Their small sizes make them perfect for families who don’t have the abundance of space for larger dogs to live and play about in, but don’t let their size fool you.
They’re an energetic breed, so it’s important to make sure your doxie gets the right degree of exercise to avoid putting on too much weight or develop behavioral disorders which might include irritability and depression.
Again, a big part of a dachshund’s suitability for family life falls on the owner.
While energetic, it’s important for owners to be informed of potential risks, such as dachshunds’ susceptibility to developing back trouble from herniated disks, which might be caused by jumping up and down furniture and stairs or excessive weight gain, and their penchant for willfulness when being housetrained.
The onus is on owners to ensure doxies are trained properly – crate training might be useful to tone down some of a dachshund’s inherently destructive instincts, such as the need to burrow (which might result in your neatly planted flowerbeds being dug up in an earthy mess), and to get them used to temporary confinement, so that, for instance, they wouldn’t react adversely to a carrier on route to the vet.
Other important practices include training your pup to climb up ramps to reach taller furniture, so they don’t risk hurting their backs, and using indoor pee-pads when they can’t run outdoors to relieve themselves.
Dachshunds may not be the most docile breed to housetrain, but their loveable and quirky personalities more than make up for the effort. The key is patience, consistency and lots of love.
Are Dachshunds Friendly?
Absolutely. Dachshunds are loving, affectionate and goofy dogs, but they are also suspicious by nature and might be aloof or antagonistic towards strangers, including children.
This is why it’s extremely important to socialize your pup from a young age – while dachshunds can foster strong loyalties and attachments to one person, they can also be warm and approachable pups with family members, neighbors and even folks who you meet at the local dog park, provided that they get the opportunity to circumvent their instincts to be suspicious or aggressive toward strangers while young.
