Dachshunds

[ckay87]

Quick question: anybody have or know a Dachshund? We're giving some thought to adding a doggie to the family next summer (after WDW) and want to go for a little guy. This is my favorite little breed, especially the long-haired ones. Anyway, wondering about temperment, behavior issues, etc. The usual.

Share any pics if you have them too!

 

[SwedishMeatball]

We had a mini short-haired. Rocko was a sweetheart. He was a barker though. Also, I remember having to trim his nails a lot. He was the only dog I ever had with that issue.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

We had a long haired female and she was cute enough. But she had mood swings and was a big time yelper.

 

[lovinwdw]

My mom has had 2 female mini dachunds. Molly (our first) was sweet to the family, but did not like when people she didn't know well enough came into the house. She would run around and bark and bark and bark. She was also very protective of my mother. If you came close to my mother while they were sitting together, Molly would growl. Molly had to be put down a few years ago.

She has another mini now, Annabelle. She's a sweet heart! She loves loves loves people and will kiss you to death! Someone above had mentioned that her dog's nails grow very quickly. Believe me, they do. My mom calls them bear claws...lol.

The thing you have to watch out with, at least with the female dachunds, is when they get excited they tend to pee. When you come in the door you need to ignore them until they calm down and then you can talk to them. Otherwise, they will pee everywhere...

Good luck!

 

[Melissa M]

My ex got custody of our dachshund, Chuckie . He has short hair with a red coat. We named him after Chuckie the Rugrat because he's red-headed and a fraidy-cat.

Anyway, dachsunds make really good house dogs. They are easy to house train and the short-haired variety don't shed. They make loyal companions. Chuckie was constantly by my side and he slept with me. I really miss him.

He had this trick that whenever he played fetch, after his ball got slobbery (is that a word?), he would take a rag and clean the ball off. It was a hoot to watch. We always joked that we were gonna put him on Stupid Pet Tricks on Letterman.

The only downside was that he liked to bark a lot. Not all dachshunds are that way, but many are. My sister has one that's really quiet.

Awww, now I'm missing him.

 

[Squidrific]

I have had, raised and used to breed dachshunds, both Mini and Standard. What do you want to know - I can tell you anything!

First of all do some research about them. You can find the dachshund websites for dachshund rescues and usually there are regional dachshund clubs. I would have one of them recommend a reputable breeder. Don't buy from a pet store - those puppies are generally the runts, puppy mill, or imperfect puppies that breeders cannot sell on their own. Try to find a breeder that has both mother and father on site so that you can meet both parents to see their temperament. Also, check their teeth to make sure they don't have a huge overbite as this can be a dental problem in the future. Also, make sure your breeder gives you a guarantee and ask about back problems. Dachshunds that get back problems have usually been inbred. A good dachshund should not have this problem.

As far as things to expect with the breed. I prefer the standards. They are bigger than minatures, but these are still lap dogs. Standards tend to be less hyper, less barking (yappy), and and easy laid back dog. We currently have both a short hair female and a long hair male. My male is my favorite dog ever! He is a huge dachshund-42 lbs. (I got him from a German breeder). He is the sweetest, most easy going dog ever.

Short hair dachshunds hate water and cold. Which means they prefer not to go outside during rain or snow. They will, but they want right back in. Long-hair dachshunds don't care! They love snow and rain and water. They like to swim and stand in sprinklers.

Dachshunds are very loving, loyal and intelligent dogs. They do tend to be a bit stubborn and obstinent about things they don't want to do. They can be difficult to potty train in the beginning, but once they are trained they will hold it forever, because they don't want to make a mistake. I am still working with my female about jumping on the couch because she wants to sleep on it and she isn't allowed.

As with a lot of puppies, make sure you socialize them quite a bit when they are young so that they are used to a lot of different people and also kids. I have never ever had a temperament problem with my dogs, but I have seen some mean dachshunds before.

Also, dachshunds are very food driven animals so they easily respond to treats.

 

[clarabelle]

I have a mini dachshund, red, smooth.
we love her but....
They are typically not super easy to house train. She responds well to treats.
She barks a lot.She loves attention and wants to be held.
She is cute and fiesty and has lots of personality.
I don't think dachshunds are a "sure thing" with kids.Particularly small kids.

We might get a long hair for a companion for her later
Here is a pic:

 

[ugadog99]

I totally agree with squidrific's comments. We have 5 doxies now and have had several others in the past. I have also rescued a few while trying to find them proper homes. Our life wouldn't be the same without our babies. I'll always have at least one doxie. I have heard that the long haired are more easy going than the smooth. I'm not sure about that since all we have had are the smooth coats. I'm at work now, but I'll try to post some pics of the babes later.

 

[HOGFAN]

Our mini is almost 8. I will never get another. They are just too hard to train, not very sociable, bad backs.

 

[Michie]

i have a mini. she likes to bark, she is stubborn. she can be cranky. i dont think they make good pets if you have small children.

