Colour
Most Daschshunds will be black with some tan or tend to have a solid dark brown/red coat. They do have some cool variations, with reds, tiger markings, dappled colour or brindle. They may even have a small white area on their chest! Wire Haired Dachshunds are most commonly a mix of black and brown haired coats.
Height / Weight
Dachshunds are measured by chest girth, which in the standard smooth coated dachshund should be up to 35cms. Both dogs and bitches should weigh between 9-12kgs.
Health
Because of their sausage like shape the spinal health of the Dachsie is incredibly important! They can be prone to disc injury, including rupture and even paralysis. Stairs and jumping on the furniture are frequent culprits and should be avoided. The condition can be improved through surgery but many Dachsies will still need to use carts to move their hind limbs. You'll also need to be aware of skin conditions such as bald patches and lack of pigmentation.
Life Span
The Dachshund can live into its teenage years if well cared for and kept at a reasonable weight.
Intelligence
Dachsies are very intelligent but also headstrong and this makes them hard to train! They have a strong hunting instinct and can be overcome so they don't respond to come when called, lots of training and starting early is the best way to overcome it! Getting socialisation started early is also really important for the sausage dog to get along with your other animals, especially cats and also boisterous children and strangers!
Suitability (Children)
Low
Feeding
You can feed your pup dry or wet food or a mixture of both. Let Dachsies overeat and they will quickly become obese! That's not good for your pup, obesity can be a serious problems for the Dachshund with their delicate backs.
Excercise
The Dachsie may not look it with their cute little legs, but they were actually bred for hunting. This means they will definitely need good work once a day and twice if you are able. Those same hunting instincts mean they tend to wander off so make sure that unless your Dachsie is incredibly well trained they remain on the lead. Your Dachsie will happily live in a house or small apartment, but you should discourage them from taking the stairs unless absolutely necessary as it can be harmful to their long spines. Dachshunds are master escape artists and are able to dig under and get around fencing so make sure any outside area is adequately fenced off and into the ground or they may go on an unscheduled adventure!
Ailments
Because of their sausage like shape the spinal health of the Dachsie is incredibly important! They can be prone to disc injury, including rupture and even paralysis. Stairs and jumping on the furniture are frequent culprits and should be avoided. The condition can be improved through surgery but many Dachsies will still need to use carts to move their hind limbs. You'll also need to be aware of skin conditions such as bald patches and lack of pigmentation.
Grooming
Wire haired dachsies will need to have their coats plucked two or three times a year, their lovely faces will need to trimmed occasionally and be combed at least every week. You will need an experienced groomer to pluck the coat or ask your breeder to teach you how to do it, unfortunately clipping will ruin the beautiful texture of the Dachsies coat!
Grooming Frequency
Once a week
