What should I know about Dachshunds?

Marisa :): What can you tell me about Dachshund dogs?
I need to know everything about Dachshunds so I can get my mom to get me one. She said maybe so I need some more information. Good and bad please. Thanks.

Dachshund photo

Photo Credit: Bev Goodwin/Flickr
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Answer by i'll always remember you mid
i hope your adopting

Answer by hey!! sweete
The Dachshund is a long bodied dog with undersized limbs. Originally bred in Germany, this breed's name translates to "badger dog". Despite their small size, the Dachshund is a tough little fighter! Their body is the perfect size to chase their prey into small underground burrows.

This breed comes in 3 varieties which are standard, miniature and toy. All are accepted in the AKC standards characteristics except for the toy size, as this was more of a size attribute for potential owners.

The Dachshund is best known for hunting badgers, but otters and foxes are also considered their prey. This breed, as it does in size variation, comes in 3 coat types: long, wire or short haired.

Breed Group

Males: 14-18 inches high
Females: 14-18 inches high

Males: maximum 14 inches high
Females: maximum 14 inches high

Males: maximum 12 inches high
Females: maximum 12 inches high

Males: 16-28 lbs
Females: 16-28 lbs

Males: 11 lbs
Females: 11 lbs

Males: 7-9 lbs
Females: 7-9 lbs


The Dachshund comes in a wide variety of coat colours. The most common being black, tan, brown, gray, harlequin, or speckled. They can be either a solid colour or a mixture of two to three colours.

The Dachshund has 3 types of coats: the long, the wire and the short haired. The long haired coat is shiny and silky to the touch. The Wire haired coat is more hard and brittle feeling while the short coat is lustrous and smooth. All three sizes of Dachshund can have any of the three types of coat combinations.
Life Expectancy

About 12-15 years.

The Dachshund is a goofy and animated little dog. They are known to be stubborn, mischievous and teasing, but all in good fun. These dogs are the jealous type and want all of their owners attention on them. In general the Dachshund will do well with other dogs and cats, but monitor them around pocket pets such as hamsters and mice as these are thought of as prey.

Despite their short legs, the Dachshund is a digger and will make good use of a yard if given the chance. They are protective of their families and make great watchdogs because they have a surprisingly loud bark, and the breed itself is known for their love of "talking".

The long and wired haired Dachshunds will need to be brushed at least twice per week. This will prevent mats from occurring and get rid of the dead fur. The short haired Dachshund will only need to be brushed about once every week or two as their coat will not tangle.

This breed is prone to a variety of back related problems such as slipped spinal discs, because their spine is under constant pressure due to their long body. Diabetes, urinary tract infections and heart disease can also develop in this breed. Owners of a Dachshund will need to be sure to monitor their food intake as this breed will become obese quickly which will add even more to stress on their spine.
The Dachshund will need to be firmly trained in basic obedience. They are a stubborn and clever breed that tend to get their way. Socialization with people and other dogs is necessary when they are puppies to ensure they become comfortable in busy situations when they are adults.

The Dachshund will need plenty of exercise to burn off their seemingly never-ending energy. They will do well in an apartment as they are small dogs that don’t take up to much space. Owners should be warned that these little dogs can become destructive if they are bored so ensuring they are taken out to dash around for a bit will do them good.

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Answer by Shredded Cottage Cheese
originally bred to fit into rabbit holes, dachshunds have stubby legs and long bodies. They can come in short and long hair varieties, but short is more common. the one bad thing you should know is that due to their long bodies, they are prone to having back problems as they age.

Answer by rescue member
Best book on the breed, tells you all about their history, character, care and training is "Dachshunds for Dummies", great fun to read too.
Your library probably has it - our rescue has all first time dachshund adopters read it before they get a dachsie.

Shredded --- they were bred to hunt badger actually, "dachs" means bader in German and "hund" means dog = dachshund, badgerdog.

The minis are bred to go after rabbits.

They are wonderful dogs, smart, brave, loyal, loving - but also opinionated and must be treated with gentle but firm training - they are definitely still "prey" dogs and will chase small animals if they are not on leash or securely fenced outdoors.

Not for everyone - this is a big dog in a small body, definitely not a "toy" dog, no matter how small. I have 5 and foster more, love the breed, absolute characters, every one.
As to the back problems, I have fostered dozens and only one ever had a back problem, and I kept him - he's fine, had him on crate rest and prednisone and he healed. The back issue is way over rated - doesn't happen all that often.

There are ONLY 2 sizes, no such thing as a "toy" dachshund.
Minis are under 11 pounds and standards are over 16.

