Anyone have a dachsund?

[Laura Corin]

We are thinking about our next dog.  We would like short-haired, not too big, good for five mile walks, not yappy, affectionate, not an incorrigible digger and not too prone to barking.

 

Husband suggested a dachsund, but I thing that the digging and barking might be a problem.  What's your experience?  I have read worrying things about how prone they are to damaging their backs too.

 

Other suggestions also welcome.

 

Thanks

 

 

[itsheresomewhere]

We have 2 ( 9 yr, 7.5yr). One has health issues but not from his back (poor breeding). The other one is very healthy and way too smart for her own good. This one does bark but not too much. They are both loving and the younger one loves to burrow in the blankets with you. The older one love to cuddle you. Knock on wood, I haven't had a digging problem but the one has kept my garden chipmunk free for years.

 

The younger one loves to go on walks and come back home to nap.

[ktgrok]

The saying in vet medicine is, when you buy a dachshund open an account to start saving for back surgery. 

 

Also yes, they were bred to both dig and bark. Specifically, to go into burrows and then bark loudly so you could find them. But they have been pets rather than working dogs for a long time, so not sure that it is still quite so strong in them. Digging may be more of an issue than barking. 

Edited October 19, 2017 by ktgrok

[Sarah CB]

We have a Boston Terrier X Pug. She's a lovely dog. I am not a dog person at all, but I actually love this dog. She's very low-key. She loves to be with people, but not in an annoying way. She just wants to be near. She's sitting on the couch in my office as I type this. She can run up to about 5km with me. Loves long walks, but is also fine with not having walks. There are times when things get busy and she doesn't get out for a walk, but she doesn't behave any differently inside. 

 

She was easy to train and listens well. She barely barks - when someone comes to the door she'll bark, but not a ton. She settles down after she's said hello to whoever it is. She's seven years old and hasn't had any health issues. 

 

Not sure what else to say other than she's a joy to be around - and I seriously am not a dog person. She doesn't chew, doesn't wreck anything, has *zero* bathroom issues (and I really dislike dogs who submissively pee so that's important to me), she's small enough that you can pick her up, she's totally relaxed in the car - she actually lies down and goes to sleep in the car (not like my old dog who would drool buckets when he was in the car). She doesn't have separation anxiety - I can leave her at home for the day with no issues. 

 

And she's pretty cute. 

[ErinE]

What about a corgi? A friend has one, and she's a sweet dog that rarely barks when I'm there. My friend has a gorgeous garden and wouldn't tolerate a digging dog.

[FaithManor]

My sister in law has two. They bark incessantly and nothing ever worked training wise to decrease that. They have serious back problems, and dig in her garden which necessitated them putting in a dog run, and sinking it down quite a ways in the soil so they can't dig out of it when no one is looking. They also can no longer go camping. None of the local kennels take Dachsunds because of the incessant barking combined with the bad backs which make them nervous about walking these dogs. They can't take them along because well, barking and digging. A half mile walk is about they can do with them, and the one is getting worse so pretty soon I think "around the block" will be it for him.

[Rachel]

My mom had one for many, many years. It didn't bark much and digging wasn't an issue. It was a really sweet dog.

[Selkie]

We used to have a wire-haired dachshund/terrier mix. She was a scrappy little thing, loved to dig, and was a great watchdog. Whenever she was inside, she would sit by the window that overlooks our driveway and go nuts when anyone approached. She was also quite a hunter and caught everything from rabbits to turtles. She had a huge heart and was extremely loyal and sweet.

 

Ours never had any back issues, but she was shaped more like a terrier and didn't have the long dachshund back.

[foxbridgeacademy]

We adored our Sasha. She was a digger but not too bad, she only barked when she should, and she loved going on walks.  She was fearless and thought she was superdog.  She severely injured her back jumping off the couch at 5 years old and we had to eventually have her put to sleep the day after Christmas (we had her for 6 years and 1 day). 

[Laura Corin]

What about a corgi? A friend has one, and she's a sweet dog that rarely barks when I'm there. My friend has a gorgeous garden and wouldn't tolerate a digging dog.

 

I like the look of them, but don't they also have back problems?  I'm wary of the shedding though.  I know, picky, picky. 

 

My ideal would be something like a cocker spaniel but short haired - this dog will take us into retirement, so I neither want to clip it myself nor pay for grooming.  Other normal dog costs will be fine.

[Laura Corin]

We adored our Sasha. She was a digger but not too bad, she only barked when she should, and she loved going on walks.  She was fearless and thought she was superdog.  She severely injured her back jumping off the couch at 5 years old and we had to eventually have her put to sleep the day after Christmas (we had her for 6 years and 1 day). 

