my 4 year old daughter has fallen in with a dachshund puppy. i was wondering what the pros and cons are having one. we know they are prone to back injuries if they become over weight etc. im just trying to figure out how hard it will be to train etc. we have a border collie already. from what i have read on line they are good family dogs.
also my inlaws have not told us we can get this dog yet. we are going to talk more when they are back from vacation. my daughter knows that they may say no. well fil said no but mil seems more ok with it. she even said to have my daughter sweet talk him when they are back. lol. we are moving in the summer and both dogs are going with us. my inlaws are also looking to get a companion dog for their dog when we move to. they have a chihuahua.
they are very smart and sweet and affectionate, but very very anxious and high-strung. prone to 'weedles of joy' when excited or scared, so can be a challenge to house-train.
adorable, but not what i'd recommend for a small child's first pet, especially in someone else's home.
khairete
S.
They're very easy to do mouth to nose resuscitation on if they drown!
(My godbrother decided to teach their dachshund to swim underwater).
I would wait until you move to get him/one... since you don't want to have to be housebreaking the puppy in your parents' home.
From a vet: they are super sweet dogs, they do sometimes like only 'their people' and can be distrustful of people outside the family. A word about the backs, its not only overweight dach that get back issues. The way the breed has elongated the back puts a strain on it and sometimes something as simple as a jump off the couch can lead to needing back surgery. If I were getting one I would plan to keep a couple thousand dollars handy to prevent a child's broken heart if that happens. Better yet, train it to stay off furniture!
We have two and love them, but they do have their cons, as any breed does. They bark all.the.time, very protective of our house. One also loves to steal our toddler's toys and destroys them. Neither one has back problems right now, but they are prone to them. In addition, our two have very bad outdoor allergies. Once spring arrives, they are itching and licking until the fall. Somewhat annoying!
On the pro side, they are loveable dogs and wonderful companions. They love to cuddle and burrow under blankets. They are energetic and love takign walks. We had no trouble housetraining ours, although they are known for issues with that.
I could go on all day, so if you would like more information. Let me know! Good luck!
The breed is known to chew on things, even as grown dogs. Not good for the in laws house! My grandparents had them and I never saw my grandmother with a shoe that had a complete heel!
http://www.almosthomerescue.org/about_dach/characteristic...
Great link about the breed.
I love dachshund but just like any purebreed dog they come with their own special list of predispositions. The tend to have back problems because they their front feet and back feet are so far from each other, conformationally, that the back moves wrong or is easily hurt during normal playing. They are typically very sweet, can be rambuctious and I have only ever met one or two that were not kid friendly. They can get very excited. I have known more than one that tend to have sensitive stomachs in general so it is best to find a dog food that works well and stick with it, limiting treats. They are very loyal but will appreciate making friends with anyone. They can be very stubborn to train so be prepared to work hard for potty training. I guess the biggest thing I have seen besides back problems in an older dachshund is dental problems. They tend to have significant dental problems as they get older. I've seen this despite dental care.
Summer is just a few months off. Maybe you should consider waiting until you move to get a new dog. Maybe you can have whoever currently has the dog just hold onto the dog until you can move into the new place.
My grandfather had one that he actually hunted with (yes they are hunting dogs) - one of the most vicious dogs I have ever met and barking incessantly - none of us kids would ever even go near him.
Totally ruined Dachshunds for me forever.
My SIL has two of them ----they are extremely protective and moody. My daughter has been bitten in the face when she simply walked by the chair. The dog jumped up and snapped at her face. She now has two scars from it!!!! Her younger dog id just the same. Very snappy and bitey. We keep our children away from them.
I have heard this of other Dottsies as well. I have met a long haired dottsie that was extremely friendly and loving.....
They bark ALL THE TIME. If you think I'm kidding, google daschund and barking.
My mom's neighbor had one, and it about drove her completely insane. She couldn't walk across her bedroom at night with that dog outside. She finally had to put up a privacy fence to shut that thing up. And it STILL barked when it heard her door slam shut.
Also, my old next door neighbor loved them and had two different ones. I thought when the first one died, he would get something else. But no- he got another one that barks at everything, too- at a leaf blowing in the wind, the trash man, the mail man, an ant. It's quite unnerving. Prepare yourself for some annoyed neighbors. lol
Wiener dogs can be kind of yappy.
They don't have to be over weight to get back problems, often it's just a function of old age for them.
They are smart, but they do chew.
I had a miniature dachsund an definitely he was a barker, the worst of any dog we owned. However, he also picked a family member and became extremely protective of them (my older sister) to the point of him growling or even attacking our feet if we went near her when his mood depicted he wasn't having that. He also had a horrible time with wetting himself when he'd get overly excited. After talking to the vet he informed us that this particular breed does amazingly well with elderly couples who are quiet and are home all the time. We were a family that was always coming and going and with both parents working and all us kids in school, he spent a lot of time by himself during the day. His attacks eventually got to the point that my mother finally GAVE him away to an elderly woman who was a patient at the dental office she worked at. That woman spent MONTHS thanking my mom for such a wonderful dog:) I guess the vet was correct in our situation so I'm glad he was able to go to a good loving home.
i own 2 doxies and love the breed. do they yap? yes especially at door bells or knocks. do they bite? mine don't, unless you count them nipping my boys when they get too rough. i do my best to keep them at a healthy weight due to their backs. for the same reason, i keep them off of stairs and high jumping places. oh and yes they have small bladders! if you get a long hair one then be prepared for grooming.
all that said, they are my babies. they make me smile on the worst of days. they are my protective guardians, even when it makes no sense to me. i would get another one in a heart beat. heck i even bought my mom one so she could have a retirement buddy!
My parents had a miniture long hair dachshund and she was the sweetest dog I have ever been around. She never had back problems, but she did end up dying of cancer I believe. She was about 8 or 9 years old when she passed away.
My sister has 2 minis. They are sweet dogs. They do bark alot, but she hasn't really trained them. They don't bite & love to lick your face :-)
They are definitely yappers but they are such sweet dogs. The smaller breeds of dachshunds tend not to have as many back problems. Just keep the little puppy lean. A pro: they make you laugh every time you look at their funny little shape
