How to care for a dachshund: maintenance features and useful tips

What you need to know about the breed?

Those who just want to buy a dachshund or who already have one need to know the features inherent in representatives of this breed. Ignoring them can lead to immediate deterioration in your dog's health or even death.

Features of handling dachshunds:

• They must be protected from jumping from heights (even from the sofa);
• It is strictly forbidden to lift the puppy by the scruff of the neck;
• It is necessary to select dachshund companions (other dogs) who are not much superior in height and strength;
• Avoid situations where the puppy stands on its hind legs. This can cause spinal deformity;
• There is no need to smooth the ears, as this will cause them to droop;
• Before vaccination, it is prohibited to go outside with the puppy.

How often should you go for walks?

A Dachshund puppy should be walked as often as possible, as this will help make it clean, friendly and sociable. You need to take your dog out after waking up, before going to bed and 20 minutes after each feeding. An adult dachshund needs to be walked at least 3 times a day for 20-30 minutes . Games involving jumping are prohibited. The dachshund is a hunting dog, and therefore you should forget about quiet walks forever.

How often should I bathe?

You can bathe your dachshund at any age. To do this, you need to use baby or special shampoo. It is better to avoid rinse aid and conditioner. You should wash your dachshund using various means no more than once every 3-4 months . You can bathe her in plain water an unlimited number of times.

Choosing a collar

It is not recommended to buy metal collars for your dachshund - although they are reliable, they become a real torment for the dog, constantly squeezing its neck. It is also not recommended to buy collars that are too thick and soft. The best option for representatives of this breed would be a collar with a thickening in the middle , which will not rub or twist.

Training and education

How to care for a dachshund puppy during training?

Training a dachshund puppy is not an entirely simple task, and it must be carried out with special rigor so as not to spoil the psychological state of the puppy. Dachshunds are a type of dog that, when allowed, stop obeying their owners. The main problems affecting training are its increased love and desire to continuously contact others.

The Dachshund is a social breed. It is necessary not only to walk with her, but also to participate in games and competitions. Otherwise, the pet will become bored, unwell, hostile and disobedient.

Puppy care

To buy a dachshund puppy, you need to prepare in advance, both psychologically and physically, by creating all the necessary conditions for a comfortable existence.

Preparing the premises

Before bringing a puppy into your house or apartment you need to:

• Remove all accessible electrical wires;
• Buy food, bowls, toys and other necessary items;
• Prepare places where the dog will rest, eat and go to the toilet;
• Wash the floors and remove all shoes, so the puppy, trying everything on the tooth, can become infected with infectious diseases or poisoned;
• Instruct children how to handle the puppy;
• If you have a cat, place its bowls with water and food on a high place (window sill, bedside table);
• Remove plants that are toxic to dogs - ivy, poinsettia, cloves;
• Hide all household chemicals.

Necessary purchases

To make the puppy comfortable from the first days of being in the apartment (or house), you need to buy in advance:

1. The house is a hole in which the dog can retire. It should be made from natural materials, have a removable mattress and be comfortable. A good house is not cheap, so you can make it yourself. To do this, you need to cut out the entrance to the house in a cardboard box and put a pillow there;
2. A tray (for boys with a column, for girls without) and diapers that perfectly absorb moisture;
3. Bowls for food and water. The ideal option for a dog would be stainless steel dishes.
4. Nail cutter , with which you need to cut off the tips of the claws. This should be done carefully, without touching the painful part;
5. Collar - for small puppies it is best to use textile ones, which will help the pet get used to a foreign object on the neck;
6. Roulette for walking . Its optimal length should be 3-5 meters, which will allow the dog to go about its business while under the supervision of the owner;
7. Drops and sprays that protect dachshunds from fleas and ticks;
8. Toys - any, at the discretion of the owner. It is best that they are made of latex;
9. Crunch bones , with the help of which the puppy sharpens his teeth.

Dog health

It’s unfortunate, but dachshunds, like other dog breeds, get sick.

Possible diseases:

1. Acanthosis nigricas is a disease associated with changes in the secretion of the sebaceous glands, causing thickening of the skin and hyperpigmentation of certain areas (inner thigh, chest, abdomen, armpit);
2. Swimmer's syndrome is a disease associated with osteoporosis that causes puppies to be unable to stand up and crawl on their stomachs;
3. Discopathy - deformation, displacement or damage to the vertebral discs;
4. Idiopathic epilepsy, which consists of the appearance of seizures (impaired coordination, vomiting, involuntary urination, muscle tremors);
5. Eye diseases (optic nerve or retinal atrophy, cataracts);
6. Enteritis is an inflammatory bowel disease that is caused either by poor diet (non-infectious) or by viruses and bacteria (viral);
7. Baldness (alopecia) associated with weakening of pigment;
8. Infectious diseases - plague, rabies, leptospirosis, adenovirosis.

