| CAUTION: Dachshunds are like potato chips; you can't have just one!
Here are some important things to consider when thinking about buying a dachshund: Dachshunds are wonderfully curious and love to investigate everything, so expect the unexpected. They are easily trainable because they love to please you, but they can be quite stubborn, very loud and boisterous, but incredibly loyal companions. They easily switch gears from being very playful to being couch or preferrably lap potatoes. Oh, and did I mention they like to dig???? Having a spot for them to dig is helpful so that you don't get upset when they make holes in your yard.
Dachsies have a great sense of hearing, sight and smell, which was advantageous for tracking prey. Note I did not say dachshunds have a great sense of taste...they don't! Dachshunds love to eat and will eat anything and everything, including things they shouldn't. Be prepared to remove things that are bad for the dogs and that you don't want eaten. Because dachshunds love to eat, the right amount of high quality dog food and daily exercise will keep them in great shape. We presently feed our dogs Blue Buffalo, which is a high quality dog food. Dachshunds who are kept in good shape, just like any other breed or humans for that matter, have less risk of becoming ill. Dachshunds are very agile and can jump. Because of their shape, it's important not to let them jump off high places. The breed does have a history of disc problems, and keeping them from high jumping helps to greatly reduce this risk. None of our dogs here at Tiny Tails Ranch have displayed any back or disc problems. They are vet checked regularly and are very healthy!
Because dachshunds are scent hounds, they should never be off a leash unless thoroughly obedience trained. As soon as a dachsie gets a scent, he will be off and running. A fenced back yard and playtime with you is a must if you don't plan to walk your dachshund 2 times a day.
They need lots of TLC! Longhaired (and wirehaired) dachshunds need consistent grooming to keep their beautiful coats mat-free. The hair in between their toes needs to be trimmed regularly, to keep it from growing over their toe pads. Excessive hair on their paws causes them to lose traction because those pads are not exposed. Longhairs also have a tendency to get mats behind the ears. Taking care of these areas, in addition to regular grooming of teeth, nails, ears and eyes will keep your longhaired dachsie in beautiful condition!
Mini dachshunds are a joy to own. They are loving and devoted pets and often champions in the show ring!
The Breed Description: "Dachshund" translates to "badger dog" in German. Given their long bodies and short legs, dachsies were developed to "go to ground" to hunt small prey. The official AKC standard of the dachshund recognizes only two sizes at this time: Miniature, which should weigh 11 pounds or under at 12 months of age, and Standard, which can weigh between 16 and 32 pounds.
Colors & Patterns: Dachshunds are bred in many colors and several patterns. For colors, you're probably most familiar with the red, and black & tan. They also come in cream, shaded cream, black and cream, chocolate, chocolate and tan, chocolate and cream, blue, isabella tan, wheaten and wild boar. True English Cream dachshunds have only long coats. For patterns, dachshunds come in piebald, brindle, dapple and double dapple. Dachshund coats come in three types: smooth, longhaired and wirehaired. Tiny Tails Ranch currently specializes in the longhaired variety, breeding only longhair to longhair.
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