Should i get a dachshund

I would love to know more about dachshunds so I can take better care for my Spike. What a wonderful story Erica. Thanks for sharing and giving Spike such a good life. It sounds like you are taking really good care of him but I love to hear that you are always seeking to learn more and do better. Hi Lester. Both of my Dachshunds will sometimes stop playing and cough if they get too worked up or get a string from a toy in their mouth or piece of hair from the floor.

I hope you can get it figured out. I have a mini-girl named Feather. She sounds like she is choking after drinking water. Actually, she just turned one and after watching closely her nose hits the water as well as her tongue. She coughs if she inhales the water through her nose. Hi Joyce. Gretel coughs sometimes too if she drinks too much water too fast.

My dashound chokes when drinking water.. Thanks for the tip Mary. The ice cubes probably slow down how much your pup is able to swallow at once. I have a very stubborn double dapple. There is no stopping him from what he wants. He was so fat at one point I had to put him on a diet. He is difficult to train, but when we are consistent he does much better. I had had him over 8 years…he was a percent Heinz 57…I missed him so…. I fell in love with him….

I love that…. I was very sad last week and walked n my home and just cried…he laid his head on my lap and used those little legs to get to my face and licked my tears away…. I promise to keep you posted…. Thank you for giving Gus such a good life. Dachshunds are very social so not giving them the attention they crave can make them act out often. Again, thanks for loving him. I have a double dapple. She is healthy and 14 years old. I love her so much. But my friend adopted a litter mate of my little Kaya, and he is deaf and almost blind.

Another litter mate was adopted and returned for being blind. So be careful and adopt from responsible breeders or better yet, check the shelters.

Yes, good advice. My little dachshunds is not socialized and he is 4yrs old. Is he too old to they and make him less aggressive with other dogs and children? Hi Robin. Although your pup may never be as-well adjusted as if socialization had occurred within the first 6 months, the trainer should be able to help you make progress.

Gretel was 11 months old when she came to live with me and had very little socialization. She was so anxious, she was on Prozac.

I had a double dapple, silver dapple. Adn rare. You just have to be careful about giving dogs a lot of bread. It expands in the bellies. Not only is it bad to give them bread, but also food with too much fat. I would love for my pup to sleep with me, but when she was younger like 8 was she would mess in my bed.

I put her in the bathroom because of that. I put 2 pee pads down and her a bed in there. Hi Janice. The only way you will know for sure is to try. My longhair standard Dachshund, Dodger, got 4 trucks titles: novice, intermediate, advanced, and expert. He also did agility including 12 weave poles. He was the first dog I ever really trained and I used a clicker. He just turned 14 and is losing his sight, but still caught a rabbit this summer.

Keep training and loving your pup! Way to go Dodger! I now have a sweet girl via rescue. Some barking but nothing extreme. However she has become obsessed with rabbits. When she sees a rabbit she shakes from head to toe and cries loudly. When this happens I let her out to run the yard. Any advise or should I not worry about her?

I feel bad that she becomes so upset. That will discourage her obsession. The only real reason it matters is because rabbits look like cats and other vermin so eventually she may get very amped up and uncontrollable any time he sees those things out in the world. Another idea is to enroll her in something like lure coursing, barn hunt, Earthdog, or nosework so she can use her natural instincts, get some satisfaction out of it, and burn some energy.

My Gretel calmed down a lot when she turned 4. Welcome to the world of Doxies! I think enrolling her in a class where she could use those strong instincts would be great for her. Thank you for your suggestions. I have two doxies one is Lucy the other Linus. My dogs are twins as well. Lucy is very independent while Linus is less and relies on Lucy.

Lucy is the protector. She is very smart so is he but he is more reserved and fragile. Lucy follows me everywhere. Learns in an instant and yes they have a great sent. But they are not stubborn as a matter of fact they both behave very nicely and do not bark at the door bell ringing or people coming in. Lucy will bark at other dogs when taking a walk. Linus on the other hand does not like walks. They are supper loving and loyal and Lucy is particularly very fund of me while Linus can be shared between my daughter my grandson and I.