Disease Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of various diseases it is necessary:

1. When coming from the street, immediately clean your shoes;
2. Wash the floor regularly;
3. Prohibit the dachshund from picking up something from the ground, as well as from playing with unfamiliar dogs;
4. Do all vaccinations on time;
5. Give antihelminthics once every three months.

To avoid diathesis and obesity in your dachshund, you need to feed it simple and healthy food.

Prevention of discopathy consists of:

• Proper physical activity (long walks, running, climbing stairs, swimming);
• Good nutrition;
• Weight control (avoid obesity);
• Prohibition of unwanted behavior (jumping, standing on hind legs, playing with large dogs).

To avoid many infectious diseases, vaccinations are necessary . The dachshund vaccination schedule may vary. Dachshund puppies from 1 - 1.5 months are vaccinated twice, with an interval of 2 - 3 weeks (fixing vaccination).

Adult representatives of this breed receive a comprehensive rabies vaccination every year.

Do I need to bathe?

Until the dog is 5 months old, it cannot be bathed - at this time it is still undergoing the necessary vaccinations. In case of emergency, you can rinse your pet under warm running water; this should be done after every walk.

In the future, you need to bathe the dog in the bathtub, placing a rubber mat on the bottom so that the paws do not slip..

For washing, you need to use special shampoos that match the type of dachshund’s coat.

CAREFULLY!

Washing too frequently dries out your pet's skin and deteriorates the quality of the coat, so you should bathe your dachshund no more than once a quarter.

Dog care

To keep your dachshund healthy, you need to take proper care of it.

A short-haired dachshund should be wiped with a terry towel or brushed with a not too hard bristled brush. As for the long-haired representatives of the breed, they need to be combed daily, first with a bristle brush with short and long hair, and then with combs with sparse teeth or combs with combs with sparse and frequent rotating teeth.

For rough-haired dachshunds, it is recommended to use metal brushes with widely spaced teeth. You need to wash your dog in warm water. Use shampoo no more than 3-4 times a year.

It is necessary to promptly remove secretions accumulating in the corners of the eyes using a clean cloth moistened with warm water. If your eyes are watery, you need to wash them with a cloth soaked in warm and strongly brewed tea.

Every month you need to examine your dachshund's ear canals and remove any dirt and wax that has accumulated there.

Nail trimming

Due to too long nails, the dog cannot fully step on its paws, which leads to improper distribution of the load on the ligaments and joints, causing lameness.

In adults leading an active lifestyle, the claws wear down on their own during long walks..

If this does not happen, the nails should be trimmed using a guillotine nail clipper at least once a month, carefully shortening the nail plate so as not to touch the blood vessels.

Caring for a dachshund: features of keeping and feeding a pet

Dachshunds are popular all over the world. Despite its height and short legs, this dog is muscular and agile. She has a strong, elongated body. She is mischievous, cheerful and inventive. Smart, brave, at the same time touchy and proud - that’s how she is, a dachshund, whose content is simple, but includes some key features.

Dachshunds come in smooth-haired, long-haired and wire-haired varieties. A smooth-haired dog has a smooth, shiny, short, close-lying coat. Grooming your dachshund also includes special care for its coat. It needs to be brushed with a special brush. If the coat is short, it will be enough to wipe it with a terry towel or a piece of velvet.

The paws of a dog returning from a walk should be wiped with a damp cloth, and if he is not afraid of water, he should be washed with warm water in the shower. If your dog gets very dirty during a walk, you need to wash it all using shampoo. The shampoo must be special, branded, intended only for dogs of this breed. In general, it is advisable not to get used to using such means. For a puppy 4-5 months old, bathing is generally contraindicated.

Caring for a Dachshund can be a little challenging at times. However, the key to the dog’s health and the owner’s peace of mind is proper care of the dachshund, including timely walking. Even though her coat is short, it can harbor parasites such as fleas and ticks. To combat them there are special preparations in the form of soap, powder, spray, drops. You can buy a special collar. Before using the drug, you need to read the instructions, in addition to the one given to you at the veterinary pharmacy. The use of any medicine is calculated on the dog’s age, its weight, type of coat and drug tolerance (absence of allergic reactions to the components of the drug), the diseases the dog has suffered, and the degree of its infestation by insects. Take this seriously to ensure your pet is not harmed by the treatment.