Many fall into the "tweenie" category, it is not recognized by the AKC, but is very common and just fine for pet quality dachsies.

Answer by MSz.kOOlAiiD
from experience, my friend has a dachshund. It gets rare pains of arthritis and gets blind easily!! unfortunately they are very cute and are called hot dogs..literally..hope this helps!!..

Answer by coolb06_06
The Dachshund is a fun loving dog, tenacious, and lively, but can become jealous and be very irritable. This breed does great with children as well. The Dachshund has the tendency to become jealous, however can do very well with many other toy breeds in the home providing they are not snippy. The Dachshund can be stubborn at times, making training a little bit difficult for the average owner.The Dachshund can be lively and vivacious, however he does not need much exercise. A short walk per day would suffice for this short-bodied breed. Dachshunds tends to tire out easily so any exercise provided should be given at different times rather than one long walk

Answer by Mrs Z
Dachshunds come in standard and miniature as well as long haired, short haired and wire haired varieties. If I was you, I would go to a pet store and buy a book about dachshunds or go to your local library and get a book out about them. You could also look up information on AKC.org about the breed.

My Mom had a miniature short haired dachshund that we got her as a puppy and he lived to be 15 years old, so be prepared to keep the dog for a long time. Rudee was a real sweetheart though.

Good luck!

Read other answers in the comments.
What do you think?




  1. statecalifornia2009 says

    welll i never had dachshund before but i know who does got one . that my next door neighbor. he has a male dachshund his dog is friendly and even quiet one but not all dachshund dogs are same . sometimes those dogs can act different depend how they been treated and how they be their owner train them . well i can say that i own a book about all breeds dogs i can even help you out .

    breed such as dachshund

    they only weight about 11-26lb. (5-12kg)
    theyre about height 8-11inches long
    their life expectancy is 11-13 years
    origin came from germany

    more indormation about the dogs
    the dachshund is a short legged hound, with an clongated body, which occurs in two forms standard and miniature , both of which are found in three coat. theyre been found as a companion, and being intelligent, inquisitive, and playful, it makes a good family pet. however , it can experience spinal problems, and should be discouraged from jumping or otherwise overexerting itself.

  2. ? says

    dachunds are super dogs, try the akc website, or search dachunds on the net, or you could buy a book at your local pet store or e bay, there only downside is they are a little on the hard side to potty train, but once thats out of the way they are pretty good dogs. i would also recommend researching the different coats as each one takes different care.

  3. Greg D says

    1. There the cutest
    2. There super sweet nice loving adorable
    3. They need to be careful because there prone to back problems because they have extra disks in there backs.
    4. in my experience short haired reds are a little more spunky, snippy
    the long haired reds are a little calmer.
    5. They can not be overfed/overweight because of there backs.
    6. They bark a lot

  4. WyrDachsie says

    Please visit the Dachshund Club of America website http://www.dachshund-dca.org You can also pick up books on Dachshunds at the library.

    Whether you are looking for a dog from a responsible breeder or from rescue, there are contact numbers on the DCA website.

    Dachshunds come in 2 sizes and many colors. Minis are 6-11 pounds at the age of 1 year. Standards are 16-32 pounds by 1 year. There are 3 coats, smooth, longhair & wirehair.

    Dachshunds are very active and intelligent dogs. They are hounds and are bred to follow their noses so they are independant thinkers, meaning, they may not always listen to you. They can be barkers and diggers, this is part of their genetic make-up since they are bred to hunt critters under the earth. The dachshund will chase the cat, catch and kill squirrels, rabbits and any other critters that may enter the yard. They can also be possessive of their people and stuff.

    Now saying all that, they are very affectionate with their people, their personalities will differ with type of coat.

    Whether you get a pup from a responsible breeder or from rescue, the first thing to do is enter a basic obedience class. Dachshunds are strong willed and letting them get away with bad behavior will only make things worse. Training should be firm and consistant, but never harsh, be clear in what you want or don't want.

    Yes, they do have some health issues as do all purebred dogs. As for the back problem (IVDD - Invertebrate Disc Disease), it does not happen in all dachshunds and studies recently found there is a genetic component. This is why it is so important to purchase a dog from a responsible breeder. A responsible breeder will never breed a dog that has any history of back issues and any back issues in that line. A responsible breeder does not breed for color, so stay away from dogs advertised as "rare english cream" or "rare double dapple". A responsible breeder should be a member of the Dachshund Club of America, their dogs should be of solid temperment, should ;live to old age with few issues.

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