How to Care for a Mini Dachshund

Dachshunds are also known as sausage dogs or "weiners."

The Dachshund breed was developed as a hunting dog, with short legs and a long body suited to work flushing out animals from their burrows. The standard Dachshund was traditionally used to hunt badgers; the smaller mini Dachshund was bred for hunting smaller burrowing animals such as rabbits. Dachshunds require special care relating to their elongated body shape and short legs, as well as more general care similar to other dog breeds.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Take your dog to a veterinarian for a general health check. Mini Dachshund puppies need a full series of vaccinations over a course of several weeks. Adult mini Dachshunds require regular booster shots, health checkups and stool tests.

2. Learn a safe way to pick up and handle your mini Dachshund. The dog's long back is prone to injury. If you need to pick up or carry your Dachshund, you should give support to the full length of the dog's back. If you have children living at home with your mini Dachshund, do not allow the children to pick up the dog by its front end, head, neck or legs.

3. Choose a well-balanced food for your mini Dachshund -- if you are changing from one type of food to another, make the change gradually rather than suddenly to avoid digestive upsets. Miniature Dachshund puppies need feeding four times daily until the age of 3 months. Three meals a day are best between the ages of 3 and 6 months -- after 6 months, a mini Dachshund can be fed twice daily, and at a year old you can either stay with two meals daily or switch to a single meal daily.

4. Implement a consistent training system and schedule for your mini Dachshund. As a breed, Dachshunds have a tendency to suffer separation anxiety -- you can minimize your dog's anxiety about being separated from you by being extremely consistent in your behavior and expectations. Basic training for your Dachshund includes housebreaking and training to sit and come when called.

Tips & Warnings

• As a breed, Dachshunds are relatively prone to neurological problems such as seizures. Spinal disease is also relatively common among Dachshunds due to their long backs.

• Mini Dachshunds may have long or short coats. Long-haired Dachshunds need regular grooming to keep their coats clean and comfortable.

References

• The Kennel Club: Summary Results of the Purebred Dog Health Survey for Dachshunds
• Doxie's Kennel: Taking Care of Your Miniature Dachshund