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Dachshund

curious / friendly / spunky
Hound Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

8-9 inches (standard)

5-6 inches (miniature)

Weight

16-32 pounds (standard)
11 pounds & under (miniature)

Life Expectancy

12-16 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    80% 80%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    80% 80%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    80% 80%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    100% 100%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    80% 80%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    80% 80%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    80% 80%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    100% 100%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Dachshund is a superstar of the canine world thanks to his renowned long, low silhouette, perpetually attentive expression, and bright, energetic nature. Dachshunds are available in two sizes and three different coat types in a range of hues and patterns. The word “icon” is frequently overused, yet the Dachshund is unquestionably a symbol of purebred dogdom with his distinctive long-backed physique, short legs, and enormous personality. Dachshunds can have one of three coat types: smooth, wirehaired, or longhaired, and range in size from the standard (about 16 to 32 pounds) to miniature (11 pounds or less). Despite not being designed for long-distance running, high jumps, or vigorous swimming, dachshunds are otherwise up for everything. They make excellent watchdogs since they are observant, smart, and bark like huge dogs.

They can be bold to the point of recklessness and a little stubborn because they were bred to hunt dangerous prey on their own, but their lovable attitude and distinctive appearance have captured the hearts of millions of people all over the world.

What To Expect When Caring For a Dachshund

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The Dachshund is typically a healthy breed, and with the right care, he can expect to live 12 to 16 years as long as he follows a nutritious diet and gets enough activity to keep his muscles in good condition. Maintaining the Dachshund's weight in check and constantly supervising his activity will help prevent disc damage to his long, slender back. If their ears aren't kept clean, Dachshunds are susceptible to ear infections like the majority of dogs with drop ears.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

Dachshunds have a low to nonexistent body odor, are moderate shedders, and are generally clean. The three coat varieties of the breed require different levels of maintenance. The only maintenance required for a smooth-coated Dachshund to look sharp is a quick wipe down with a towel or hound glove. Depending on the coat's thickness, longhaired Dachshunds can need to be brushed more frequently. The Wirehaired coat can be hand-stripped or plucked many times a year to preserve its best appearance, but other from that, it is simple to maintain in between groomings with occasional trimming of the beard and eyebrows and once or twice a week brushing or combing. Each month, all Dachshunds should have their nails clipped.

Exercise

Many owners believe that because Dachshunds are so little, they only need to run about the house for exercise. However, they do require regular exercise in order to maintain their fitness and develop powerful back muscles. Two moderately long walks per day should be adequate. Never let your Dachshund run up and down stairs or jump on or off of furniture to prevent injuries. Dachshunds don't do well as outdoor dogs since they prefer to be with their owners because they are such social creatures.

Training

Dachshunds can be difficult to train since they are incredibly intelligent but also independent and frequently stubborn. They thrive under positive, incentive-based training and like both giving and receiving attention. Due to their sensitivity, they will not respond well to strict orders or punishment. The trick is to be persistent and patient. Dachshunds have a high hunting drive and a great sense of smell. They may not always pay attention to you if they are preoccupied with anything more interesting because they were developed to maintain concentration and follow a route without being sidetracked.

Nutrition

Extreme caution must be taken to prevent a Dachshund from gaining weight. This is done for the dog's general health as well as to prevent tension on its long back, which could result in slipping or ruptured (herniated) discs. Ignore the beseeching eyes and only feed your dog the amount recommended by the maker of the premium dog food you have chosen. Give table scraps very rarely, if ever, and steer clear of cooked bones and anything with a lot of fat. Keep food out of the Dachshund's reach at all times since his nose can get him into trouble.

History

The word “dachshund” is German for “badger dog,” and the breed has a 600-year heritage in Germany. Additionally, as the breed name implies, the Dachshund was created to eagerly dig his way into a badger lair and eliminate its inhabitant. The long, low body of the Dachshund proved ideal for the gritty underground job.

A badger is a deadly opponent for any size dog, weighing between 25 and 40 pounds, with razor-sharp teeth and claws. The intelligence, bravery, tenacity, and strength that characterize the modern Dachshund were initially bred into his ancient ancestors to best prepare him for facing a dangerous foe. The Dachshund’s above-ground human hunting companion was able to indicate his hound’s underground location thanks to the little dog’s remarkably loud, hound-like bark, which is a throwback to his working heritage.
The breed naturally has a short, smooth coat, but through selective breeding, long coats for cold climes and wire coats for labor in brier patches were also generated. Dachshunds were bred in a range of sizes to operate on various types of quarry. Breed experts claim that packs of Dachshunds were frequently utilized to hunt wild pigs. The work of standardizing the breed in terms of size, coat type, and color variants was well underway by the late 1800s.
Due to anti-German feelings in the United States during World War I, Dachshunds came to be known as Liberty Hounds. The dog has long been seen as a national symbol of Germany.