Best Dachshund – Cattle Dog Mixes

Dog crossbreeds, hybrids, or mixes have been intentionally bred from two or more recognized dog breeds, and there are several such mixes between dachshunds and cattle dogs. The most popular is a cross between a dachshund and an Australian cattle dog known as the Doxie Heeler; however, other crossbreeds exist.

While dachshunds cannot be crossbred with all cattle dog breeds due to size and other genetic issues, breeders can cross them with a few breeds to form a dachshund-cattle dog mix. The best can include the Australian cattle dog, the Australian shepherd dog, and the Bernese mountain dog.

Read on to find out more about the different possible dachshunds and cattle dog crossbreeds, the appearance and temperament of each, and the pros and cons of crossbreeding cattle dogs with dachshunds.

About Dachshunds

The dachshund, also known as the wiener dog, sausage dog, or doxie, is a long-bodied, short-legged dog breed with an ever-alert expression and bold, vivacious personality. The breed was developed over 300 years ago in Germany as a scent dog to hunt badgers and trail boar.  

Dachshunds come in two sizes — standard and miniature — with three coat types: smooth (short haired), wirehaired, and longhaired in various colors and patterns. The dachshund is a small breed, standing at just 5 to 6 inches high and weighing between 16 and 33 pounds.

They are highly intelligent dogs with a cute appearance and lively disposition. They are very playful and make excellent family companions, show dogs, and small-game hunters. These little dogs are a delightful addition to any family, which has made them one of the most popular breeds since the 1950s (source).

About Cattle Dogs

Cattle dog is a breed developed for working on farms and herding livestock. The most popular breed is the Australian cattle dog, also known simply as the blue heeler, Queensland heeler, or Halls heeler. 

Australian settlers developed this type as a herding dog to control vast herds of cattle over long distances on expansive ranches and across rough terrain.

Most cattle dog breeds are extremely intelligent, active, and sturdy and thrive on having a job to do. They have an independent streak and take well to structured training, particularly if it is interesting and challenging to the dog in question.

Cattle dogs have been bred to nip at the heels of cattle to herd them, so they are more likely to nip running children; however, they are fiercely loyal dogs and can be very protective of their family and possessions. Most of these cattle breeds require a lot of exercise, but they are easy to train and happy to work.

Different Types of Cattle Dog Breeds

According to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Organization), an international federation of kennel clubs based in Belgium, there are 10 cattle dog breeds. These breeds are medium to large and are strong and sturdy with an intelligent and independent disposition. 

Some cattle dog breeds can be crossbred with smaller dogs, such as dachshunds, to create a “designer dog.” However, not cattle dog breeds can be crossbred with smaller dogs due to the significant difference in the dogs’ physical size, which would possibly cause genetic issues and birthing problems.

The best dachshund-cattle dog mixes are between the Australian cattle dog, the Australian shepherd dog, and the Bernese mountain dog.

Australian Cattle Dog

Australian cattle dogs are an extremely intelligent, active, and sturdy dog breed with a wonderful temperament. They are also known as Australian heelers, Halls heelers, Queensland heelers, blue heelers, red heelers, Australian cattle dogs, and Australischer Treibhunds.

This breed is a medium-sized, short-coated dog with a coat that grows in two main color forms — either mottled brown or black speckled with white. This can give the dog a “blue” or “red” appearance.

Australian cattle dogs are loyal and protective of their families. However, they thrive on herding work and enjoy canine sports like rally, flyball, and flying disc games. This breed requires significant mental and physical activity to stay happy and healthy (source).

Australian Cattle Dog-Dachshund Mix

The most popular mix between an Australian cattle dog and a dachshund is known as a doxie heeler

Lovingly known as the “blue sausage,” this breed has an elongated body with short legs and a very strong personality. They make for excellent watchdogs and will defend their family with vigor. They are highly active and need plenty of activities and exercise to keep them busy.

Doxie heelers usually have a slightly longer body, a coat of varying colors, and long, erect ears. The combination of the hunter in the dachshund and the herder in the Australian cattle dog tends to wreak havoc on pests such as rats. However, their only downfall is that they may not always take easily to other pets in the home. 

This is a naturally chatty breed, so they tend to be quite vocal and bark a lot. They can also be challenging to train if you don’t put the correct amount of effort into their development.

