There are several reasons why your Dachshund may be peeing in the house. Some are under their control and some aren't. Some are under your control and some aren't. Possible Reasons Your Dachshund is Peeing in the House These are the most common reasons why a Dachshund pees in the house. Based on my 15 years of listening to, and learning from, literally thousands of Dachshund owners … [Read more...]

Does your Dachshund love to lay next to you on the couch? If the doorbell rings, or you get up, without a gentle way for your Dachshund to get off the couch, they have to jump down to get to the door or follow you to the other room. Since Dachshunds are brave and athletic, their jump is often like a flying leap. This repeated impact can cause injury or health issues down the … [Read more...]

While the majority of Dachshunds do not naturally like water, some love to swim, either naturally or after they are taught to like it.  Swimming can be great exercise and is an essential safety skill for a Dachshund to have if they are going to participate in water-related activities. Pools and other bodies of water can pose a great risk to Dachshunds if they don’t know how to swim. To … [Read more...]

Maybe you didn’t realize how chubby your Dachshund was getting until yesterday because you didn’t know what your Dachshund should weigh or were in denial.  Or maybe you knew but weren’t ready to do something about it until now. Maybe it’s because you are in a panic because you just found out being obese can shorten your Dachshund’s life by up to two years. Whatever the reason, you … [Read more...]

Leptospirosis (or lepto, for short) may be a risk for some dogs, and that must be weighed against the risks of the vaccine itself.  Dachshunds are one of the breeds that can have severe negative reactions to the vaccine, and it’s important to know that before making a decision on getting your dog the vaccination. Let’s talk about what leptospirosis is, and look further into the lepto … [Read more...]

Dachshunds are notorious fighters when it comes to cutting their nails. It’s very important to keep them trimmed to a proper length though.  Leaving a dog’s nails too long can cause pain, joint issues, and is one of the biggest mistakes when it comes to cutting your dog’s nails. I’m going to share my personal stories of how I “won” - how I got my stubborn Dachshunds to let me trim their … [Read more...]

One one hand, I like taking my Dachshunds to the dog park. It's a convenient place to let them run off leash and visit with other dogs. On the other hand, I worry it's not safe to take my small dogs to the dog park. If you are wondering if you should take your Dachshund to the dog park, and how safe they are, this article is for you. Their are pros and cons of taking your small dog to … [Read more...]

I've seen a significant uptick of people posting in Dachshund Facebook groups about their dogs peeing on the rug, on the couch, on the bed, or some other place in the house. These people are frustrated because they thought their Dachshunds were potty trained. The owners are especially frustrated because, in a lot of cases, they just took their Dachshund outside, their dog went potty, but … [Read more...]

When my Dachshund Gretel was diagnosed with IVDD, we had to make some major changes around the house. Specifically, we needed to prevent her from jumping off the couch. In my mind, there were only two ways to do that: Completely prevent her from getting on the couch in the first place.Make it so the only way on and off the couch was a ramp. Since our Dachshunds love laying on the … [Read more...]

I received this question from a blog reader the other day: "How many cases have you encountered of repeat Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD) and what amount resulted in a second surgery?" The woman said she found little information online regarding Dachshunds who experience a spinal injury related to IVDD a second time. Since I have a decent perspective on this, I thought I would write up … [Read more...]

We love our Dachshunds with all of our hearts and want them to be with us as long as they can. You may be wondering how long that is though. There are a lot of factors that influence a Dachshund's lifespan. One of them is how overweight they are. Article originally published December 6, 2012 A chubby Dachshund is not "more to love" or a "cute". That extra weight is fat and it's … [Read more...]

Determining how long to walk your Dachshund can be a challenging dilemma. There are a variety of factors to take into consideration first, such as age, weight and overall lifestyle. In this article, we’ll help you decide how far and long your Dachshund can walk in a day. Keep in mind though that this advice is focused on healthy adult Dachshunds, but we do briefly discuss exercise for … [Read more...]

If you’ve found yourself reading this post, you’re probably wondering if you can take your Dachshund running with you.  Since Dachshunds are prone to back issues, it makes sense that you’d be looking for answers as to whether your dog can participate in your active hobby. In this article we will clarify whether or not running is bad for Dachshunds, and provide other helpful … [Read more...]

You may be wondering how much exercise your Dachshund needs. Specifically, how often you need to walk your dog per week and for how long. The short answer is that it varies by each particular Dachshund. Factors like age, health, mobility issues, and fitness level must be considered. Another thing to reflect on is their behavior. A Dachshund that is always chewing up things they … [Read more...]

The most essential accessory for your Dachshund is something to attach their leash to while you're out walking, whether it be a collar or harness. A standard collar is normally the “default” option for most pet parents. However, in my opinion, Dachshunds should only be walked using a harness. Harness vs Collar: Why a Harness is Safer Has your Dachshund ever started coughing or … [Read more...]

As you know if you're read my blog at all, I am very passionate about making sure a Dachshund gets enough exercise. There are two main reasons for this: It helps to keep them healthy and fit It helps keep their core and back muscles strong so they are less likely to suffer from a back injury (or, as in our case, it was more mild and can recover faster) Over the years, I've found that … [Read more...]

I've been asked these questions lot over the years: "What dog food do you recommend for Dachshunds?" "What should I feed my Dachshund to keep them healthy like yours?" "What do you think about food X or Y for Dachshunds?" For the most part, I've also creatively dodged those questions a lot over the years. You see, every dog is different. Every owner preference is different. Every budget is … [Read more...]

Besides bringing variety, and a “thrill” to your dog’s taste buds, there are many reasons why you may want to rotate your dog’s food. Why Should I Switch My Dog’s Food? Dog Food Advisor sums it up perfectly, “Since there’s no such thing as a perfect dog food, it’s reasonable to assume every product is deficient or excessive in some way. So, built-in flaws tend to be magnified when the same … [Read more...]

For the first time, I brought home a dog that wasn't spayed. I knew that getting her "fixed" was the right thing to do for us but, now that I was bestowed the responsibility myself, I wanted to do some research first. I started to hear mumbling that perhaps spaying a dog at a young age wasn't as beneficial as once thought. It seemed that waiting until a dog was older to spay, or opting for an … [Read more...]