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Dachshunds: Everything You Need to Know

Did you know that Dachshunds are the smallest in size among the hound breeds? That’s right, that stubborn and protective instincts of your Dachsie are tied to their hunter ancestors.

If you have a Dachshund at home, you may want to know about their temperaments, personality, health, and feeding routine.

From what they should be fed, to how long they live, here is everything you need to know about Dachshund dogs.

How are dachshunds as pets?

The petit-sized dachshunds are mostly known for their energetic and courageous personality.

Wherever they are, Dachshies make sure that they have everyone’s eyes on them. They love the attention and with other pets, they show them who is the boss.

As pets, Dachshunds are affectionate and loving towards their family and can get considerably attached to a particular person in the family.

They are protective, loyal, and always on their feet when it comes to guarding the house against strangers. Their usually stubborn nature does not intrude with their good behavior with children or other pets in the family if trained well.

Physical features of a dachshund dog:

With a cone-like head and elongated body, dachshund dogs have a strong and straight back. They can be two-colored, patterned, with a smooth, wired, or long-haired coat.

Their eyes, which are not too big or too small, are often described to have the shape of an almond. Usually, the color of their eyes is dark with a brownish hue.

Their ears are slightly triangular, located higher up on the side of their face. Dachshunds also have extremely solid jaws, although you cannot see them all the time.

As for Their front feet, they are slightly larger and carved than their back feet.

Dachshunds’ characteristics & personality

Dachshunds have the liveliest and amiable personalities, making them a favorite as a house pet. They love to entertain and be the center of attention. As playful as they are, they can be very attached to the family they grow up in.

They need companionship to keep the unnecessary barking away, but oftentimes their watchdog instinct makes them bark at every stranger. The intelligent breed is known to have things their way as they can be stubborn when they want to be.

The small dogs are courageous and protective breeds, who love to snuggle and spend time with their owners.

Are dachshunds friendly & affectionate?

Dachshunds are one of the most friendly and affectionate dogs if they are among people they are familiar with. If not trained properly, they might become unsocial and direct some rude growls and barks towards strangers.

They can get jealous of others if they are too attached to a particular person in the family. Depending on the training, the cuddle-loving dachshunds are amicable with children as well.

Although dachshunds can happily live with other pets in the house, their independent personality does not allow them to accept changes suddenly. Even if that means new pets in the house. 

Feeding & caring for a dachshund

Be careful not to overfeed your dachshund and limit the meals to 2 to 3 times a day. You can give them feed them ½ cups to 1.5 cups of food portion if they are normal-sized dogs.

Stay alert of allergies your canine might have and check the ingredients list when buying store-bought food. The first ingredient of the food should be meat or protein instead of a grain of wheat.

Dachshunds dislike the idea of being alone, and hence you should not leave them alone at home for very long hours.

Dachshund coat colors & grooming

Dachshunds, whether they have smooth, wired, or long-haired coats, can sport single or multiple colors. Red, cream, black, fawn are some of the colors that occur more often in dachshunds.

In the case of patterns, the coats can be brindle, sable, piebald, or even dapple patterned. Hybrid with double dapple or dapple piebald patterns are not recognized.

Smooth-haired dachshunds should be groomed 1-2 times per week, and long-haired ones should be groomed daily. Dachshunds with wavy coats should be brushed often in a week with stripping twice every year.

Regardless of the coat type, you may bathe them once every 3 months.

Training & exercise for dachshunds

Starting from a pup, you can increase the total exercise time by 3 to 5 minutes every month. An adult dachshund would be in good physical and mental health with 20 minutes of walking two times a day, coupled with 15 minutes of playtime.

It is important to train your pooch to socialize from the time they are a puppy. This would help them to be more welcoming towards strangers.

You could also leave them alone for a short while when they are young. This would make them more independent, and allow you to keep them home alone for a few hours.

Nutrition & health of a dachshund

Dachshund diet should comprise of a high protein and low carbohydrate diet. For puppy dachshunds, they should eat 22% protein while adults once should have 18% in their diet. Make sure to include vitamins, minerals, and an amount of fat.

Dachshunds have an average life expectancy of 12 to 16 years, and are sometimes prone to diseases such as diabetes, Cushing’s disease, or deafness. They might also develop heart issues, back problems, dog cancers, and seizures.

Although vaccines prevent bacterial diseases such as rabies, your dachshund might also get viral ailments, including parvo. Few symptoms are linked to old age.

With tiny limbs and long bodies, and locks that are long and voluminous, dachshunds are an adorable pet to have around you. Their loyal, lively nature and full-of-life activities are sure to lighten up your tired days.

When you come back home from work, nobody else is as excited as your Dachsie because they love companionship and thrive on it. A little attention and early training can make dachshunds the perfect family dog to cuddle with and play along with.