Updated 10 June 2026
Dachshunds may be small in size, but they’re full of personality. Often called sausage dogs, wiener dogs or doxies, these long-bodied, short-legged hounds are affectionate, curious, and famously brave. With their playful nature, strong bonds to family, and distinctive appearance, it’s no surprise Dachshunds remain one of the world’s most popular small dog breeds.
Before bringing a Dachshund home, it’s important to understand what life with a Dachshund is really like. From temperament and exercise needs to grooming and health considerations, this guide will help you decide whether a Dachshund is the right breed for your lifestyle.
The Dachshund at a Glance
- Breed size: Small (5-15kg)
- Life expectancy: 12-16 years
- Exercise needs: Around 30-60 minutes of exercise per day
- Space needs: Well suited to apartments and smaller homes
- Grooming needs: Low to moderate depending on coat type
- Shedding: Low to moderate, depending on coat type
- Hypoallergenic? No
- Barking tendency: Naturally alert and vocal
- Trainability: Intelligent but independent; responds best to positive reinforcement
- People-friendly? Forms strong bonds with family and favourite people
- Other pets? Does best with early socialisation and introductions
- Family-friendly? Best suited to homes with older children who understand gentle handling
- Suitable for first-time dog owners? Best suited to experienced homes prepared for their training needs
- Best suited to: Owners looking for an affectionate, loyal companion with plenty of personality
Remember that every Dachshund is an individual with their own personality and behaviours that may differ from the breed’s stereotypical characteristics.
What people love about Dachshunds
Dachshunds are beloved by their owners for a number of reasons:
- Strong bonds with their family make them affectionate, loyal companions.
- A compact size makes them well suited to a range of living situations, including apartments and smaller homes.
- With an average lifespan of 12–16 years, many become cherished by family members for years to come.
- Intelligent, curious and often cheeky personalities help keep life entertaining.
- Whether joining you on adventures, curling up on the couch or burrowing under a blanket, they're happiest when included in family life.
Important things to consider
Dachshunds can be wonderful companions in the right home. Before bringing one into your family, it’s worth considering the following to ensure you’re a great match for each other:
- Early socialisation is important, as many prefer the company of people over other pets.
- Their unique, long-backed body shape means extra care should be taken to support spinal health throughout life.
- Consistent, positive training helps bring out the best in their independent nature.
- Naturally alert and observant, they're known for having a surprisingly big bark for their size.
- Gentle introductions and supervised interactions help build positive relationships with children.
- Strong family bonds mean they generally thrive in homes where they receive plenty of companionship and attention.
History & Origins of the Dachshund
The Dachshund originated in Germany, where its name literally translates to “badger dog”. Bred hundreds of years ago to hunt badgers and other burrowing animals, Dachshunds were designed with long bodies, short legs and a fearless attitude to follow prey into underground dens.
This hunting heritage explains many of the breed’s modern traits, including their love of digging, burrowing under blankets, strong prey drive and surprisingly loud bark. Even today, many Dachshunds retain the bravery and determination that once made them formidable hunters despite their small size.
Common Traits and Characteristics of Dachshunds
Physical Appearance
Dachshunds are instantly recognisable thanks to their elongated spine, short legs and expressive faces. They have long muzzles, deep chests and strong front paws originally developed for digging.
Size
Dachshunds come in two main size categories – miniature, and standard – reaching their full adult size around 12 months of age.
| Miniature Dachshund | Standard Dachshund | |
| Height (to withers) | 13 - 15cm | 20 – 23cm |
| Weight | ~ 5kg | 7 - 15kg |
Coat
| Coat Trait | Details |
| Colours | Black & tan, red, chocolate & tan, cream, blue (grey), fawn (Isabella), dapple (merle), brindle, sable |
| Coat Length | Short to medium (varies by coat type) |
| Coat Types |
Smooth (Shorthaired): Short, sleek coat that’s easy to maintain Longhaired: Soft, flowing coat with feathering on ears, legs and tail Wirehaired: Dense, wiry coat with distinctive facial hair |
| Hypoallergenic? | No |
| Shedding level | Low to moderate depending on coat type |
Personality and Temperament
Dachshunds are known for forming very strong bonds with their people. They’re affectionate, cuddly and often happiest when close to their family, sometimes literally sleeping on or against them.
