Contents
Breed Profile: Dachshund
Where to Get a Dachshund
Gear for Your Dachshund
How to Feed Your Dachshund
How to Groom Your Dachshund
Dachshund Healthcare
How to Socialize Your Dachshund
How to Train Your Dachshund
How to Fix Dachshund Behavior Problems
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How to Groom Your Dachshund
To keep your dachshund healthy, you must provide regular grooming and care to his coat, skin, nails, ears, eyes, and teeth. Grooming is also a great time for you and your dachshund to bond, as well as an opportunity for you to inspect his body for changes that may be signs of illness.
Getting Your Dachshund Used to Grooming
If you socialize your dachshund to grooming early, he’ll probably enjoy it. And the more your dachshund enjoys grooming, the easier and more fun it will be for you as well. To socialize your dachshund to grooming:
- Start a consistent grooming routine immediately after you bring your dachshund home.
- Keep grooming sessions short.
- Reward your dachshund with treats for staying still and allowing his feet, muzzle, and ears to be touched.
If your dog doesn’t like to be groomed, don’t force it. For instance, if he doesn’t like his feet to be touched, try touching one foot for one second, then reward him with a treat. A few days later, touch the other foot for two seconds and offer a treat, and so on.
Coat and Skin Care for Your Dachshund
Brushing and bathing your dachshund will help to keep his coat and skin healthy.
Brushing Your Dachshund
Each of the three dachshund coat types—smooth, wirehaired, and longhaired—sheds, and each one requires brushing to get rid of dead hair and keep his coat shiny. Regular brushing also limits the amount that your dachshund sheds around the house. Brush your dachshund weekly when he is not shedding actively and at least every other day when he is shedding excessively.
Brushing Tools and Procedure
There are three different ways to brush the three varieties of dachshund coats:
- Smooth dachshund: Use a soft bristle brush or a slicker brush to remove dead hair from his coat. A rubber currycomb also will help to loosen the coat when your smooth dachshund is shedding heavily. When brushing, follow the grain of the coat from neck to tail.
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Wirehaired dachshund:
Wirehaired dachshunds are often groomed with clippers or stripped by professional groomers. Stripping, a method that involves plucking out dead hair, can be done with special stripping knives or by hand. Wirehaired dachshunds need special attention paid to their eyebrows and beards.
- Longhaired dachshund: A soft bristle or slicker brush will work well for a longhair, but pay particular attention to his elbows and behind the ears because these areas are usually the first to mat. Comb that hair out, gently working out any snarls or knots with your fingers. Eventually his “shawl,” the longer hair around his neck, also will need to be thinned, but this may be a job better suited to a professional groomer.
Brush your dachshund’s sides, chest, neck, belly, legs, and tail. Avoid sensitive areas such as the nose and eyes. While brushing, always have treats handy in case you accidentally make him uncomfortable.
Bathing Your Dachshund
Bathe your dachshund only when he smells bad, gets very dirty, or is shedding excessively. Bathing him too often will dry out his skin. Wash your dachshund in a bathroom tub or utility sink—or even the kitchen sink if you have a miniature. Place a rubber mat at the bottom of the tub or sink to prevent your dachshund from slipping.
Bathing Tools and Procedure
- Wet your dog’s coat thoroughly with warm water.
- Wet his head as well, but tilt it back so that water doesn’t get in his eyes.
- Avoid getting water in his ears, or gently insert cotton balls into the opening to keep out water.
- Lather your dachshund well with dog shampoo, rubbing your hands with and against the coat in circles.
- Once you’ve shampooed your dachshund, rinse him thoroughly, making sure to get every last bit of soap out of the coat.
- Dry him with a towel or a hair dryer set to a low setting, being sure not to burn or frighten him.
Dachshund Nail Care
When a dachshund’s nails grow too long, they can affect his gait uncomfortably. You’ll know that his nails are too long when you hear them clacking against hard floors. Depending on your dog, his nails will need to be cut every few weeks. If your breeder hasn’t removed the dewclaws, the nails farther up the inside of the legs, they may need to be cut more frequently.
Nail Care Tools and Procedure
To cut your dachshund’s nails, you’ll need two things:
- Nail clippers: Get a small pair of guillotine- or pliers-style clippers, whichever you are most comfortable using. Either type is available at pet stores. Don’t use scissors or nail clippers made for humans.
- Styptic powder or gel: Styptic powder or gel will stop the bleeding if you cut your dog’s nail too far.
Trim each nail just a tiny bit at a time or you’ll risk cutting the quick, the blood vessel inside the nail. In a dog with light-colored nails, you can see the quick as a pink line running up the middle of the nail nearly to the end. On darker nails, you can see the quick by holding a flashlight under the nail. If you do cut the quick, dip the nail into styptic powder or gel to stop the bleeding.
Dachshund Ear Care
Check your dachshund’s ears once a month for signs of mites or illness, and bring him to the vet if his ears have:
- A color different from the skin
- Red blotches
- A strong, unpleasant odor
Ear Care Tools and Procedure
Even if your dachshund’s ears are healthy, it’s still a good idea to clean them each month. To clean his ears, you’ll need cotton balls and dog ear cleanser, available at any pet store.
- Squirt a liberal amount of dog ear cleanser directly into your dog’s ear and then rub the ear in a downward motion for approximately 30 seconds.
- Most dogs shake their heads immediately after this, which actually helps to loosen dirt embedded within the ear.
- Use a cotton ball (not a cotton swab) to clean the visible area inside the dog’s ear. Do not stick anything deeply into the ear.
Dachshund Eye Care
Keeping your dachshund’s eyes clean will improve his appearance and help ward off infection.
Eye Care Tools and Procedure
To clean your dachshund’s eyes, you’ll need a moist cloth. Whenever necessary, remove discharge from the corners of his eyes by wiping it away carefully with a moist cloth. If he seems to have constant eye discharge, bring him to the vet. If your dachshund’s brows or eyelashes are interfering with his eyes, you can trim those hairs carefully.
Dachshund Dental Care
To keep your dachshund’s teeth and gums clean and healthy, brush them once or twice a week.
Dental Care Tools and Procedure
To brush your dachshund’s teeth, you’ll need a dog toothbrush or finger brush (a little rubber toothbrush that slides over your index finger) and dog toothpaste, all of which are sold at pet stores. Never use human toothpaste on a dog.
- Put a little toothpaste on the toothbrush.
- Rub the brush against the front of your dachshund’s teeth. You don’t have to brush the backs of the teeth.
If you don’t brush your dachshund’s teeth regularly, plaque will build up, and plaque can be removed only via a thorough cleaning at the vet. Vet cleanings require full anesthesia, which can be stressful and can’t be given to older dachshunds or those with certain health issues. That’s why it’s particularly important for owners of sick or old dachshunds to brush their dog’s teeth regularly.
| Text & Photos Copyright © 2007 TFH Publications, Inc. | Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