Their training was not bad considering I have a miniature female pitcher who was older when they came to our home and she is the leader and has helped with training. However when I tend to not take Lucy out on trips with me she may decide to have an accident????. They are loving the best I have ever had besides my min pincher. I just got a mini. This is the first dachshund I have ever owned and he was given as a gift…no research. I was wondering what you thought about raising them with rabbits.

I know they would typically hunt them, but these are pets that live in the back yard. I have successfully raised my Jacks around them with no problem. My little guy is only 6 weeks old and I have been taking him out regularly to spend time with the rabbits.

The rabbits are and will be much bigger than he is. Do the rabbits stand a chance or should I keep the separate? Hi Jackie. In my experience, there are always exceptions to the rule. I would be careful though.

No matter how much training a dog has, their primitive instincts can take over. Welcome new doxy owner. I have had three doxies, the first two are deceased now and lived wonderful healthy lives. The third is my only baby now, now 4 yrs old, and a typical doxy. I have always wanted a red doxy and maybe someday I will have one. For you, enjoy your doxy, and learn from all those people who offer you advice about doxies. I have a wirehaired doxie named dodger too…I love him.

He is nine and still acts like a pup when we play. So glad I found this discussion…feels like family. Doxie lovers united. I have a wire hair also, almost 5. What a funny, loving, devoted dog. Hello everyone.. I just adopted my first dashound ever.. He is also starting to bark at people in my apartment complex which is not good since I live in a senior building..

Hi Quita. A short-term solution might be a belly band that covers his pee pee. Good luck on the barking. I have 2 chiweenies and 1 dapple Dachshund. I love Them all. If you are looking for a Dachshund, but concerned about the back problems maybe look for one that is a mixed designer breeds. I could Have a house full of them. The most difficult thing about them that I have found is the house training. My Full Dachshund is still a puppy and I am Trying the puppy pads this time.

He has been pretty good about using them but occasionally he will still find a rug to pee on. The 2 chiweenies were difficult to house train as well. They are 3 years old and still have accidents. I have Found that the chiweenies are a little bit more aggressive with strangers than what I have Seen from other Dachshunds.

They are very protective of us, but they do eventually warm up to people and especially if someone were to sit on our couch, they would be right in their lap wanting their belly rubbed. Actually, the length of the back has little to do with IVDD and back issues. IVDD is a genetic disease that is inherited from a parent. Some breeds are more prone to it than others: Dachshunds are 1 and French Bulldogs get it pretty frequently but I also know some Chihuahuas with it. As to mixed breeds, I love purebred Dachshunds but have definitely developed a love for mixes too.

I think my favorites are Chiweenies and Dachshund-terrier mixes. Hey jess, loved this article and can relate to most of the points! I wondered what you take is on letting dachshunds off their leesh? But on other occasions, he looks back constantly to check I am still close by. I think he tends to run off when he recognises the route and makes to find his own way home. Even if that means running out into a busy road!!! Fairly inconsistent behaviour.. Those that do can be extended off-leash principles.

They are not humans and just learn to accept a leash if we choose. With a cliff on one side and water on the other, there are only two ways she can go — toward me or away from me.

Thanks Jess. Very informative, and I can confirm almost all of what you said. Particularly I liked that you qualified things by pointing at that not all of these apply to each Dachshund. For example, none of my three are diggers. I do believe they have barked once or twice though. Keep up the good work.

Now, barkers? We just moved to a new house about 2 months ago, and my neighbors have given us a lot of latitude as far as our two dachshunds barking is concerned. But we get tired of it too. At our old house we had high, block walls so my dogs could never see where scary noises came from, and they barked a lot. Now our new house has chain link fencing and very close houses. They barked at literally everything the first two weeks, until they made the associations of noises to things.

However, they still barked at all the neighbors, and every time they did I had to shush them. They got so good at timing the barking with how long it took me to get outside, stop barking, and resume as soon as I went back in the house.

Today we got vibrating dog collars to get them to stop. It only took about 2 times and they figured it out. One of our dogs is so smart and manipulative. He finally figured out her game and quit giving them to her. So she still bosses me around! It was actually kind of cute. Ah, some of these make so much sense! I think Alfie is part dachshund, and he does many of these things!

