Dachshund

The Dachshund come in smooth, short-haired, wire-haired and long-haired varieties. They are very popular dogs around the world. They are elegant and proud little dogs and usually lovingly referred to as sausage dogs!

Originally bred to fight badgers and tunnel for animals, these guys are intelligent, brave, stubborn and independent dogs. They are very playful, loving dogs and will keep you entertained for hours.

Exercise

They can cope well if you are living in a flat or apartment. They will be happy if they get their daily walk and plenty of playtime. They do love to bark, so make sure you consider this. They tend to cope better than other breeds with being left for a short period. You may still get those puppy dog eyes when you leave.

Loving

They love to be with their family, but they will normally bond slightly with one person. This can lead to jealousy, so it needs to be watched. They are good with kids. However, they have their limits and probably best to avoid young children with this breed. Older kids, though, will spend hours running around the back garden with them.

Strangers

They are great watchdogs; you will always know about incoming dangers and anything going on outside. This means they are very un-trusting of strangers and will be wary. You must make sure you socialise them when they are young to combat this behaviour.

Other Animals

They should be OK with other dogs, but they may be better as the only dog in the household. Cats and small animals may be OK if used to them. They will normally chase neighbourhood cats with delight!

Training

They are intelligent and fairly easy to train, but they are stubborn and independent, so you might want to discover what their motivation reward is early on to make the best progress. They prefer fun and playful training rather than being harsh or forceful. They can be difficult to house-train.

Grooming

Each breed variety requires different care. They shed all year round, more in autumn and spring. Short is low maintenance with weekly brushing. The wire hair is low maintenance with weekly brushing. Long is higher maintenance and will require daily brushing to avoid matting.