A Long Haired Dachshund is a small dog. The standard Dachshund is a hound-type dog with a long body; short powerful stubby legs; big paddle shaped paws that are good for digging in earth; and has a long thin tail.
Sometimes referred to as a:
- Weiner dog,
- Sausage dog,
- Doxie
- Or the Badger dog from Germany
A Brief History Of The Long Haired Dachshund
The Dachshund breed is believed to have originated in Germany around the 15th Century and initially used as a hunting dog. Early Dachshund dogs were larger and used to hunt badgers and even wild boar.
Fact: The name; DACHSHUND, in German, comes from the words for badger (Dachs) and hound, dog (Hund).
Smaller versions of the Dachshund dog were bred to hunt small prey animals, like rabbits and foxes, down burrows and tunnels. Their body design helped:
- Their paddle shaped paws were useful for digging down into the earth to chase their prey.
- Their long tail was used to help the hunter pull them out of the tunnels once they had trapped their prey.
- Their loose skin protected them from getting cut while burrowing or when being pulled out of the earth.
- They’re a thin dog to squeeze into tight spaces
The Dachshund breed changed size over time depending on what they were used for, although they were all bred to hunt, burrow and dig.
Size of Dachshund And Animals they typically hunted
- A 30-35lb (13.6-16kg) dog typically hunted Badgers and wild boars
- A 16-22lb (7-10kg) dog typically hunted Foxes and Deer
- A 8-11lb (3.6-5kg) dog typically hunted Weasels and hares
- Around 5lb (2kg) dog typically hunted Cottontail rabbits (US)
Fact: The Dachshund is the only purebred hound dog, registered by the American Kennel club (AKC), to still hunt above and below ground today.
There are 3 varieties of Dachshund dogs; Smooth-haired, long-haired and wire-haired.
The only real difference is the size and type, length and color of their coat. The smooth haired Dachshund came first and it is agreed that the longhaired and wirehaired varieties came from it.
It is not clear if the change in variety was through naturally breed variations or crossbreeding. The longhaired Dachshund may have been crossed with land and water Spaniels and the wirehaired with Terriers.
They have long floppy ears that keep their inner ear clean as they dig and a long snout with an acute sense of smell; both useful when hunting.
What are the main characteristics of the Long Haired Dachshund?
This little dog is cute, especially the miniature Dachshund, but wilful. It’s a lovable family pet, but not a lapdog!
Loyalty and companionship:
A long-haired Dachshund is your companion and loyal family dog; known to just follow its master around for no particular reason, other than to watch them.
Reputation:
Although they look like their body is too long for their legs, they can be surprisingly fit and active. For a small dog, they have great stamina being a hunting breed and not easily tired.
The Long Haired Dachshund puppy may bite at or nip children, strangers or other smaller animals until properly trained and socialized. They still retain a prey instinct.
Popularity:
It’s still highly popular in Germany. In the United States in the 1950s the Weiner became a popular family dog, and still ranks the 13th most popular dog in the US, and 9th in UK.
Now a registered breed standard by the AKC they can compete as purebred show dogs and are used less as hunting dogs, in the US and the United Kingdom. In the rest of Europe they are still used to hunt smaller animals like rabbits.
Trainability:
Not easy! This hunting dog breed has a reputation for being stubborn, bold and difficult to discipline. Begin to train your Dachshund puppy early, but be prepared to be patient as they like to dart away and can be disobedient.
Power and intelligence:
A little dog that’s brave, strong, intelligent and energetic, with sharp instincts, a great sense of smell and hearing with great stamina.
Socialization:
Early socialization and discipline is strongly recommended with this dog breed. It can be stubborn and nip, so should always be supervised around children and not run loose.
Purpose:
It’s an energetic hunting breed that likes to keep busy. They are very well adapted to different terrain and climate.
Behaviour:
They need lots of exercise otherwise they will get bored and bark or start digging. They can be destructive and don’t like strangers.
They have a big deep bark, coming from when they were used as hunting dogs and needed to be heard from underground. Not suited to apartment living where dog barking may be considered a nuisance. Be prepared for them to run off, if they feel like it.
They retain strong prey instincts so keep them away from other small animals or it might become a hunt!
Physical Characteristics
The Long Haired Dachshund is considered a small dog, with 2 officially recognized sizes in the US:
Standard Dachshunds – 16lb (7kg+)
Miniature Dachshunds – up to 11lb (5kg)
Coat type: Long-haired silky coat with specific feathering on legs and ears.