 

I'm sorry.  That's what I fear.

 

[Night Elf]

I have one. He's 8 years old. He had one bout of a sore back and my vet is trained in the TENS unit, acupuncture and chiropractic care. We took care of his immediate concerns so he was back to normal and now I take him in every other month for a chiropractic adjustment. We're hoping that prevents serious back problems. But when we adopted him, we understood he may need more care than another breed and we accepted that responsibility.

 

He does bark when someone knocks on the door but we put him in the backyard. He'll bark to be let back in but it's not bad because the sound is somewhat muffled. At any other time, the only way I can get him to bark is to start howling myself. That gets him going and we find it amusing. 

 

He's a cuddlebug. He stays with me all day laying on me or next to me and nearly always under the blanket. In fact, the blanket on my couch we call his blanket. He sleeps with us at night under the covers between my knees. DH doesn't like Marley to touch him but I have Marley trained to stay near me. It works out well.

 

Oh, about digging. He did when we first got him at 1 years old. But every time he dug a hole, I put his own stool into it and covered it back up and he never dug there again. Eventually he stopped digging so it didn't last long.

Edited October 19, 2017 by Night Elf

[wintermom]

I like the look of them, but don't they also have back problems?  I'm wary of the shedding though.  I know, picky, picky. 

 

My ideal would be something like a cocker spaniel but short haired - this dog will take us into retirement, so I neither want to clip it myself nor pay for grooming.  Other normal dog costs will be fine.

 

We had 2 Wheaton Terriers. They are about 35 pounds, didn't dig or bark, and they don't shed.  They can walk distances. We had ours groomed shorter so we didn't have to brush them much. They were really good natured. 

[Laura Corin]

We had 2 Wheaton Terriers. They are about 35 pounds, didn't dig or bark, and they don't shed.  They can walk distances. We had ours groomed shorter so we didn't have to brush them much. They were really good natured. 

 

I had always assumed that all terriers dig.  If not, that opens out the possibilities.

[Ellie]

I fostered one for about a year. She was not yappy, nor did she dig. She did want to bark at the dogs next door through the big privacy fence :-) but I managed to Dog-Whisperer her such that she didn't do that. I was unable to teach her not to shoot out the front door when anyone came to it; my solution was to put her leash on her and wait a few steps back at the stairs until the guests came into the house; before long, when someone came to the door, she would go to the stairs and wait for me to put her leash on. :-)  Also, in the beginning she would potty in the house. :angry:  So I tethered her to me all day, even when I took her outside to potty (we crated her at night). After a couple of days she figured it out and she was good as gold after that.

 

She was a sweetheart, but I had not planned to keep her forever (because foster. Long story.), so I found her a home with a family who thought she was God's gift to mankind. :001_wub:  They also had trouble initially with her pottying in the house, but they eventually worked it out.

[OrganicJen]

We have a dachshund mix. Out of all our dogs she digs and barks the most. She is our 2nd most stubborn. She can go on super long hikes with no problem.

[Pawz4me]

I can't imagine a Doxie being able to handle a five mile walk. That is a LONG way for a small dog with such short legs!

 

What about a Whippet?

 

One of our neighbors has a big Boston Terrier (looks like a small Boxer) that would fit your description. The only caveat would be heat and humidity might be an issue with walking that far (short nosed dog). But I think it's mostly cool where you live?

[lailasmum]

My husband's family always had dachshund dogs. They were super grumpy so I was pretty happy when the last one died when my eldest was a toddler. I guess its small size made it anxious or something but it wasn't great with people other than my father in law. I think it would have been happier being the only pet in a quiet single person household. It did dig holes in the kitchen carpet too. Not sure how reflective they were of all dachshunds.

[Cecropia]

I had a standard dachsund from about 8 years old into early college.  He was not a yapper or a digger.  He was affectionate and playful and also too smart for his own good.  We lived in a ranch then, so he wasn't using stairs often, and he wasn't allowed up on couches or beds which probably helped him to avoid back injuries.  I loved that dog and if I ever get another (can't now because of allergies in the family), it will likely be a dachsie.

 

5 mile walks might have been a bit much for him, though.

[eternalsummer]

Ours dug holes in the blankets and dug up every root in the yard, including the bulb flowers (which he then ate).  He barked at squirrels, passersby, and dust motes.  He pooped in the hallway in the middle of the night if he was mad at you, he was ingenious about stealing human food, and the cat litter had to be kept on a high counter because otherwise he would eat it.  He didn't get along with cats, had epilepsy, absolutely refused to comply with any direction given to him, had a compulsion about licking his paws, had terrible gas, and was overall a Very Good Dog.

