Quick Facts
Origin: Germany
Height: Standard: 8”-9”, Mini: 5″-6″
Weight: Standard: 16-32 lbs, Mini: Up to 11 lbs
Color: Black & cream, black & tan, chocolate & tan, cream, red, wheaten, wild boar, blue & cream, fawn & tan, fawn & cream, chocolate & cream with markings that can include brindle, sable, piebald, and dapple
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Clever, tenacious, independent, frisky
Overview
Dachshunds come in two sizes with three different coat types, with so many different color combinations with or without marking, no two will ever truly be exactly alike.
These long-and-low bodied pups originated in Germany with their name translating into “badger dog”. If you’ve ever seen a badger, you know they are a fearsome adversary. So pint sized they may be but Dachshunds are just a fierce and bold. They make excellent watchdogs, as they won’t let anyone approach the house without the neighborhood knowing.
Doxies, Datsun, dachie, weiner dogs, hotdogs or whatever else you may want to call these little pups, they have won hearts the world over.
Celebrity Owners
Kevin Smith, Picasso, Adele, Sharon Stone, Queen Elizabeth, Betty White, Jean Harlow, Fergi, Danny Davito, George Orwell, Mischa Barton, Carole Lombard, Lou Reed, Daymond John, Marlon Brando, Doris Day, Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Charlotte, Al Pacino, Patti Page, Dita von Teese, David Hockney, Selma Blair, Norm Macdonald, Ben Gazarra, Clark Gable, William Powell, Suzanne Pleshette, Terry Bradshaw, Clint Eastwood, Jack Black, John Wayne
Fun Facts
- There was a doxie named Obie who was famous for tipping the scales at 77lbs. With the average healthy weight of a dachshund topping out at 32lbs, Obie surely was a whopper! He was also famous for losing the weight! Finishing off at 28 lbs – he lost a grand total of 49lbs!
Health
The most important thing to remember with Doxies is their predisposition to back injuries. As with all low and long dogs, never allow your pup to jump up or down from beds, couches, or other such heights.
Providing a puppy ramp or stairs will greatly help your pup in avoiding injury. Generally, Dachshunds are healthy pups. Other concerns may include:
- Progressive retinal atrophy: Atrophy is a wearing or wasting away of a body part. In this case, it is the retina in the eye, which eventually leads to blindness.
- Stomach bloat (GDV): Gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV is a condition when a dog’s stomach becomes distended with gas.
- Deafness: Deafness can be hereditary or can happen through infection, trauma, or a degenerative cochlea.
- Epilepsy: The most common neurological disease in dogs, seizures affect about 1% of dogs.
- Diabetes: This condition revolves around glucose levels (sugar) in the blood. Constant monitoring and intervention could be required.
- Cushing’s disease: This serious health condition is caused by the adrenal glands overproducing cortisol. Extreme thirst and frequent urinating are common signs.
- Acanthosis nigricans: Here, dark, velvety skin forms in creases and body folds. This condition typically is accompanied with overweight animals.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Grooming
Dachshunds have three different kinds of coats. Smooth-coated Dachshunds shed more than the others. You can keep them looking their best by wiping them down with a towel or hound glove a couple of times per week.
Longhairs need full body brushing weekly or more often if they are looking shabby. Wirehaired coat needs to be hand-stripped several times a year. Trim their beard and eyebrows as needed.
All three coat types should be bathed regularly. Regardless of their coat, check your Doxie’s ears to make sure they are clean and clear of debris. Keep your pup’s nails clipped short and brush their teeth several times a week.
Exercise
Don’t assume just because these pups are small that they don’t need exercise. Doxies have a penchant for become overweight. Combined with their predisposition to develop back issues, activity and plenty of it is a must.
Begin with a couple of 10-minute walks and build from there. If you don’t have time for all those walks, add in a game of fetch and that should satisfy your pup.
To help avoid significant injury, never permit your pup to run up and down stairs, or to jump up or down from heights such as the bed or a couch.
Nutrition
There are two health concerns to consider when you are figuring out how much to feed your Dachshund. First, these dogs are prone to excessive weight gain. Second, they are prone to back problems, to which weight is a great contributor.
You need to monitor how much your pup weighs and adjust appropriately to help maintain the proper weight for their age and frame. Always consider any treats and table scraps (which should be discouraged) your pup is having as all of these little snacks contribute to your dog’s overall weight.
Giving your pup the right dog food is important to their health and longevity.
Training
As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other dogs is essential. Dachshunds have instincts to dig and chase, so early training as well is crucial. Doxies thrive in training that is reward based. They love to be praised so bring on the positive reinforcement. They will not respond well to harsh punitive training.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pups life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
The Good
Great watchdog
Good companion dogs
The "Ruff"
High tendency to bark
Prone to back issues