Despite their loving nature, Dachshunds tend to be wary of strangers and can be quite vocal. Their alertness and surprisingly big bark for their size makes them excellent watchdogs.
They’re generally confident, independent thinkers, with a charming strong will that benefits from patient, consistent training from an early age.
Trainability and Behaviour
Dachshunds are intelligent dogs with a confident, independent nature.
They respond best to patient, consistent training and positive reinforcement. Short, engaging training sessions that keep things fun and rewarding tend to work best.
Common behavioural challenges seen in Dachshunds include:
- Excessive barking
- Digging and burrowing
- Separation anxiety
Early training and socialisation are important for all dogs. For Dachshunds, they can be particularly helpful in building confidence around other animals and encouraging positive behaviours from a young age.
Sociability
Dachshunds are deeply loyal to their family and often form especially strong bonds with their favourite people. While they can be a little reserved around unfamiliar faces at first, many warm up once they feel comfortable.
Early socialisation plays an important role in helping Dachshunds grow into confident, well-adjusted adult dogs. Positive exposure to different people, animals and environments from a young age can help them feel comfortable in a variety of situations and build positive relationships throughout their lives.
Do Dachshunds get along with...
Children?
Dachshunds can make wonderful family companions, often forming strong bonds with children. They generally do best with children who understand gentle handling, and supervision is always recommended.
Other dogs?
Many Dachshunds enjoy the company of other dogs, especially when well socialised from a young age.
Cats and other pets?
Dachshunds can live happily alongside cats and other pets when introduced thoughtfully, particularly if raised together.
Strangers?
Dachshunds are loyal and protective of their family. They may take a little time to warm up to unfamiliar people but often become friendly once they feel comfortable.
What to Expect as your Dachshund Grows
Dachshunds go through several developmental phases, each with their own unique needs.
Puppyhood (0–12 months)
The first twelve months of a Dachshunds life are full of growing and learning. During this stage, you and your Dachshund may experience:
- Curious, playful and full of energy
- Teething and chewing behaviours are common
- Rapid growth
- Early socialisation and training foundations
During this phase, care is focused on healthy growth and development, both physical and social. The early puppy stage is the best time for socialisation in safe spaces like Puppy School. Exposing your Dachshund to other dogs, people, cats, and everyday experiences can help them grow into a calm, well-mannered dog.
Adulthood (1–7 years)
Once your Dachshund has finished growing (at around 12 months of age), they officially enter adulthood. As they mature, you may notice your Dachshund:
- Settle into their adult personality.
- Requires regular enrichment, like walks and mental stimulation, to prevent boredom-related behaviours.
- May need their food intake adjusted to maintain a healthy weight.
These are your Dachshund’s prime years. Focus on maintaining their health, happiness, and quality of life.
Senior years (8+ years)
As your Dachshund enters their golden years, you may notice:
- Reduced activity levels and increased sleep
- Stiff joints and mobility struggles
- Increased sensitivity to the cold
- More frequent vet visits
During a Dachshund’s senior years, care focuses on supporting ageing bodies and helping them stay comfortable every day. You may need to place ramps and carpets around the house to aid their mobility, feed a complete and balanced diet made for senior small breed dogs, and more.
Caring for a Dachshund
Food and Nutrition
As a small breed, Dachshunds should be fed a complete and balanced diet for small breeds that matches their life stage.
| Dachshund Age | What to Feed |
| <12 months | Small breed puppy food |
| 1 - 7 years | Small breed adult dog food |
| 8+ years | Small breed senior dog food |
Maintaining a healthy weight is important in all dogs, but especially so for long-backed breeds like Dachshunds. Monitor your Dachshund’s body condition and adjust their food intake if required to keep them at a healthy weight.