 

What can I say, we liked him.  I don't know why.

[Night Elf]

My doxie can walk/run 1.5 miles before slowing way down. Then I have to carry him back to the car. But he loves to run so we run with him and I think that tuckers him out quicker. We don't know how to leash train so he pulls on it and only at the greenway boardwalk do we allow him to run on the leash. I don't like taking him out for regular walks. It's too much of a hassle. 

[eternalsummer]

Oh, and to prevent digging out of the fenced yard, Dad buried concrete about a foot underneath the fence all the way around.  Massive PITA I gather.

[OrganicJen]

My husband's family always had dachshund dogs. They were super grumpy so I was pretty happy when the last one died when my eldest was a toddler. I guess its small size made it anxious or something but it wasn't great with people other than my father in law. I think it would have been happier being the only pet in a quiet single person household. It did dig holes in the kitchen carpet too. Not sure how reflective they were of all dachshunds.

Yep ours is grumpy but not out of anxiety, she just acts like she's the boss of the world.

[Bluegoat]

I've known a few, and they were both pretty prone to being snappish and barking.  I'm a terrier person and they have a similar kind of personality, so I like that, but if you hate digging and snappy barking dogs, I think it would be worse than tempting fate.

 

If I wanted a purebred dog of that kind, I might think about a border terrier, but chances are you might get a digger.  You don't usually have to do much with their coats though, and they have fairly sunny personalities.  My parents have a pair of Havenese, they are nice, you do have to give them haircuts but they aren't fancy sort of dogs.

 

Corgies can also be snappy and have back problems.

Edited October 19, 2017 by Bluegoat

[ktgrok]

How about an Italian greyhound? Sweet, shorthair, not diggers.

[magnificent_baby]

We have a silky terrier (perhaps Yorkie) mix. The vet thinks it's a mix with a Dachshund. He looks exactly like Benji, though with the typical silky colors. 

 

He is an amazing dog. Yes, barks but only when necessary. Can't believe how he can sense someone approaching the driveway long before he can see him. He stops as soon as he realizes it's someone we are okay with entering the house. Lots of energy, but also naps a lot during the day. He is the most loyal dog I've ever encountered. Follows me everywhere and loves to cuddle. Very loving and sweet. Has not started digging yet, but probably would if we left him alone inside our fence. 

 

Overall, a really good match for our family. Reminds me of our old miniature schnauzer who was also a really good dog. 

[ErinE]

If I remember correctly, you live in Scotland. I think an Italian greyhound or whippet would suffer in the cold weather. I was going to suggest a Basenji, but it looks like they struggle with cold weather as well. What about a Jack Russell terrier?

[GoodGrief]

The only time I have been nipped was by a dachshund who ran across a park to have at me as I walked by! Then last week, another off leash dachshund ran underneath my Great Dane, jumped up and nipped his privates. We actually got a bit of a laugh out of that at the expense of our sweet big boy. :laugh: Ultimately though, my anecdotal experience has made me not so much a fan of the breed.

[trulycrabby]

Meanest dog I ever met was an unaltered male dachshund: Chased cars, bit my son, and chased him home from their house daily until the family moved away. Little b@$t@rd, I wasn't sorry when he left.

 

That said, I think it was the dog's hormones and lack of any kind of training rather than the breed.

 

How about some kind of dachsund mix to minimize the back issues? My silky terrier and Chi Pin are both yappers, so I recommend a mix breed that's not a terrier or palace guard dog (Shih Tsu, etc). My silky was quiet until the chi pin "taught" her to bark, so perhaps a silky wouldn't be a bad choice, especially considering their exceptionally sweet temperaments.

 

How about a Brittany Spaniel or King Charles Spaniel?

Edited October 19, 2017 by trulycrabby

[Bluegoat]

King Charles spaniels tend to be health disasters, I wouldn't go there.

[trulycrabby]

King Charles spaniels tend to be health disasters, I wouldn't go there.

Thanks! Didn't know that! :)

 

OP, please disregard my recommendation for a King Charles spaniel, unless perhaps you get a mix to widen the gene pool.

Edited October 19, 2017 by trulycrabby

[CAJinBE]

What about a Standard (medium)  Schnauzer. They are very smart, don't shed, and like to walk. Ours is seven years old and has been a great dog. 

[Pawz4me]

Meanest dog I ever met was an unaltered male dachshund: Chased cars, bit my son, and chased him home from their house daily until the family moved away. Little b@$t@rd, I wasn't sorry when he left.

 

That said, I think it was the dog's hormones and lack of any kind of training rather than the breed.

