The following standard was originally posted on Starswept and is reproduced for preservation.
Before you register…
Please take a few moments to go over the standard, and also take a look at the notes on body type AND the addition of notes on Chihuahua-patched dogz sometimes passed off as ‘Tamsins.’
Tamsin Description/’Standard’
I do hesitate to call this a standard, as such. Tamsins are not a true ‘selective breed,’ as the permitted variations are too many and they do not breed true. So it is, more or less, a set of guidelines; standard will do, I suppose.
The standard remains the same, save for one thing: ears have been changed to Dalmatian-preferred to Dalmatian-only (in other words, no more Mutt ears).
[Please don’t kill me >.<.]
Body: Dalmatian
Legs: Dalmatian (preferred) or Mutt
Feet: Dalmatian (preferred) or Mutt
Head: Dalmatian
Ears: Dalmatian
Tail: any, Dalmatian preferred
Coat: any, no preference
Size: No minis, please..just normal-sized doggies
Color: All colors…if white, please paint so that I may see their markings
Markings: Patches necessary, spots optional but preferred
Lineage: Other breeds (original), hexed ancestors, and inbreeding are all just fine
Body Type: Incorrect vs. Correct
Some people seem to have trouble distinguishing between Dali bodies (which are correct for a Tamsin), and Mutt bodies (which are incorrect for a Tamsin). So here’s a simple comparison between the two. The red dog on the left demonstrates the incorrect Mutt body, while the blue dog on the right has the correct Dali body. I also included partial pictures of the same dogs with a red outline on their stomachs to illustrate the difference. See it now?
False Tamsins
Recently, I’ve noticed a seemingly growing number of ‘Tamsins’ that are NOT true Tamsins; they have Chihuahua patches, not the required Mutt patches. Dogz with Chi patches typically have white socks, also sometimes tail tips and face markings, and also chest patches. Their chest patches (and sometimes face markings) can be white OR cream. Unfortunately, the white chest patches are what seem to throw people off; however, Chi and Mutt chest patches are shaped differently. In this way, they can be told apart, as demonstrated below:
I’m going to do a bit of breeding to get examples of how the Chi and Mutt face markings can be told apart; my ‘false Tam’ example does also demonstrate a particular face marking found only in Chihuahuas, not in Mutts.
Chihuahua and Mutt patches can occur on the same dog, and in the cases where they do, this is perfectly acceptable.
Thank you to canni for allowing me to use her Chi-marked Tamsin’s picture.,
Tamsin Variations
While their variations are what keep Tamsins from being a true ‘selective breed,’ they’re what makes them FUN. Variety is the spice of life, no? Here will be covered the usual variations, from fuzzy coats to German Shepherd markings.
Coat Types
Though all types of coats are acceptable for Tamsins, I have at times considered making the smooth coat ‘preferred,’ in order to give another trait to judge by in conformation-type shows; but I stop myself every time. I know I love the different coats, and some people prefer them. And so coats remain no preference. In this way, the individual judge may specify their preference, or perhaps the shows could be divided into groups by coat. At any rate, the three coat types are (respective to the pictures below): Smooth, Wire (Scottie, Poodle), and Fluffy (Sheepdog). [Wire and fluffy coats are both called simply ‘fuzzy’ most of the time, but here it was best to distinguish. Also, no distinction is made between ‘normal’ smooth coats and the ‘extra-smooth’ coat sported by some Dachshund descendants.]
Additional Markings:
Well, the Dali-spot/Mutt-patch combination just isn’t enough for some people, it would seem; markings from other breeds have found their way into Tamsins. This has at times, however, kicked up a little bit of controversy, and can make the business of registering a bit more difficult. As always, I must stress that in the case of some Tamsins, it will be required for you to paint their Mutt patches if you wish to register them (this is more fully spoken of in the rules for registration, which you MUST read if you plan to register). In any case, the common variants are as follows (respective to the pictures below): German (German Shepherd), Dachs (Dachshund), Halfie (Sheepdog), Scot (Scottie), Chi (Chihuahua), Booted (Poodle–no picture currently).
German: Saddle and face markings typical, but German Shepherd ancestry provides for a pretty big variety of markings.
Dachs: Colored socks, tailtip, sometimes eyebrows possible. Perhaps muzzle occurs as well; I haven’t bred or seen one just yet.
Halfie: Half one color, half another–pretty self explanitory.
Scots: Colored toes, usually eyebrows as well.
Chi: White socks, face marks, tailtips possible. Also, chest patches in white or cream. NOTE: As you can see, Chi patches are of a different size and shape than Mutt patches; Chi patches alone do not make a Tamsin. Without proof of definite Mutt patches, a dog may not be registered.
Booted: Similar to Scots, but gives a dog colored paws, not just toes.