Australian Shepherd Dog

Image by Couleur via Pixabay

The Australian shepherd dog, also known as the Australian mountain dog, is a fairly new breed that emerged in the early 19th century. This is a highly intelligent type of herding dog that is used to herd and control cattle across great distances. Similar to wild dingoes, they can withstand heat and long distances.

The Australian mountain dog has a double-layered, spotted coat in bluish-black, mottled, or red with marks and freckles. The breed has large, pointy ears and a tail with a certain curve when it rests. The Australian mountain dog stands between 18 and 23 inches high and weighs 35 to 75 pounds (source).

Australian Shepherd Dog-Dachshund Mix

The Australian shepherd-dachshund, also known as the Aussie-dachshund mix, is a crossbreed of an Australian shepherd dog and a dachshund. With the significant difference in height and weight, this crossbreed may resemble the longhaired dachshund.

As with any crossbreed, however, the parent breeds usually determine how large the mix will be, so you could also get a short-legged, long-bodied, fairly small-sized dog. The Aussie-mini dachshund mix will be even smaller.

Temperament-wise, the Aussie-dachshund mix will be a combination of the Aussie’s devoted personality and the dachshund’s hunting instincts. This can make the breed energetic and sometimes impatient. They are courageous and dedicated to their families and will defend their families around strangers.

Bernese Mountain Dog

The ancient Bernese mountain dog breed comes from Switzerland and is one of four Swiss Mountain breeds. These are powerful and strong dogs that were bred to herd and guard cattle in the mountains. They are also sometimes trained as rescue dogs.

These very large dogs can measure over 2 feet at the withers, which is the highest point of the shoulders, and weigh up to 110 lbs. However, they are docile and sweet-natured souls. They are calm, lovable dogs that make excellent pets and companion animals. 

This breed is easy to train, reliable, and affectionate with children and needs a lot of physical activity. They have a black and white coat with brown on their chest, face, and legs.

Bernese Mountain Dog-Dachshund Mix

The Bernese mountain dog-dachshund crossbreed is a rare mix due to the vast difference in size, but the result is a medium-sized dog with long hair, short legs, and a barrel-shaped chest. 

They’re quite energetic and require a lot of activity and exercise. They have lovable personalities, are very courageous, and will defend their families around strangers.

A Bernese mountain dog-dachshund mix may have a mixed-color coat that could include black and white, brown, and tinges of red. The coat will generally be thick and possibly longhaired from the Bernese mountain dog side of the mix.  

Other Cattle Dog Breeds

Other cattle dog breeds include the Bouvier des Flandres (Belgium), Bouvier des Ardennes (Belgium), Greater Swiss mountain dog (Switzerland), Cão Fila de São Miguel (Portugal), Appenzeller Sennenhund (Switzerland), Pyrenean mastiff (Spain), and St Bernard (Switzerland).

These herding cattle dog breeds are generally large in size and share an innate ability to control the movement of other animals, such as herds of livestock. One of the characters of these dogs is that they’re known to gently herd their owners, especially the children of the family (source). 

Pros and Cons of Dachshund-Cattle Dog Mixes

Crossbreeding dogs can be a highly contentious subject, with one side of the fence believing that crossbreeds are impure and experimental, while the other side believes the practice of crossbreeding adds more vigor and strength to an existing breed.

Disadvantages of crossbreeding cattle dogs and dachshunds can include genetic issues, sizing problems, and difficulties in delivery due to the difference in size between the two breeds.

One of the advantages of mixing these two breeds is that a unique look is created in the new dog with a variety of sizes, hair length, and color. They also make great pets with their loving personalities and are excellent watchdogs and companions overall. 

The cattle dog influence in these mixes also means that these dogs are easy to train, intelligent, and active.

Final Thoughts

The combination of one of the several breeds of a cattle dog and a dachshund makes for a beautiful, unique, and loving dog that makes a great pet and companion. While the crossbreeding of these two types of dogs can cause issues regarding the difference in size and personality, they can be just as loving and friendly as any pure breed.

The best dachshund-cattle dog mixes include the Australian shepherd-dachshund, the Australian cattle dog-dachshund, and the Bernese mountain dog-dachshund.

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