I have a long-haired miniature dachshund and they make excellent pets, especially if you want one that will cuddle. But you need to know how to care for miniature dachshunds.
They are a stubborn breed and can be difficult to train, but they do respond very well with treats.
They are funny and will keep you laughing, the way they run with those little fast legs and long bodies.
They like to sniff and dig in the yard so you have to watch them so you don’t want holes in your yard.
How To Care For Dachshunds
I have had dachshunds for the past 27 years and fell in love with them. However, you must know how to care for dachshunds before you either purchase or adopt one.
Dachshunds are considered hounds, and the first time a dachshund was recorded was in Germany back around the 1500s.
They were bred to hunt badgers, so the dachshunds were bred to be fierce. However, those were standard dachshunds, so they were a bit bigger in size. Their long bodies and short legs were ideal for digging and hunting.
There are three sizes of dachshunds; the standard, the miniature, and the tweener.
It is a well-known fact that the first bird-dogs were smooth-haired dachshunds And it is believed they were spawned down from Bassett Hound.
And then afterwards came the wire-haired dachshunds that was mixed into terrier pups to get that wire hair.
Then came the long-haired dachshunds that were bred closer to the 1900s.
It is believed they were bred with spaniels to get the long coat In Europe.
Dachshunds were pack animals, which made them ideal for hunting as well. And the reason why they’re so long is so they could squeeze into the burrows of badgers.
So the dachshunds are very tenacious and extremely cocky and won’t back down to other animals.
In later years they were spawned down to miniature size, to hunt rabbits and other vermin.
Standard dachshunds are considered to be 16 to 32 pounds. Miniatures are considered 8 to 11 pounds and then tweener sizes were 11- 15 pounds.
I live in a small condo with a front and backyard where my Hershey loves to sniff and play. I have him trained so he won’t dig as he knows if he digs he doesn’t get a treat.
I walk him every day so he gets plenty of exercise as he enjoys his walks. However, if I see another person walking their dog coming my way I have to move to the side as he doesn’t like other dogs.
I also bought a dog ramp, which I suggest any dachshund owner should purchase. With their long bodies, they are prone to back issues so you don’t want to let them jump up or down off sofas, beds, etc.
How To Care For Dachshunds To Prevent Back Injuries
Dachshunds especially like to be on the couch or bed as they enjoy being cuddled.
Dachshunds like regular routines for walking, eating, etc. I take Hershey out in the morning around 7:30 am as that is the time he wants to go out to go to the bathroom.
He also loves his car ride so I take him on a car ride each day and find a park where we can walk.
When in the park, if there is a squirrel he immediately wants to chase him. But since I have on his dog harness I can hold him back.
I suggest getting a dog harness instead of a dog leash as with a leash, that can put strain on their neck and could possibly be prone to getting an injury.
With the dog harness it is comfortable around his whole body and when he pulls it distributes the pressure so he doesn’t get any injury. This is another important item in how to care for dachshunds.
It is funny in the gated back yard I have…there is a tree with a squirrel in it. The squirrel will look down at him and chirp and Hershey continues to look up and bark at him daring him to come down from the tree.
He also loves his dog toys, an especially his favorite green alligator toy. I throw it across the room and he chases it and brings it back to have me toss it again.
Hershey is very smart and knows so many words. But being the stubborn little dachshund, he will pretend he doesn’t know certain words.
Words like, sit, down, roll over. He will sit and stare and act like he doesn’t have a clue.
But then when I bring out the dog treat he immediately knows every word and goes through all the routines of sit, stay, roll over, etc.
I guess he has me trained instead of the other way around. Ha! Hershey is a long-haired miniature dachshund and weighs about 15 pounds.
Since being in a small condo, he doesn’t need a lot of room.
As long as he gets his outside walks each day, the 1,500 square feet indoors is plenty of room for him.
One of the main health concerns for dachshunds is IVDD, which is Intervertebral Disk Disease. To help prevent this I do not let him jump up or down from sofas or beds.
I also give him glucosamine each day to help with joints and prevent issues. Also, I give my Hershey the proper dog food that doesn’t have any bad or added artificial ingredients.
If you want to learn how to care for dachshunds and give them the best chance to live a long life then make sure you feed them the right foods.
Feeding your dachshund the right dog food will help extend their life and prevent diseases such as cancer. I also add certain vegetables to his dog food, such as green beans which are good for dogs.
One thing about certain long-haired miniatures is that they are a bit guarded and when meeting someone at first that comes into the house.
They will bark at them when they come to the door and even when they enter as they don’t trust them at first.
I will pick up Hershey when someone comes in and then have them say his name “Hi Hershey” and allow them to put their hand slowly out and underneath him so Hershey can see their hand in a non-threatening manner.
Then I let Hershey sniff their hand.
Just make sure they don’t make a quick movement or come down with their hand on top of their head as dogs do not like that.
Then when I put him down on the floor he is okay with them and will let them pet him.
Picking up a dachshund is very important in how to care for miniature dachshunds. Many people don’t know how to pick them up correctly.
You don’t simply pick it up like a regular dog, since they have a long back.
Picking them up from their upper body and legs causes strain on their back.
It is recommended to use both hands and have one hand underneath their lower body and the other hand underneath the upper body so there is a balance of weight distribution so you are not causing any strain.
You have to be careful with them because they have long backs and are prone to back issues.
I have owned dachshunds going on 28 years now and fell in love with this breed. What I like too, is that dachshunds tend to live longer than man other breeds.
I had one dachshund live to be 19 and the other two I had lived to be 17 and a half.
If you want a cuddling, cute, funny dog with a lot of spirit and personality, I would highly recommend a dachshund.
