Dachshunds have recently become hugely popular in UK; why do we love the little Doxie so? Because they are fabulous little dogs with huge personalities!
Dachshund means badger dog in German and as the name implies, they were originally bred as scent hounds to hunt and dig out badgers. They needed to be energetic, brave and to be able to think for themselves, and the breed has retained these characteristics. They have short powerful legs and long backs, and come in smooth-haired, long-haired and wire-haired varieties.
Their bravery and loyalty was keenly demonstrated by one wonderful Doxie in Serbia called Leo who saved a child being attacked by a much bigger dog. He sacrificed himself for the sake of the little girl and the locals erected a statue to honour his bravery.
They make great companions for children when socialised properly, as they have huge amounts of energy. They can be determined and dogged which means they may work out how to get into things you’d rather they didn’t, and they are prone to digging! They are a big dog in a small dog’s body!
Pet profile
A brave, loyal, determined, energetic small dog that is a great companion and warning dog as they will bark to alert you to visitors.
- Size: Small 20 - 22cm tall (8-9 inches at the shoulder)
- Weight: 7-14 KG (16 – 32 Ibs)
- Life expectancy: 12 -16 years
Exercise and nutrition
These energetic little dogs will keep you active but they do have some special needs. They have long vulnerable backs and are prone to injuries so it’s best to avoid any activities involving jumping. It’s a good to have ramps to make getting into the car or up onto furniture less dangerous, and when carrying your Doxie support the chest and back legs to protect their back. Keeping them active with dog agility tasks or hiking is important as it helps them to have a strong back. Despite their small size they are capable of covering several miles a day easily. A well exercised dachshund is also a happy dachshund, so will be less likely to bark excessively.
It’s important to watch their weight as being overweight or obese is dangerous for their health, putting extra stress on their back. They do love their food and offering treats is a good way to train this breed, but it’s probably best to use low calorie treats.
Common health problems and illnesses
Buying your puppy from a reputable, licensed breeder who screens their breeding dogs for hereditary diseases is the best way to ensure your puppy is healthy, but the breed does tend to suffer from a few problems, especially with their long backs. To ensure they have the best health insurance so you can take care of any issues, take out dog insurance while your puppy is young, before they develop any problems.
This is an inherited condition and breeders can x-ray their breeding dogs when they are between 2 and 4 years of age to ensure their dogs don’t have early disc calcification. As many as 1 in 4 dachshunds suffer back issues, and injuries to their neck or back are common even if they don’t have this condition as they have long backs and short legs. IVDD makes it more likely that a spinal disc will degenerate early, protrude, split or become displaced and press on the spinal column.
Each disc has a fiberous outer shell and a jelly like centre. If a disc deteriorates it can split, leaking the jelly like substance which can then harden and rub on the nerves in the back, causing pain, nerve damage, incontinence, lameness and even paralysis. Early symptoms to look out for are lameness, weakness in the rear legs, loss of bladder control, muscle spasms and your dog hunching over, reduced appetite and activity, pain and yelping when moving, dragging a leg when moving, tremors, shaking or collapse. If you notice any combination of these factors take you Dachshund to be checked by your vet.
It is possible to genetically screen dogs for a pre-disposition to get this problem so it’s best to buy your puppy from a reputable breeder who has screen both parents. It’s a condition more commonly seen in small dogs and occurs when the knee cap slips out of its groove in the knee joint. This means your Doxie can’t extend his knee properly causing lameness and pain. Some dogs show a sort of skipping lameness, walking properly and then skipping for a few steps when the patella slips out of place. If you think your dog has this condition get him checked by your vet. Treatment is decided based on the severity of the condition and could involve weight management, physiotherapy and pain killers. Severe cases usually need surgery and your vet will advise you on the best course of action.
Lafora disease is a form of epilepsy which typically develops at around 5 years of age. Symptoms include seizures resulting in fitting, confusion and incontinence. It is an inherited disease and dogs can be genetically screened for the condition before he or she is used or breeding. We would recommend you only by a puppy from a breeder that has screened both parents for this condition.
This is a group of conditions causing degeneration of the retina leading to blindness. Miniature dachshunds can have cord-1 PRA (cone rod dystrophy PRA) and a genetic test of a small amount of blood can tell you if your dog has this genetic disease. This type of PRA first affects the cones in the retina. Cones detect bright light or daylight. The rods that detect light and dark, and are largely responsible for vision in low light tend to be affected later.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. The age of onset can vary but is usually around 5 but can be as young as 6 months. Always buy a puppy from a breeder who has screened both parents for this incurable condition.
Fun facts
- A breed loved by artists including Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Picasso. Picasso’s Dachshund was called Lump (meaning rascal in german) and he acquired him from a photographer friend. It was love instantly and Picasso painted him the first day he met him!
- Crusoe the celebrity dachshund, one of the most famous dogs on social media, has his own blog in which he stars in his own productions of film and TV greats such as “Game of Bones” and “Mission Impawssible”. The costumes are awesome!
- A Dachshund was the first Olympic mascot! In 1972 Waldi, a colourful Dashshund was the Olympics mascot and it’s said that the marathon course was planned in the shape of the hound!
- Two Dachshunds have been the world’s oldest dog. A Doxie called Chanel lived to be 21 years old, dying in 2009 and a 20 year old Doxie held the record in 2013.