The owner of a dachshund should also pay attention to the claws of the pet. A dog should be taught to cut its nails from an early age. To do this, you need to purchase special nail clippers. You need to trim your puppy’s nails very carefully so as not to touch or damage areas saturated with blood vessels. When you visit the veterinarian for the first time with your puppy, you will have the opportunity to see how to do it correctly and painlessly. An adult dog does not need to trim its nails; as needed, it grinds off its “manicure” on the asphalt.

The dog’s eyes also need care; there will be no problems with them if you wipe them in the morning and as needed with a cotton wool moistened with weak tea. Mucus in the corners of the eyes formed after the night also needs to be removed. If suddenly the mucous discharge from your dog’s eyes becomes more abundant than usual, do not hesitate to take your dog to the doctor. An experienced specialist will advise and help cure your dachshund.

The dachshund's ears, like the eyes, need to be examined and, if necessary, cleaned of wax accumulation using a cotton swab wrapped around a match. At the pet store you need to purchase special drops designed to gently clean your dog’s ears.

Small puppies are not affected by dental problems, but the older the dog gets, the more careful you need to be with your teeth. Adult animals suffer from tartar, which causes an unpleasant odor from the mouth in the future. If stones are not removed in time, it can create many serious problems. Caring for your dachshund also includes solving this problem. To prevent this from happening, you need to visit the veterinarian on time, buy a special bone on which the dog can sharpen its teeth, and use a special medicinal paste.

Features for dwarf (miniature)

The dwarf dachshund suffers from loneliness. Without frequent enough walks and without attention, the animal can get sick. And caring for the coat, ears and paws requires a more careful approach than for a regular dachshund. Bath, cut and comb the animal more often and more diligently.

The dwarf dachshund is friendly, curious, and easy to train. She needs attention from her owner and gets along easily with other animals. The pet quickly finds contact with children, so the dwarf dachshund is often purchased by families with children.

You need to make sure that your pet has its own comfortable place to rest and a toy to spend time with.

When deciding to purchase a dachshund as a pet, it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Care should be taken to ensure that the pet feels comfortable. To do this, it is necessary to create comfortable living conditions for him and promptly care for the animal’s fur, ears, eyes and teeth. But by purchasing a dachshund, a person finds a faithful and devoted friend. Positive emotions from contact with this friendly animal will cover and smooth out all the inconveniences.

Website about dogs

The Dachshund is one of the most popular and beloved dog breeds in the world. A smart, cunning face and a funny physique are the recipe for success for these cuties. Unfortunately, popularity has played a cruel joke on this breed - dachshunds are bred based solely on their external characteristics, but meanwhile they are a serious hunting dog with a character corresponding to their status.

This is not the best gift for a child or elderly parents, as is commonly believed. The Dachshund will fit perfectly into a family of active people who spend a lot of time outside the four walls of a city apartment. They are restless, inquisitive, active, energetic, requiring a lot of attention.

But it’s not just character that requires special attention from the owners. The anatomical features of dogs of this breed also deserve a separate discussion.

Dachshunds were bred for burrow hunting. An elongated back with short legs were competitive advantages. This was good for hunting, but not so much for the dogs themselves.

The modern dachshund is a dog with disturbed body proportions. It looks funny, but it is a risk factor for the dog itself. The dachshund must be carefully protected from any excessive stress on the spine, and also protected from dampness and drafts.

A place for the dachshund in the apartment should be arranged where the dog will not be exposed to a draft - preferably somewhere in a cozy corner. In order for the dog to willingly settle down there, it is better to buy a special lounger. A large selection of dog beds at H&C will help solve this issue. In the Harley & Cho online store you can choose not only a comfortable, but also a stylish accessory for your pet that will fit perfectly into the interior.

Helpful advice: you can choose the type of bed - soft or with a wooden frame - at your own discretion, but with the size it is better to adapt to the “dimensions” of the dog. Small dogs may feel uncomfortable in a bed that is too spacious, so you shouldn’t go for huge sizes.

Long floppy ears can also be a source of trouble. Dirt can accumulate in them, and over time, if the ears are not cleaned, fungus will appear in them.

Regular check-ups with a veterinarian are a way to solve this problem.