 

How about some kind of dachsund mix to minimize the back issues? My silky terrier and Chi Pin are both yappers, so I recommend a mix breed that's not a terrier or palace guard dog (Shih Tsu, etc). My silky was quiet until the chi pin "taught" her to bark, so perhaps a silky wouldn't be a bad choice, especially considering their exceptionally sweet temperaments.

 

How about a Brittany Spaniel or King Charles Spaniel?

 

A well bred (and trained) Shih Tzu shouldn't be a barky dog. They're generally considered to be the least barky of the toy breeds. The only time ours barks is if someone comes to the door.

 

Shih Tzu were actually bred to be lap dogs for Chinese royalty. Lhasa Apsos were the palace guards for the Tibetan nobility and monasteries (the story I've heard most often is that the Lhasas barked to alert the Tibetan mastiffs, who then handled whatever the problem was :lol:).

Edited October 19, 2017 by Pawz4me

[DawnM]

My mom had one for many, many years. It didn't bark much and digging wasn't an issue. It was a really sweet dog.

 

My friend has 2 and loves them.  She plans to get more when these pass away.  

 

Another friend has a long haired one and it is adorable!

 

Barking and digging haven't been a huge issue for either of them, but if you need to plant a garden.....hey!  Free digging!  

 

[DawnM]

We always get mixes.  We had a Corgi mix that was absolutely a great dog.  Then we got 2 black labs, but they were mixed with something too.  We are down to one of those mix dogs.  She is shaped like a Corgi but all black, we wonder if she is part Corgi.  Short legs and long body.

 

Get a dog.  Any dog.  Dogs are the best.

[ktgrok]

I'd think living in Scotland would be a chance to get an IG a really cute wardrobe of sweaters and jackets.......lol. But I'm a Floridian so I know nothing of cold. 

[Laura Corin]

It's actually temperate here. It's rarely below freezing during the day in winter. Don't whippets and Italian Greyhounds have such a strong prey drive that you can't let them off the lead? There are lots of rabbits and livestock here.

[OrganicJen]

It's actually temperate here. It's rarely below freezing during the day in winter. Don't whippets and Italian Greyhounds have such a strong prey drive that you can't let them off the lead? There are lots of rabbits and livestock here.

Yes I had a greyhound, full size, and this was definitely the case.

[FaithManor]

My mother in law's King Charles Spaniel is a healthcare nightmare. She is a beautiful dog, and very loving. A great companion. But YIKES the vet bills, and she would not be capable of long walks. My niece has three King Charles - all from different litters, different breeders - same thing. She's rich so she doesn't mind the vet bills, but honestly, when this one passes a way and MIL wants another dog for companionship, we will not be looking at that breed for certain. Our sport cocker spaniel has been a lot healthier and sturdier. Now he is a bit of a barker, but we never had him neutered. My own spaniel growing up got very overweight after being neutered and his energy levels waned, so we chose not to. Lewis has a LOT of energy for walking and hiking because of this. I suspect though he barks MORE because of not being fixed.

 

Does anyone know about springer spaniels? They are still not a particularly large breed, and being another hunting dog, I would think pretty sturdy for walking and hiking as well as for Scottish weather conditions.

[Catwoman]

We had dachshunds when I was growing up and they were amazing dogs. No complaints whatsoever! Not barky, not diggers, fully housebroken, super loyal, and very fun and playful.

 

My brother had dachshunds, too, and they were just as wonderful.

 

I have never heard of a kennel not accepting dachshunds. :confused:

[OrganicJen]

Honestly I've owned tons of dogs and really I would recommend a mutt. Our mixed breeds have been generally healthier and longer lived. The only pure bred we currently have is a German shepherd who we adopted from a family who didn't have the time or energy to deal with a dog like like her lol.

[Pawz4me]

It's actually temperate here. It's rarely below freezing during the day in winter. Don't whippets and Italian Greyhounds have such a strong prey drive that you can't let them off the lead? There are lots of rabbits and livestock here.

 

I don't know about IGs, but no, I wouldn't let a Whippet off lead unless it was in a securely fenced area. Even if wildlife wasn't an issue. They're so freaking fast they could be gone in the blink of an eye.

 

 

 

Does anyone know about springer spaniels? They are still not a particularly large breed, and being another hunting dog, I would think pretty sturdy for walking and hiking as well as for Scottish weather conditions.

 

A Springer isn't what I'd call short coated. Some of them require some trimming. So I'm not sure if that would be a deal breaker for Laura or not?

 

Someone mentioned a Brittany earlier, and that might be a good choice. But I'd keep in mind that a daily five mile walk isn't much exercise at all in most Brittany's terms. They (along with the other pointing breeds) are IMO the most high energy of all the dog breeds.