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

I have a mini long haired female doxie and she is wonderful. That being said, she does have a problem of barking non stop when we're not home (or so the neighbor says LOL). She's energetic and a lover to out entire family. Strangers are a different story. She does NOT like people she doesn't know to mess with her...touching her is a no no if she doesn't know you.
She was a bit of a challenge to potty train but once she got it, she's been accident free. She is always with me...by that I mean she follows at my heels when I'm home and wants to spend her time cuddled in my lap and being loved on. Oh, she's a bed hog and she sometimes snores.
She is only between 6 and 7 pounds and is a lighter color...not red, more of the color of ginger, hence, her name, Ginger. Here's her picture.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

My SIL has a mini dox named Cooper and he is the sweetest dog you could ever want. He's a shorthair reddish-brown dox (like Ginger in the photo above) and like others have said of their doxes, he's a barker. He barks at ANYTHING he percieves that might be a threat (bikers going down the street, the mailman, etc).

TOV

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

i have a mini. she likes to bark, she is stubborn. she can be cranky. i dont think they make good pets if you have small children.

That's exactly how ours was. I had her way before I got married, but this dog did not like kids at all. ANd she constantly yapped.

 

[ckay87]

Just wanted to thank all of you who took the time to respond and especially post your pics. I learned a lot that I didn't know before and saw some common themes among all of your posts. The barking thing....maybe an issue. Also, any dog we get should probably be pretty friendly, as we usually have a lot of visitors. Our boys are bigger, not in the "little kid" category, but they do bring their friends around a lot. Sounds like if we were to get a doxie, it would have to be as a puppy so we could socialize it properly.

Any other ideas for a friendly small breed? Seems the smaller ones tend to always have issues like yappiness or possessiveness.

Anyway thanks to you all. And those pictures....so precious. I still want one!

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

Just wanted to thank all of you who took the time to respond and especially post your pics. I learned a lot that I didn't know before and saw some common themes among all of your posts. The barking thing....maybe an issue. Also, any dog we get should probably be pretty friendly, as we usually have a lot of visitors. Our boys are bigger, not in the "little kid" category, but they do bring their friends around a lot. Sounds like if we were to get a doxie, it would have to be as a puppy so we could socialize it properly.

Any other ideas for a friendly small breed? Seems the smaller ones tend to always have issues like yappiness or possessiveness.

Anyway thanks to you all. And those pictures....so precious. I still want one!

Don't be totally discouraged by the barking and such. I've seen some very socialized ones that are just a playful and friendly. Unfortunately, right after we got Ginger, we moved and didn't know a soul so she just got used to it being us. Actually, when there is someone at home, she doesn't bark as much at all, I think she gets seperation anxiety but if there will people around most of the day, they should be fine. Hope you find the right fit for your family.

 

[DisneyDotty]

We have a mini wirehaired Doxie--lots of fun, needs lots of attention/activity/playtime or she gets bored and destructive/annoying. I would get another Doxie--they're so darn cute (I tell mine--Fritzie--her looks are saving her from annihilation all the time--but I'd never get rid of her, no matter how obnoxious she can get!) and really loyal. Great lap dogs. Great snugglers.
She is a barker--but a spritz of vinegar/water helps curb that.
She's a total chewer--including the furniture--but lots of appropriate chew toys plus some time playing fetch take care of that.
My sister has a longhaired Doxie--very protective of her family. But otherwise mellow.
I guess my experience shows that Doxies require a lot of attention--you can't expect them to be good dogs without spending some time training and then following up with play time and attention. They'll reward you with lots of love!

 

[doxdogy]

We are owned by doxies. The doxie in my picture is our dapple Dori (aka piglet). Because she grunts like a little pig when you pick her up. They can be extremely stubborn little mutts. Difficult to housebreak and can be barkers. I read once that the smooth variety is standoffish, the longhairs are loveable and the wires are the clowns of the group. We actually only had one that had an attitude problem for lack of a better term. She finally had to go life with DH's former in laws and was in hog heaven living with them. You have to be extremely careful of their backs and not allow them to become overweight. If you do decide to buy from a breeder, research the breeder thoroughly. Ask them about their breeding methods. Ask if you can meet either the sire or the dam. Ask if they have a pedigree of the sire and dam. Ask them if the pups are hand raised. We use to breed dachshunds and we made sure that we interacted with them. Also check into dachshund rescue in your area.

 

[Magalex]

Jst wanted to chime in! My family had a dachshund when I was a child and lived a long life. But I agree with everything that has been posted. Our dog "Goodie" was very protective and barked at anyone that would approach the house. She was very loyal tho and loved to play frisbee in the backyard(in the backyard she turned into a border collie). Now with my own family we just adopted a 4 yr old small male Spaniel mix from a shelter. Great dog! Only barks at the vaccuum, and when he wants back into the house and he wants someone to notice that he is cute

 

[Taylor]

We have an "Ugly Daschund".

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

We have an "Ugly Daschund".

I've never heard of such. I need to see a picture.