Welcome to the DailyBarker Blog! I hope you enjoy reading my experiences of some behaviors of my two miniature Dachshunds, Mitzi and Heidi.
TRUTH: THEIR NAME MEANS “BADGER DOG” IN GERMAN
The German translation of the name Dachshund means “Badger Dog”. “Dach” meaning badger and “hund” meaning dog. Out of all the hunting breeds, Dachshunds are the smallest and the miniature Dachshund was bred to hunt hare. You will often hear people calling them “sausage dog” or “wiener dog” which has developed due to their long “sausage” like body shape.
TRUTH: DACHSHUNDS LOVE THEIR FOOD
Maybe a little too much, Dachshunds are prone to obesity and can put on weight quickly, so don’t be fooled by their beautiful “feed me” eyes. Mitzi and Heidi will just sit and stare at me as to say “mum, can I have my food please?” after minutes of just eating their breakfast. Just because people might call them a “sausage dog” it doesn’t mean they should look like one!
TRUTH: THEY RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN BREED
Dachshunds are extremely sociable and love any form of attention. They get on well with all different breeds of dog (a Labrador is their best friend), but they really do recognize their own breed and it’s an instant sniff of respect. We belong to a few different Dachshund groups where we meet up with around 50 other Dachshunds to go on a walk. The minute my two are with the others, they all form a massive pack and get up to a whole load of mischief! One will start barking and then all of a sudden the others will bark and run to see what is going on. Usually they will have a little look around, then trot off looking extremely pleased with themselves.
TRUTH: NO TOY IS SAFE AROUND A DACHSHUND
As they are hunters, it is no surprise that many of them will like to dig up your flowerbeds or help dig a hole in the sand on the beach, however no toy stands a chance around Dachshunds! Mitzi and Heidi are top toy destroyers and this goes for all my friends that have Dachshunds as well. No squeaky stuffed toy has ever lasted longer than 5 minutes in our household, and unfortunately, it’s soon in a million pieces on the floor! Of course, Mitzi and Heidi look very pleased about this.
MYTH: ALL DACHSHUNDS HAVE BACK PROBLEMS
This breed can be prone to slipped discs because of their long bodies and short legs, however, most Dachshunds live a long and happy life. IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) is a condition that affects dachshunds as well as some other long backed breeds. Keeping them fit not fat, waiting until they are fully matured before neutering, and supporting their backs when picking them up will help reduce the risk of IVDD.
MYTH: DACHSHUNDS ARE NOT VERY ACTIVE
When it comes to exercise, Dachshunds are capable of more than you think. These dogs were bred to cover vast amounts of ground while sniffing out small game, so don’t be surprised that they are still going when all you want to do is sit down and have a coffee! On weekends I regularly walk 5-10 miles with Mitzi and Heidi, and they take this as their little stride absolutely fine. They love exploring and their little tails wag the whole time.
MYTH: DACHSHUNDS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO TRAIN
I wouldn’t say that Dachshunds are impossible to train, however, they are very smart, strong willed, stubborn, and like everything their own way. I have found that the key is to understand what makes them motivated. Mitzi will do anything for her squeaky ball whereas Heidi will do anything for food (especially cheese!) Make sure you are patient and consistent and you will have a perfectly trained Dachshund who will idolize you.
MYTH: DACHSHUNDS DON’T LIKE THE RAIN AND WATER
Firstly, who does like the rain? If we were to be honest, we would rather choose to be nice and dry inside. It’s the same for Dachshunds. Like all dogs, they pick up on how their human feels. Be prepared to meet some resistance at first, but if you take them for a walk whatever the weather, then that will teach them that you won’t allow for their stubbornness and turn it into a positive experience. Introducing baths at a young age will help them feel confident around water. Mitzi and Heidi really do not mind having a paddle in streams when we are out on walks, and they love a dip in the sea to cool down when we are on our summer holidays at the beach.
Can you relate to any of the above truths or myths for your Dachshund? I would love to hear your stories in the comment section below.
Hi everyone! My name is Melissa and people know me as the mother of Dachshunds! I’m a mama to the sassy sausage duo, Mitzi and Heidi also known on instagram as @thesomersetsausage. Despite being vertically challenged, there is nothing that these girls can’t achieve. We love walking mountains, cuddles on the sofa, and sniffing out anything dog friendly. We can’t wait to share our adventures with you all!
3 comments
I loved reading this post Melissa! My in-laws have a dachshund and I’ve been learning so much about their breed since. Their pup definitely fits the bill for stubborn… oh and that no toy is safe. She peels the fabric off her tennis balls!
Thank you so much Christina, so pleased you enjoyed reading my post! They are such great characters they really are. Mitzi does exactly the same with tennis balls too, she strips them bare!
Completely agree with all of these!
I heard that the reason they’re called sausage dogs now is because there were a lot of negative connotations with them after the war. A lot of dachsies were put down because they were deemed to be German and introducing the term sausage dog was an attempt to dissociate them in that respect. Also Toto in the wizard of Oz was initially cast as a dachsie but then outed for similar reasons! They do have a fascinating history