[Halftime Hope]

We had doxies when I was a teen, so a good 40 years ago.  My uncle had several during those same years, and later on my cousins also had them. The one "bad" doxie out of 8 or so in the family is the one that my cousin has now.  She is a high strung mess.  The rest were all delightful, but it took awhile to potty train them, much harder than our german shepherds.

 

We loved, loved, loved our mini-schnauzer rescue dog.  If one trained it well from the beginning, which we couldn't do since we got her at a year old and since she belonged to my FIL, it would have been much better.  Her temperament was sassy, but she was the ultimate snuggle bug, with a generous portion of "how can I please you?" 

 

 

[FaithManor]

Honestly I've owned tons of dogs and really I would recommend a mutt. Our mixed breeds have been generally healthier and longer lived. The only pure bred we currently have is a German shepherd who we adopted from a family who didn't have the time or energy to deal with a dog like like her lol.

True. Our mutt that was part border terrier and part who knows what else was the best and sturdiest dog we ever had. Lewis is pretty good because he wasn't a puppy mill dog. Just a product of an accidental meet up of two neighborhood sport spaniels that were also unrelated.

 

Our basset hound was without a doubt the absolute worst. Really. I think he was nothing but a genetic disaster!

[Catwoman]

Shelties are great dogs, but they are definitely not short-haired. :D

[quark]

My Doxie Minpin mix is very sweet. He has some issues but I think it might be due to being a stray for a while and catching goodness knows what before we adopted him. He has a very sensitive gut (can only eat beef and rice that I home cook for him) and I watch his back a lot because I am worried about injuries. When we first got him the vet told us he is 4-5 years old but he had very bad teeth and probably not a good judgement? About 2 years ago, when he would have been around 6-7 according to the vet, I noticed his gait changing a little. He is also a little more careful about the way he sits or curls around. I try to stop him from jumping but it's hard to keep an eye on him all the time. He is also compulsive about  biting his paws and will not step on bare earth if he can help it let alone dig. I've not seen him dig anything in the last 5 years we've had him. He has a yeast infection too I think that I am trying to fight.

 

More than anything though he is my darling love bug. He is the sweetest little guy and very mellow. He likes to boss my other poodle doxie (more poodle than doxie) around but is also happy to be bossed around in return. Just don't get between him and his food (that's where his full wolf fang baring comes out...rarely happens now because he showed the pup the fangs one time and the pup got the message). He is very happy to spend time snoozing/snoring on my armchair (and what he's doing now).

 

This Doxie pin is about 15lbs...not too heavyweight to carry around if need be.

 

Our entire homeschooling writing curriculum in the younger years revolved around this guy. He helped my kid to get over some of the persistent writing resistance and my kid ended up creating whole stories around the little fella. He is a Norwegian spy (ala Get Smart) one minute and a lone wolf sheriff keeping the peace the next. We will miss him so much when he passes. He is about 9 now and I am hoping his back stays okay and that he will live forever. I can't think of how I would ever move on if I lose him.

 

PS: he sheds a lot. But his sweetness makes up for everything else.

Edited October 19, 2017 by quark

[FriedClams]

We have a border terrier mix that meets all your requirements. Highly recommend!!

[Laura Corin]

We have a border terrier mix that meets all your requirements. Highly recommend!!

 

The inevitable question - does it dig? I'm hoping for good news - that there are terriers who have lost the dig instinct.

[3 ladybugs]

I have a cavachon. There are a TON of them in England (UK). I am in the Cavachon on Facebook and I think most of the people on there are in the UK. They don't bark that often unless trained to (I wanted ours to bark every now and then to prove he was a dog.) He would walk a long ways if trained. Not sure about 5 miles but ours walks a few miles and has no problems. He trained fairly easily and has maintained it even without constant reminders. Our dog is 7 years old. 

 

He is a mixture of Cavalier King Charles and Bichon. So the problems that are with both breeds tend to get canceled out. He is GREAT with kids. Seriously I have a foster daughter right now and she doesn't like him and he is EXCELLENT with her. 

 

I have only seen my dog dig in the back yard when it was 90 degrees out and he wanted to go inside and we didn't let him (as we were outside playing). He dug a bit under the playset where there was only dirt. He very happily sits in peoples laps all day if he could. Our dog does hate camping in a tent, so if your walks include that he wouldn't be for you. 

 

Let me know if you have more questions. I seriously think he is the PERFECT dog. I did a TON of research before I got him and I really can't imagine a better dog. Our dog is 25 lbs on a heavy day. However they can be big or little depending on what you want. They do need grooming but they look like a puppy when groomed so that is fun too!