Dachshund overview

The Dachshund, also known as a Teckel or Doxie, originated in Germany in the sixteenth century.

They were bred and trained to chase down prey, such as a badger or fox, enter its burrow, kill it, and retrieve it. Their short legs allow them to easily enter badger dens. The breed is still used for hunting, primarily in Europe, but this dog is usually a family pet.

The Dachshund was recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club in 1885.

The pros

• An ideal dog for apartment and city living.
• Needs only moderate exercise
• Makes a keen watchdog
• Good with other family pets, especially other Dachshunds
• Comes in a variety of smallish sizes, coats, and colors.
• Comical, entertaining, and loyal to his family
• Usually lives a long life

The cons

• Chasing and hunting instincts
• Prone to separation anxiety
• They can be stubborn and strong-willed
• Potential for digging holes
• They can be a bit difficult to housebreak
• Potential for excessive barking
• They can be suspicious of strangers if not properly socialized
• Physical characteristics contribute to back problems

Interesting facts

• A Dachshund named Waldi was the first official mascot of the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich.
• Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso were proud owners of Dachshunds.
• The first British dog to be successfully cloned was a Doxie named Winnie.
• A Doxie named “Chanel” hold the Guinness World Record for oldest living dog until 2009, when she died at the age of 21.
• There is a competition known as “Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals” that takes place every year and in it, hundreds of Dachshunds compete with each other in a racing format.
• Hot dogs were named after these quirky looking canines and were originally called Dachshund Sausages.
• In German, the word “Dachs” means badger and the word “hund” means dog.

Appearance of a Doxie

A dachshund has an elongated head, floppy ears, large chest, long muscular body, short legs and a long tail.

They come in three different sizes – the standard, miniature, and kaninchen (translated as rabbit):

• Standard (chest size over 35 cm with a weight up to a maximum of 9 kg) were used to hunt badgers and wild boars.
• Miniature (chest size from 30 to 35 cm, with a weight ranging between 6 and 7 kg)
• Kaninchen (chest size up to 30 cm, with a weight ranging between 4 and 5 kg)

A Dachshund can have smooth, wirehaired, or long-haired coats:

• Wirehaired doxies tend to be the most energetic, most mischievous, and most obstinate.
• Long-haired Doxies tend to be the quietest and sweetest-natured.
• Smooth Doxies bond most closely to one person and keep more aloof with strangers.

Common colors are black, Chocolate & Tan, Black & Tan, Chocolate & Cream, Blue & tan, Cream, Tan and red. They can also have patterns in their coat, such as dapple, brindle, sable and piebald.

Dachshunds have a pretty decent lifespan of about 12–16 years.

Grooming & shedding

Dachshunds have low to moderate grooming requirements:

• During the shedding period in the smooth dachshunds, you can go over him with a towel or soft brush to remove the loose hairs.
• The wirehaired dachshund can be trimmed 2 times a year, but otherwise it does not need any coat care.
• The long-haired dachshund can be brushed once a week to prevent tangles.

You don’t need to wash a dog often. A few times in a year is more than enough to stay clean.

Their nails should be trimmed whenever necessary.

Dachshunds are very minimal shedders and shed their fur on an occasional basis. They are not hypoallergenic dogs.

How much does a Doxie cost?

On average, a Dachshund puppy will cost between 1500 and 2000 euros.

Price can vary depending on gender, pet quality, size, breeding lineage, color and markings, coat type, location etc.

Exercise & trainability

Dachshunds have fairly moderate exercise requirements. Regular slow-paced walks either in a park or a garden are good for them. Regular light-hearted play sessions are also necessary for their mental well-being and happiness.

Training a Dachshund is not extremely hard, but it can be a bit challenging from time to time. They are a little stubborn in nature and also have an independent personality.

Once they set their eyes on prey, they’re not likely to listen to any commands.

Dachshunds are fairly intelligent canines and have decent learning and thinking skills. Their problem-solving and decision-making abilities are also up to the mark as well. According to “the Intelligence of Dogs” by Stanley Coren, the Dachshund is ranked 49.

Reward-based training methods have also proved to be fairly effective while training.

Does a Doxie bark a lot?

Dachshunds love to express their feelings through their voice. These pooches can sometimes be a little noisy to their family members. If you want to control their habit of excessive barking, then it’s important to start training from an early age.

What climate is best for dachshunds?

Dachshunds are not known to be highly tolerant of cold and chilly weather conditions. These pooches should be kept warm and cozy if the temperature starts to dip below 10 degrees. They should mostly be kept inside their homes during extremely harsh and colder months of the year.

Dachshunds have an above average tolerance to heat and high temperatures. They can survive comfortably in a moderately hot area.

If the weather conditions are too hot and uncomfortable, they require a lot of care and protection from their owners.

Their friendliness

Your Dachshund can be a one-person dog. Dachshunds are not very cordial with strangers and reserved with new people if they find them suspicious. If you want your dog to be more friendly and social in nature, then proper training and early socialization is a must.

They are known to be more friendly and kind to the feline family than they are with other canines. These pooches generally mix well with other household pets, such as cats. This is a decent breed for people who are looking to raise a dog and a cat at the same time.

In general, dachshunds are not considered a very dog-friendly breed. But with training and socialization from a young age, your dachshund will get along well with other dogs.

Dachshunds can be fairly friendly with small kids if properly trained and socialized.

Their adaptability

Doxies are great apartment dogs and very adjustable in nature. These canines adapt to the apartment lifestyle easily and don’t have very high exercise or work needs.

They are known to remain fairly inactive and relaxed inside their homes.

Dachshunds can be left alone. But if these dogs are left alone constantly, it can have a bad effect on their health and mental state. These dogs can gradually become very sad and frustrated with prolonged loneliness. And this can lead to various bad habits, such as chewing furniture, incessant barking, etc.

Is a dachshund a good guard dog?

Technically, dachshunds do make fairly decent guard dogs. The more appropriate term for these canines would be excellent watchdogs.

These pooches can effectively look after or protect their homes and property by alerting their owners in case of an intruder, a burglar, or a trespasser and makes them an awesome watchdog.

Do they drool a lot?

Dachshunds do not drool a lot.

They mostly drool before or after having their meal. But apart from this, they don’t drool all that much.

Health issues

Doxies are normally quite healthy and fine, if fed properly and looked after carefully.

Common health problems found in dachshunds are:

• Intervertebral disc disease is a horrible condition causing extreme pain, and even paralysis.
• They are prone to a form of hereditary blindness (PRA) found in many purebred dogs.
• He likes to eat and easily gains weight (which negatively affects health of the back).