Dachshunds have half the height of the taller breeds. But they are unmistakably Dachshund with a train like body that extends exceptionally from head to tail.
A strenuously built lengthy body assists him to perform as a hound on the badgers and foxes. There are two types of Dachshunds.
One goes below 11 pounds of weight which is called the miniature. The standard breed hovers around 16-32 pounds. You will find three coat variations namely smooth, long and wire haired.
They are scent hounds and are quite strong on a trail. Their physical structure assists them in pursuing a tunneling animals as well as fighting them underground. Smaller legs put them in a greater advantage with a superior maneuverability in a narrow passage.
Dachshunds are sound family companions as the most popular dog lists always place them on the top corner. Their elongated body and intelligent moves are very interesting for a pet owner.
Dachshund Personality:
Dachshunds are curious, amicable and lively. Shyness is never acceptable in this dog. So, when a little one shows any symptom of introvert attitude, steer clear of adopting him.
This dog bears a friendly disposition especially with the kids that makes him a wonderful family companion. He loves people who embrace them wholeheartedly. An entrenched acting capability gives him an edge in captivating all eyes on him. Are you looking for some intimate dog names for your Dachsie?
But remember wire haired is a terrier, long haired is composed as well as calm and smooth haired Dachshunds may be considered a mix of both these categories. He has a superb smelling capacity which is truly helpful for a successful chase and kill.
He is unlikely to assault other pets or people. Because of his awesome watchdog capacity, his threats extend only up to barking. He dislikes stranger intrusion into his territory which may evolve into an unwanted possessiveness.
Strike immediately in order to remove this habit before it takes a firm stance. Dachshunds often tend adopt their own ways in terms of following signals from you. They are also likely to act jealous when grabbing your attention is at stake.
A terrier nature disproves any stranger invasion on his turf and will result in a bout of excessive barking. They are tireless diggers and will dig into the soil as well as your carpet all alike. He is more likely to get attached to a person.
Measure Dachshund Smartness:
Though Dachshund grabs a medium 49th position regarding intelligence, AKC breed popularity points out a completely different story as it places him at the 13th spot.
His smartness in fact might have hailed from his job description. He is an awesome delighting factor in your family and he loves hunting some badgers.
This ever alert pet will ensure a vibrant and vivacious presence around you. His Hound nature often prevents him from listening as well as following your commands. Rather, he likes to exercise a free will while performing a job.
A little dog with self expression makes him all the way more interesting instead of being a nuisance. An all out extrovert characteristic gives him an edge in watchdog capacity as he is a keen one. They are pack dog preferring to living together.
So, other inhabitants of the house do not need to be worried over his attitude. Average smart Dachshund is sure to put a smile on your face most of the time.
What & how to feed:
Dachshund diet and nutrition lies at the core of his sound health. You have to feed him 0.5 cup to 1.5 cups of high quality food a day depending on his age, health and size. Adult dogs need 18% protein while it goes up to 22% in case of a puppy.
As a dog his, carnivore metabolic system wants more animal protein than that of vegetable. Fragile backbone joints need some extra calcium for a strong growth. You may go for small dog breed food items available in the market for your Dachshund. You can get a clear concept on their feeding techniques as well.
Just remember that the food should have less than 5% of crude fiber. You have to check out regularly whether the food you are giving him appropriate or not. If it does not suit him,there will be some visible effects such as lethargy, dermatological issues,diarrhea, losing or gaining weight.
At the earliest of these signs, change his dietary plan. If no progress is made, consult a vet. On the other hand, a perfect food routine will make him happy and healthy. A fatty Dachshund is great risk for both you as well as the dog. So, the regular meals and treats should have a limited supply.
Escape a few health issues:
Your Dachshund possesses a good health record. He has very few major issues that you need to check out regularly.
Those problems are mainly related to obesity and drooping ears. He has an extra long backbone which is prone to disc damage in case of a fat Dachshund or an accident. Fair amount of exercise will build strong muscular formation that helps protect him from the damage.
This practice will also reduce his fat thereby preventing any disc damage. This disease has some outward symptoms. The dog will be unable to pull up the rear leg or losing urinary control or in a major event, a paralysis. Dachshunds are prone to losing eyesight due to a progressive loss of photoreceptors. It takes years to reach the final stages.
You can identify the disease with a few yearly ophthalmological tests. Ear cleaning remains to be a major job to detect an ear infection prior to a full blown disease.
It may result in a permanent deafness. So, cleanse your dog’s ears regularly. There is almost no big health problem that you cannot prevent with a proper precautionary measure.
Insightful care program:
Spinal cord, backbone, spine. Dachshund has one big backbone problem. Train him at an early age not to jump excessively. Place a stair at the sofa and bed for an easy climbing up as well as down.