I have a friend that has a Doxie mix. So many thing she does are similar. I wonder if Doxie traits are dominant? This was a great article! I started out with 1 and soon very much realized she was not going to survive being alone while i was work… even with coming home at lunch…..

Now for the record my dachshunds are not pure, their mother was a beagle and their father was a miniature dachshund. Chester survived for 8 years without another dog around.

I know I can find him at the next available human hand though. I am glad your pups keep each other company. A Beagle-Dachshund mix must be interesting — both in look and temperament.

I am currently on dachshund number 4. I am a vet tech so mine have all came from clinics with stories attached.

All have been barkers, the current one does most of her barking in the yard at least. All have also been landscapers, Penny Lane my current has managed to catch a couple ground squirrels with her digging. I have given up on crate pads and dog beds, instead I buy inexpensive fleece blankets or remnants at the fabric store.

Beds were just being eaten too often, and they seem to like arranging and covering themselves better. I have discovered that Penny is very easily trained in the right circumstances.

She steals cat food, and cleans the litter box, I know I am surprised also lol. As my cats have aged I can not have things up out of dachshund reach anymore.

I am currently using a Pawsaway Zone alarm. I have added a second base by the front door, and now people can actually get inside before the dogs demand attention. It would be a dream at my house if Chester and Gretel actually let people get in the door before they went nuts on them and demanded attention. I have had doxies for 50 years. I cannot be happy without at least one. All of what you said is soooo true.

I love the breed and have friends that have them and are the same way. My present boy is number 7 for me. I lost my little girl 2 months ago at 17 and a half. All have lived at least 13 years. I am sorry for your loss. Chester is 13 now. He seems to be going strong. Right now I have Chester and Gretel, someday it will be Gretel and another Doxie, then it will be Doxie number 3 with Doxie number 4, and so on.

I recently had to put down my doxie, whom I loved with all my heart. He was They had to put in a catheter every four hours and it took 3 adults to hold him down while they did it. We talked, and sat in the sun for about a half an hour, when the vet assistant came out to put another catheter in him, I said NO, never again. Then I said, give him the injection. He was my third doxie and I never want another due to having to do the same thing, but I miss him so much, any suggestions?

Hi Liz. How heartbreaking. As with any loss and grief, it gets better with time. Several of them swore that each time would be their last Dachshund. The need for that companionship, and the hope of giving a pup a loving home, will start to outweigh your grief. When that time does come, you have several options. You can consider a Dachshund mix. IVDD is a genetic disease that is most likely to afflict Dachshunds. Although some other breeds can get it, it is less common in those breeds I would advise staying away from a french Bulldog though — I know several of those that suffer from IVDD.

You could also just go with another breed all together. I have my baby Dashound of 6 years old and now his daughter of 11 months old who looks like his twin. I am on my fourth and fifth daschounds. I have had to put down two them. Baron lived for He was very uncomfortable at the end so I put him down.

I stayed with him until the end and I was the last thing he saw before he left. Schultz live to be almost He was deaf and blind when I had to put him down. They both lived great lives with lots of love. I now have Frankie and Johnny ages six and four.

Take some time to grieve and perhaps you will find yourself wanting another. I did!! I just lost my doxie of 13 years. He was there for me thru good and bad. He died at home with me. Hopefully time will help me. But I rescued another doxie from the humane society.

She has heartworms and is being treated for them. Almost three months ago, I watched my dachshund drowned. I jumped into the lake where he used to swim everyday when I noticed something was wrong and he was struggling. Unfortunately, I did not get to him on time and I saw him disappearing into the lake. His name was Leopold and he was only six and a half. The pain was unbearable. I could not stop seeing him drowning in my head and I felt super guilty.

This dog was everything to me. He was only three months old when I adopted him. He plaid an essential part in my life. Without him, I feel lonely and empty. I have another Dachshund who I deeply love too but without Leopold both of us feel lost. Corrine, that is so heartbreaking. I hope your heart is able to heal with time. My Winnie is going to be 20 years old on September 2nd. She is still active and catches anything that moves in my back yard.

All my doxies have been deer stalkers and deer chasers. It seems they like to stalk deer. Winnie has even gone after a bear in the yard.

