They are called Weiner dogs, sausage dogs, hot dogs (?), and they are loved by people all around the world. For a good reason, they are spunky, long, cute, and excellent hunters!
But, they are more than what they were originally bred to be. Today, a Dachshund is a lovely house pet and a family member that puts a smile on our faces with their personalities and their looks.
- Size
There are two versions of Dachshunds in terms of their size: miniature and standard.
The miniature Dachshund size: height – 5 to 6 inches; weight – up to 11 pounds
The standard Dachshund size: height – 8 to 10 inches; weight – 15 to 32 pounds
But, what makes this breed so recognizable are their long bodies and short legs. They were bred a long time ago (the American Kennel Club states as early as the 15th century) to hunt badgers and other underground-dwelling animals.
That’s why they’ve got those cute little legs and long bodies – to reach the parts where other dogs cannot and bait or hunt down prey.
- Color
A Dachshund dog can come in numerous coat colors, fawn, black, cream, red, etc. However, out of 15 coat colors you can register, the AKC doesn’t recognize fawn, chocolate, and black as a standard breed color.
The one we’ve seen the most is the black and tan coat color. However, other variations are gaining popularity.
- Social traits
The first thing you will hear from Dachshund owners is that they are stubborn but very affectionate. They are also comedians, spunky, with a little hunter inside of them. That is something you’ll have to work with.
As mentioned, Dachshunds were bred to hunt and that’s hundreds of years of genetics contained in the genes of your sweet little Weiner dog today. You cannot erase that. But, you can work with it and focus it on something else. How?
Socialization is the key! If you expose them to various animals, dogs, cats, birds, and people – a dog will get used to it and not consider it a threat or something to be hunted. They can be aggressive around other dogs, so this is very important to do.
Good with children: yes, but have to be socialized first!
Good with other dogs: yes, but have to be socialized!
Good with other animals: can be, some will never get over the hunting instincts. But, again, socialization is the key.
- Trainability
Their stubbornness does not help you during their training process. They have what the owners like to call “selective hearing”. It means they will do what they think it’s fun for them to do and often ignore your other commands.
They can be trained of course, but you will need more patience than with some other dog breeds. You will have to be consistent and stick to the routine.
Don’t change your rules on what is OK and what is not OK for your Dachshund to do. Don’t lose patience. Find out what interests your dog and use it during training sessions. For example, a treat, a toy, a stick?
Randomly call your pup during the day when you are out of sight and have them ‘find’ you, then praise and reward them. The ‘find me’ game reinforces the most important recall command.
- Activity needs
They are not the most active dog breeds and will choose to sleep all day long, cozy in their beds (or your bed) if they can. However, they are prone to weight gain, so we need to make sure they have enough daily exercise.
A short walk, around 15 minutes, two times a day is enough. You should, however, add some home play to ensure their mind stays sharp. We will talk about possible problems later, but it goes without saying we should be careful not to encourage play that could lead to spine injury.
- Feeding
If you feed your adult Doxie dry food (kibble) then they will need approximately ⅓ of a cup two times a day. You can adjust the amount according to your dog’s eating habits, health, or age. Asking your veterinarian for advice is always encouraged because every dog is unique.
The important thing is to keep your dog in good shape, and not overweight. Dog Weight – What Is Normal, is our article that can help you quickly find out if your dog is underweight, normal weight, or overweight.
If your vet says your Dachshund needs to lose weight, you can choose a slow-feeder dog bowl to help your dog slow down while eating and give him something to do, not just gulp down food.
- Grooming
There are three types of coats a Dachshund can have and different grooming needs:
- Smooth and short; just a handglove once a week
- Medium/Lonhaired; they need more frequent brushing, which depends on the thickness and length of the fur; a few times a week
- Wirehaired; they need weekly brushing, and occasional haircut to the beard and eyebrows; stripping or hand-plucking several times a year is also needed
Don’t forget that no matter the coat length, all Dachshunds need to have their nails trimmed regularly. Also, after every walk and during every grooming session, check their ears and paws for any foreign objects.
- Possible problems
Dachshund is a healthy dog breed. They also have a longer lifespan, around 16 years. Of course, this is in case we keep our Doxies fit. That is the biggest issue – overweight Dachshunds.
Obesity leads to numerous problems which are especially troublesome for long-spined Doxies. They don’t have the means to adequately support extra weight and can have serious back problems.
So, the number one thing is to keep your Dachshund fit and physically active, but don’t over exercise your dog. Remember, two short walks a day and some playtime in the house. If you have a yard, then it’s perfect to let them sniff and explore on their own in between the walks.
Besides back problems, they can have eye problems as well. The common eye problems are Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), cataracts, glaucoma, etc.
Final thoughts
Dachshunds or Doxies for short, are adorable, stubborn, affectionate, great hunters, full of character dogs. They are even considered to be good small guard dogs. You won’t make a mistake if you get a Dachshund.
They are great family dogs with proper early socialization and excellent hunters if you need help with vermins on your farm. However, they can be stubborn, they are prone to weight gain, and are not the easiest to train.
Depending on the coat type, they can be very easy to groom or they’ll need a bit more time to keep their fur healthy and good-looking.
One thing is certain, Doxies will win your heart in a blink of an eye.
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