While lifting him, maintain an equal balance on both of his front and back sides. It will help reduce his spinal strain. Overeating will lead into obesity which is another reason for disc displacement. You can benefit from a general idea on what dogs like in general and what they do not.
So, keep a close eye on his diet. They were bred to catch tunneling animals such as badgers. Dachshunds are good at digging. While putting a fence around your backyard, make sure that it is deep enough.
So, he cannot make it out through a newly dug tunnel. They are notorious for digging. Keep the dog on the leash while in a outbound venture. It will protect him from unwanted events. He needs some regular exercise like walking for a mile or so.
His muscle extracts extra strength from this physical stimulation.
Proper exercise method:
As an active as well as intelligent breed, Dachshund needs a fair amount of physical and psychological stimulation.
He is a small dog and with a little amassed fat his obesity will oddly hit the human eyes. His backbone suffers from disc displacement which can be prevented by strengthening the muscle tone.
No exercise may result in destructive behavior such as digging, chewing or noisy lengthy barking. Excessive exercise will lead to lesser growth, turned feet and relevant issues.
A puppy Dachshund will not demand for a regular outdoor routine. A four month old dog got to start with a 10-15 minutes of exercise. And a year old puppy should have an hour of physical stimulation. It is suggested that you break this time period into two chunks and each of the scheduled portion has to continue for half an hour or so.
Walking will do just fine. They mature up slowly and you h
Dachshund training cues:
Intelligence and independence converges into a Dachshund. So, training could become both interesting and challenging. He is a hound with a serious prey drive.
Your first task, before any training session, should be attracting his attention as well as holding it continually for the period. Exercise time could be a good time for training as your dog is supposed to have a fantastic mood that motivates him to learn new things. His hunter instincts call for a superb hand signal training.
Or you can have a different schedule for training when he will be alert that he got to learn something. Dachshund social skill is a vital requirement because he loves chasing around. He is unlikely restrict himself within the barking limits.
Let him meet new people and pets. So, he can differentiate between a fair and an unfair chase. He will have to learn to wait for your command in this regard. Just set it into his mind from a very early age.
Whether you use a crate or not, does not count a difference. You may go either way. But a crate can help him deal with separation issues. It really depends upon your convenience.
But do not forget to release him from the crate after a while as he needs his liberty to perform basic tasks. Obedience training lies at the heart of his training. Your true patience will experience a test here due to their hound nature. But do not get upset. He will learn in his unique way.
Keep the sessions short and attractive. Fun and healthy treats have good roles to play in this regard. He can fend off his boredom and join your commands joyfully with a perfect leadership from you. Do not expect him to learn in a single day. He will go for repeated actions frequently.
Coat Color and Grooming:
You will find wide coat color variations such as black, grey, fawn, chocolate, wild boar and merle. There are three distinct Dachshund coat variations which are smooth, short haired and wire haired. These dogs are almost exempt from body odor.
So, frequent grooming is not necessary. They do not need regular baths unless some noticeable problem occurs. Long haired dogs require once a week brushing but it may be within shorter periods if the hair is thicker as their hair tends to form mats.
Wire haired dogs, on the other hand, will ask for a frequent brushing as their fur attracts a lot of dirt and filth. A little care is needed for smooth haired Dachshunds.
Because of straight and silky hair, they do not demand much attention in this regard. You have to clip dead and tangled hair off a wire haired dog thrice a year. It helps strengthen his coat and remove dirt. Brush his teeth twice or thrice per week.
Fungus, mites and bacteria takes shelter under his drooping ears. You have to regularly cleanse the ears with a moistened cotton ball attached to an ear cleaner. You must trim his nails once or twice a month depending on the growth rate. Moreover, brush his teeth 2-3 times each week.
History or Origin:
Dachshund history can be traced back to the 166th century. Germany is considered to be the breeding place. Dachshund is a German combination of ‘dachs’ and ‘hund meaning respectively ‘badger’ and ‘hound’.
This name came to use for its perfect badger hunting skills. His elongated body matched with the required tunneling capacity and hound senses drove him to a high popularity. A pack of Dachshunds can even succeed on a wild boar or foxes.
These dogs have been bred for fearlessness and they are ready to demonstrate their utmost bravery by chasing some bigger animals than their size.
The 18th and 19th century German foresters had a good use in killing badgers. They used to unleash the Dachshunds in order to wipe out badgers who were often responsible for crop dissolution.
Great Britain started to focus more on pet Dachshunds than hunter Dachshunds by the year 1800. The breed standard was amalgamated in the year 1879.
Dachshunds captured a position in the Stud Book of the American Kennel Club in 1885. The Dachshund Club of America was established in 1895. This breed has been sticking onto an upward journey in the USA since 1900.