The funniest is watching her try to catch Sand Hill Cranes. I keep asking her what she would do with one if she catch it! I meant to mention cats. When she passed away we thought Pepper was going to die of a broken heart. The parents of Loulou did everything and had no problems at all. We also let her do everything. Eveline: I think that makes a difference for each character.

Loulou could sleep all day, but for her health, it is good that she moves. We live in a nature reserve and walk with her several times a day, more so with good weather, because she hates rain and cold haha. I think 1. Sweet, calm, gentle, thief haha she steals food , cuddler. Eveline: It is more a beautiful and sad story. We have rabbits and have had a litter. They had made a hole and I could keep an eye on everything with a flashlight in it.

It went so well. As soon as they could jump around and get out of the den, 1 bunny was bitten by a weasel. So sad. The bunny was seriously injured and fled to her den. The hole was too deep and I could not reach it. We took the risk of sending Loulou into the den to retrieve the bunny for us. She did it and proudly came out of the den with the bunny.

These breeders must do extra health tests and meet higher standards. If you are having difficulty with veterinary costs, you can check if you are eligible for treatment at PDSA here. Do plenty of research before getting a Dachshund.

These loving little dogs are full of beans and will often tire out way after their owner! They can be wilful at times so need an owner prepared to work through this. There are plenty of rescue centres across the country where you may find a Dachshund. Breed-specific rescues that specialise in Dachshunds are also out there. Good rescue centres should let you know of any health and behaviour problems. If you buy from a breeder, make sure your puppy will be well socialised and have all necessary screening tests, health checks and vaccinations.

We recommend looking for a Kennel Club Assured breeder as they meet higher standards. Donate Menu. Get help. Find us. Dachshund Breed Information. Key facts and characteristics.

Energy levels. Easy to train. Exercise needed. Dachshunds are affectionate and playful little dogs who have a lot of energy considering their smaller size. Common health problems in Dachshunds Dachshunds are active dogs who enjoy being involved in everything around the home. Some of the conditions Dachshunds may develop include: Intervertebral disc disease — abnormality of the discs that provide cushioning between the vertebrae back bones.

Both standard and miniature varieties are affected by back problems. Heart disease miniature varieties. Progressive Retinal Atrophy — gradual loss of sight over several months or years. Ask whether your dachshund has been microchipped. If he has, ask if the chip has been updated with your details. Ask how long ago he was wormed, and if and when he had his last flea treatment, so you can note down the dates and keep everything on schedule. It could be a toy or blanket, for example, covered in her scent.

Ask what food your puppy is currently eating and at what times of day. The breeder may give you some food to cover you for a few days until you stock up. Keep feeding the same food as the breeder and phase it out slowly. This should have been done when you were doing your research but, just to recap, ask about any medical information you should be aware of, such as history of Intervertebral Disc Disease IVDD in his parents.

Register with your local vet and book a check-up. Take all your paperwork with you so you have all the dates and information to hand.

Speak to your vet about flea and worming treatments and make a note of the dates in your diary. This is safer because you then know the treatments are legit. Adult Miniature dachshunds need at least 30 minutes of daily exercise and adult standard dachshunds need 60 minutes or more.

What you need to do will depend on the type of dachshund you have. If you need to bathe your pup, make sure you use a gentle, natural dog shampoo. You must be willing to spend time on training because dachshunds are stubborn and it can take time to learn. Dachshund puppies can be hard work and it can be tiring too. One of the biggest challenges is potty training as it can take a while for them to pick this up. But as long as you dedicate enough time to helping him learn, he should soon get the hang of it.

As pack dogs, dachshunds love company and being around people. Having said that, if you can get someone to pop in and help you out, you can definitely make it work! Dachshunds are fairly low-maintenance, as long as you spend time on training when you first bring them home. Adult dachshunds are fairly easy to look after.

You just need to stock up on the essentials, keep him up to date with his jabs, flea and worm treatments, feed him the right amount of food , groom him every few months and make sure he gets enough exercise and playtime. On top of that, give him lots of love, fuss and attention!

Dachshunds are sociable dogs that love having people around. Your dachshund may be nervous and unsettled for the first few days, so give him space and time to get used to his new home.

You might have a restless few nights after your dachshund arrives.