Hound · Varies by variety (8–32 lbs across sizes) · 12-16 years
Dachshund
Clever, courageous, stubborn; big-dog attitude in a small body.
11–32 lb
At a glance
Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
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Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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Why it matters
Color & health
Some colors and patterns in Dachshund carry health implications. Most do not — these do.
Dapple pattern
Risk: Double merle (two copies) carries a high risk of deafness, blindness or both
A single dapple Dachshund is a normal dog. The danger is breeding dapple to dapple, which produces on average one double dapple in four puppies — typically mostly white, and at high risk of deafness and eye defects, because the gene suppresses the same pigment cells the inner ear and retina need to develop.
What to ask a breeder: Are BOTH parents DNA tested for merle? Cryptic merles look solid and carry the gene, so eyes are not enough. Never accept a litter from two merle parents.
Risk: Double merle (two copies) carries a high risk of deafness, blindness or both
A single dapple Dachshund is a normal dog. The danger is breeding dapple to dapple, which produces on average one double dapple in four puppies — typically mostly white, and at high risk of deafness and eye defects, because the gene suppresses the same pigment cells the inner ear and retina need to develop.
What to ask a breeder: Are BOTH parents DNA tested for merle? Cryptic merles look solid and carry the gene, so eyes are not enough. Never accept a litter from two merle parents.
Dilute colors — blue, silver, gray, fawn, lilac, isabella
Risk: Color dilution alopecia
The dilution gene clumps pigment in the hair shaft, weakening it until it breaks. Thinning usually starts between six months and three years, in the diluted areas only, with dry flaky skin and recurrent skin infections. It is managed, not cured.
What to ask a breeder: Ask whether either parent or any previous puppy has shown coat thinning. Be skeptical of a premium charged for a dilute color — the risk travels with it.
Risk: Color dilution alopecia
The dilution gene clumps pigment in the hair shaft, weakening it until it breaks. Thinning usually starts between six months and three years, in the diluted areas only, with dry flaky skin and recurrent skin infections. It is managed, not cured.
What to ask a breeder: Ask whether either parent or any previous puppy has shown coat thinning. Be skeptical of a premium charged for a dilute color — the risk travels with it.
Most color variation is exactly what it looks like — variety, and nothing more. Black, yellow and chocolate Labradors are equally healthy. Rough and smooth Collies differ only in coat. A Chihuahua's long and smooth coats are both standard. This section is about the specific cases where color and health are genuinely linked, not a suggestion that color usually matters.
Why it matters
Sizes — this matters more than it sounds
Dachshunds come in more than one recognized size. AKC recognizes Standard and Miniature as varieties of one breed.
| Miniature 5–6 in | 8–11 lb Shown at 11 lb and under at 12 months |
| Standard 8–9 in | 16–32 lb The original badger-hunting size |
How to know which you have: For a registered dog the paperwork states the variety. Otherwise measure height at the withers — these varieties are defined by height, and weight follows from it.
Why it matters: Every feeding amount, gear size and crate recommendation in Rosette is calculated from the weight you enter, so the varieties get genuinely different guidance.
The honest caveat: Breeders do not agree on these labels. Some call anything under a Standard a 'Mini'. Others split it into Petite, Micro and Toy. Ask for the PARENTS' adult weights and heights — that is a fact, where the label is a marketing choice. And no breeder can guarantee an adult size; an honest one gives you a range and says so.
What this is
What they’re great at
✓ Genuinely dog-social
✓ Adapts beautifully to smaller spaces
Why it matters
Honest challenges
Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Vocal by design
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet. Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower. Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars.
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet. Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower. Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars.
Independent contractor, not employee
Bred to work without human direction - repetition drills insult them.
What helps: Short sessions, premium pay: five brilliant minutes beat thirty mediocre ones. Work WITH the instincts - scent games for noses, chase games for sprinters. Marker training makes your 'yes' crystal clear (Training School).
Bred to work without human direction - repetition drills insult them.
What helps: Short sessions, premium pay: five brilliant minutes beat thirty mediocre ones. Work WITH the instincts - scent games for noses, chase games for sprinters. Marker training makes your 'yes' crystal clear (Training School).
Prey drive is hardwired
Small fast animals flip an ancient switch - this is wiring, not disobedience.
What helps: Management IS the training: never unsupervised with small pets, period. Secure fencing plus leash or long line outdoors for life. Feed the drive legally: flirt pole and lure-chase games.
Small fast animals flip an ancient switch - this is wiring, not disobedience.
What helps: Management IS the training: never unsupervised with small pets, period. Secure fencing plus leash or long line outdoors for life. Feed the drive legally: flirt pole and lure-chase games.
What you can do
Exercise & training
Exercise: Moderate - 30-60 min/day, no stair marathons
Training profile — Scent hound: Independent by design - bred to trail for hours without checking in. Train with food, patience, and realistic expectations of off-leash reliability.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Earthdog royalty · AKC Tracking · Field trials for Dachshunds
What you can do
Grooming & coat
Grooming: Low (smooth) to moderate (long/wire coats need brushing and stripping).
Shedding: Light-moderate (varies by coat: smooth, longhaired, wirehaired).
Good to know
Health to know about
IVDD (back disease - affects up to 25%), obesity, dental disease, PRA
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
How much should YOUR Dachshund eat?
Open the appThis page can only give breed ranges. The app calculates calories and portions from your dog’s actual weight and life stage, splits them across the right number of meals, and adjusts as they grow.
Why it matters
Emergency red flags
Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
Spinal emergency (IVDD breed)
Sudden yelping, hunched back, refusal to move, wobbly or dragging hind legs, loss of bladder control
→ Crate immediately to prevent further damage and go straight to ER - surgery within 24-48 hours can mean the difference between walking and paralysis
Sudden yelping, hunched back, refusal to move, wobbly or dragging hind legs, loss of bladder control
→ Crate immediately to prevent further damage and go straight to ER - surgery within 24-48 hours can mean the difference between walking and paralysis
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
These need to work when the signal does not
Get it on your phoneThe app keeps every Dachshund red flag on your phone and opens them with no connection at all — which is the whole point at 2am in a car park. Add it to your home screen and it works like any other app.
📊 The numbers›
Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.
| Group | Hound |
| Size | Varies by variety (8–32 lbs across sizes) |
| Lifespan | 12-16 years |
| Healthy adult weight | 11–32 lb |
| Original purpose | Digging into badger dens and flushing burrowing animals. |
| Monthly care | $50-$100 |
| Typical puppy price | $500-$2,000 |
🐕 Similar breeds›
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