Whether you’re new to owning dogs or you’ve been doing it for years, dachshund puppies require a little research before one joins your family. More so than the usual commitment of getting a dog, there are a lot of things to consider with this breed specifically. Kennel Store have outlined the dos and don’ts of buying a Dachshund.
That’s why we put together this buyer’s guide; with enough stats and advice to make sure you’re making the right choice, and enough pictures of the dogs to remind you that you probably are.
What Dachshund Puppies Look Like
Just one look at them will instantly tell you why they’re commonly referred to as a wiener or sausage dog. Their stumpy legs mean they have a very low body, and even when fully grown, won’t be much taller than nine inches in height. This, combined with their Dumbo-like, giant ears, make them a very likeable dog.
About Their Personality
Khalid Elkady from Unsplash
For this section, we researched everything from dog forums to interviews with competitive breeders. This will provide additional information to support a rating out of five, which we have taken from Pets4Homes; with years in the industry, we trust their research and ratings completely.
Easy to train? 2/5
The ability (and patience) of the trainer will always play a significant role in a dog’s acceptance of training. Some dogs are just more perceptive to it, however. In the case of this puppy, there have been many reports of them being slow to take things on board and challenging to train. This may only be an issue for owners looking to go competitive with their canine.
Good with kids? 2/5
One of the most important factors when considering a family dog. A score of 2/5 means that they may need supervision initially but have a decent temperament to put up with children over time—they just may have less patience when it comes to being yanked around. However, it goes both ways; kids need to know how to behave around dogs. With energy on par with Yorkshire terriers, though, they’re definitely ready for hours of play!
Intelligent? 3/5
Scoring 3/5 puts the dachshund breed at around the average level of intelligence, which ties into their previous ease-of-training rating. Brains aren’t always deciding factors when choosing a dog, so it’s up to the owners to decide how important this is.
Tolerates being alone? 3/5
Good news for anyone that spends time away from the home for whatever reason. We still wouldn’t recommend that you leave a dog for more than 24 hours in their new home, but dachshunds can easily get on without supervision during working hours. This is a contrast to miniature dachshund puppies, as they are notoriously bad at being left alone.
The “Need To Knows”
Similar to the section above, we have combined our deep research with the ranking factors used at Pets4Homes to provide a thorough look at the important considerations when becoming new owners of dachshund dogs or puppies.
Shedding rate 2/5
All dogs naturally shed their hair, as any dog owners will attest to. Dachshunds are definitely on the low end of that scale though, partly due to their size (there’s just less hair to lose). A score of 2/5 makes these dogs a great choice for people who want to keep their house looking nice and not covered, floor to ceiling, in fur.
Cost of keeping 3/5
At 3/5, these will cost you around the average price of any dog to keep. In arriving at this number, everything from getting them wormed and pet insurance to collars and leads are considered with the specific breed in mind.
Healthiness 4/5
The most important section here is thankfully also the one that they score highest on. Some breeds inherently have to deal with more health issues than others, or at least a higher chance of developing an issue. For example, the cocker spaniel is considered one of the most at-risk dogs due to things like orthopaedic issues, epilepsy and heart/liver diseases.
While not immortal, dachshund dogs do have a much smaller rate of major issues, which is why they score so high in this section. Owners sometimes report back issues, but these can be subsided by an aware owner.
We have also collected the stats above to give you a quick breakdown of what to expect when it comes to elements like weight and lifespan; important things to consider when getting a new dog.
Advice For Owners
Reddit is home to many communities and there are plenty of spaces available for dog owners to discuss news, ask questions, share pictures and more. For this section, we went straight to the source and looked at some of the best tips we found from the community and actual dachshund owners.
“Don’t let him/her jump up and down too much. Notorious back problems that can be expensive to fix! Otherwise all the snuggles!” – Tiffytrox.
“Watch the weight, they are walking appetites and being overweight will also cause back trouble.” – Nagrd.
“Always check all blanket piles before moving or sitting on them. Good chance he/she will be burrowed in it. Stuffed toys (ESPECIALLY one with squeakers) will meet their demise in minutes. Get unstuffed ones.” – Taylor-Santine.
“Brush their teeth every day if possible. Being a purebred makes the likelihood of their teeth rotting out of their face much greater. And it’s not fun to bring your baby to the vet to get their teeth pulled.” – Uhmmnoreally.
“Warning! Excitement may lead to urination. Especially in females. This can be brought on by meeting a new person, seeing you after work, seeing you for the first time in five minutes, something like that. Don’t get them overexcited for a few minutes and they’ll usually find a way to abate the urge.” – MightBeAProblem.
