?

What is known about the wider family?

How are breeding decisions being made?

The answers to these questions tell you much more than the colour of the puppy alone.

This distinction is increasingly important as cream Dachshunds become more popular.

A Dachshund can have a cream-looking coat without necessarily having the historical British ancestry that people associate with the term English Cream.

This is why we do not believe that the phrase should simply be treated as a marketing colour label.

For us, English Cream has a connection to history, ancestry and breeding tradition.

The colour matters.

But the story behind the colour matters too.

At Von Creamshire, we believe that understanding the history and genetics of cream Dachshunds is part of being a responsible breeder.

We love the colour — obviously.

It is right there in our name. 🤍

But for us, the history behind our dogs is just as important as their appearance.

All of our breeding dogs originate from England and come from established English families and bloodlines.

They are not simply cream-coloured Dachshunds given an “English Cream” label because of how they look.

Their English origin, pedigrees and family history are an important part of what makes our breeding programme distinctive.

We believe that the term English Cream should have meaning beyond coat colour alone.

For us, it represents a connection to the British breeding tradition from which these cream Dachshunds became particularly well known, supported by genuine pedigrees and documented ancestry.

At the same time, colour is never enough.

Our aim is to breed beautiful long-haired Dachshunds while giving equal importance to:

• health and appropriate health testing 
• sound structure and correct breed type 
• stable, well-balanced temperament 
• responsible genetic selection 
• pedigree and genetic diversity 
• proper socialisation and early development 
• and, above all, the long-term welfare of every dog we produce 

A beautiful cream coat may be what catches your eye.

But a healthy, well-structured, well-socialised Dachshund with a good temperament — and a genuine connection to the historic English cream lines — is what makes responsible breeding worthwhile.

The colour may be what brings you to an English Cream Dachshund.

The dog itself should always be what makes you stay.