Exercise and Mental Stimulation
Dachshunds need daily walks and opportunities to play, sniff and explore. 30-60 minutes of exercise a day is sufficient, split up over smaller sessions. Try to avoid high-energy activities that involve excessive jumping.
Space Requirements
As small breed dogs, Dachshunds are suitable for smaller houses and apartments. They love being near their humans, so don’t mind if there isn’t a big backyard to run around in as long as they get their daily walk and sufficient enrichment.
Grooming Needs
Regular grooming not only helps keep their coat looking its best, but also supports skin health, comfort and early detection of issues such as skin irritation, parasites or lumps.
Dachshunds are generally considered a low to moderate maintenance breed, but grooming requirements can vary significantly depending on coat type.
- Smooth-coated: Weekly brushing
- Longhaired: Weekly brushing and occasional trimming
- Wirehaired: Regular brushing and hand-stripping a few times a year
All Dachshunds benefit from regular dental care, nail trimming and ear cleaning.
Common Health Issues in Dachshunds
Dachshunds are generally long-lived dogs, but they are prone to certain health conditions, including:
- Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD): A spinal condition common in long-backed breeds
- Patellar luxation: Dislocation of the kneecap
- Obesity: Can worsen joint and spinal issues
- Skin allergies and infections
- Gastrointestinal issues
Make sure you know how to recognise signs of illness and injury in dogs. Early intervention can greatly improve health outcomes.
Being proactive with health care helps keep your Dachshund happy and healthy. Stay up to date with preventative care (such as flea, tick, and worm protection and vaccinations) and visit the vet every six months for health checks.
How Much Does a Dachshund Cost?
Before bringing a Dachshund home, it’s important to understand the ongoing costs involved in caring for a dog. While Dachshunds are small dogs, their ongoing daily care needs and potential unexpected medical issues means cost will add up over time.
Initial costs
- Purchase or adoption fee: The cost of a Dachshund puppy can vary widely depending on whether you buy from a reputable breeder or adopt from a shelter or rescue. Adoption fees are generally lower and help support animal welfare organisations.
- Desexing: If not already desexed, this is an important one-off cost to consider.
- Microchipping and vaccinations: Essential for your dog’s health and legal requirements in many areas. After the initial course, vaccinations will be an ongoing annual cost.
- Basic supplies: Bed, crate or playpen, bowls, lead, harness (preferred over collars for Dachshunds), toys and grooming tools. These may need replacing at least once in your dog’s lifetime.
Ongoing costs
- Food: Dachshunds require a complete and balanced small breed diet suited to their life stage.
- Veterinary care: Includes routine preventative health care, like annual health checks, vaccinations and parasite prevention, and unexpected medical conditions and injuries.
- Grooming: Costs vary by coat type. Smooth-coated Dachshunds are low maintenance, while longhaired and wirehaired varieties may require professional grooming.
- Training and enrichment: Puppy School, toys and enrichment activities help manage behavioural challenges.
- Pet insurance: Highly recommended to help manage unexpected medical costs.
Best names for a Dachshund
When choosing a name for your Dachshund, you might consider:
- Names inspired by their size or shape German-inspired names
- Names based on coat colour or markings
- A playful or affectionate name to match their personality
- Names with special meaning to you and your family
- Names that pair well with other household pets
Find Everything Your Dachshund Needs from Puppyhood to their Golden Years
Have a Dachshund or thinking about getting one? Make sure you’re prepared for their unique needs, and you’ll be rewarded with a devoted, entertaining companion for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dachshunds
About the Author
Petbarn Team
At Petbarn, we believe that life is better with pets. From high quality products to trusted advice, we're here to provide you with everything you need to care for your furred, feathered, and finned friends.