Coat Color: Depends on parent mix – dominant color is red (copper-red or rust), black and tan, or fawn. They can have up to 15 different color combinations and variety of patterns: Dapple (merle), brindle (dark stripes), sable and pie-bald.
Temperament:
Bold, stubborn and determined with a hunting mindset. They can interact well but be careful of rough fun, or lifting them up, as they have common health issues with their backs. They are not a lapdog and can snap and bark.
How should you train a Long-haired Dachshund?
With lots of patience! Train a Long Haired Dachshund puppy early!
Not an easy breed to train as they are strong-willed with hunting reactions and a prey drive.
Types of training required: obedience, discipline, agility and socialization.
So, if you are not going to use a professional dog trainer:
1) Develop your basic command words: Find keywords such as Sit, Stop, and Fetch etc. and be consistent each time you use them. Use small treats as a reward in early training.
2) Crate – Buy a crate and get puppy used to going into it. This will eventually become its nest and it will sleep there. You will have to lock the cage in the early days so it knows it has to sleep there and useful experience when transporting your pet.
3) Potty training – May be hit and miss for a new puppy who gets easily excited and lacks control, however products are available, such as mats and odour sprays to attract puppy go to the same spot each time
4) Walking on a leash – Voice commands and road awareness is important for your puppy’s safety.
Health problems and health issues
Purebred dogs can inherit health problems and the Long Haired Dachshund is prone to:
IVDD (Intervertebral Disk Disease)
Long Haired Dachshunds have an abnormally long back in relation to the size of its legs. IVDD is a disease that can cause the disks in a dog’s neck or back to rupture. If these disks crack, or swell, it can cause extreme pain or paralysis.
An estimated 25% of Dachshunds are likely to suffer back problems between the ages of 4-8 years because of IVDD.
Therefore avoid activity or play that will put too much strain on its back or knees.
Other health issues include: epilepsy, allergies and skin conditions and eye disease.
Caring for your Long-haired Dachshund – what’s needed?
Exercise requirements:
A Long haired Dachshund puppy quickly demonstrates its energy levels. It will require daily exercise, to keep it healthy and occupied.
As a hunting dog it was bred to run, hunt and dig actively.
Early leash training, and road awareness, is strongly recommended for a puppy even though it may not always require one.
Feeding:
Feed as a small-sized dog with specially-formulated dry food, recommended by your Vet.
Grooming:
This dog will require daily grooming of its long-haired, silky coat. It’s a shedder so you’ll need a good brush.
Bathing:
Bathe when needed, but not too often as their coats contain natural oil, which can be stripped with over-bathing. Certain shampoos have double effect of cleaning the dog coat and protecting it against fleas and insect bites.
Cleaning teeth, nails and ears:
Look after their teeth to prevent a build-up of plaque. Chewing breaks down plaque, so use doggie chew-toys, bare-bones and soft toothbrushes and toothpaste. Nails grow quickly due to activity level and need to be trimmed regularly, say once a month, and checked for infection. Their big floppy ears still need to be regularly checked for dirt build-up or infection, as they like to burrow into earth.
What’s life like for a Long-haired Dachshund?
Lifestyle
The dachshund, even the miniature dachshunds, is very active little dog that like lots of exercise with its family. It can match a human’s fitness level. They can become lazy if not exercised enough or show their boredom through loud, deep barking or escaping and digging up your garden, or your plants!.
Positives and Negatives of owning a Long Haired Dachshund
Positives
- Cute appearance
- Loyal to Master and family
- Intelligent
- Great stamina
- High spirited
- Owners stay loyal to this breed
Negatives
- Not instantly friendly to strangers
- Has a big deep bark and will bark if bored
- Not always easy to approach, can snap
- Noisy if left alone for long times.
- Will bite things or chase small animals
- Not good in sedentary environments, will wander if allowed
- A long-haired shedder needs regular brushing.
- Should not be left alone with young children, can nip
Commonly asked Questions:
Q: What is the proper name of the Weiner dog?
A. A Dachshund of which there are 3 types, the short-haired, the long-haired and the wire-haired Dachshund. Their nicknames include: Weiner dog, Doxie, Doxy, Doxies, Sausage dog, or badger dog.
Q. How much does a Long-haired Dachshund puppy cost?
A. From $200 – $3500, from a reputable breeder, (depending on pedigree, coloring, and pattern – Dapple, brindle sable or pie-bald. However, it’s always best to adopt rather than buy if you can, you may find that those with unusual coloring are more available to adopt.
Food will cost around $40 per month, and Vets fees and accessories also need to be factored into the cost of owning a Dachshund.
