Dachshunds are bold, funny, loyal and stubborn, and they were bred to go underground after badgers — which explains the digging, the barking and the complete absence of self-doubt.
They also have the highest rate of intervertebral disc disease of any breed, and a responsible guide has to put that first.
IVDD: the defining issue
Dachshunds are chondrodystrophic — the same genetics that produce short legs also cause the intervertebral discs to degenerate and calcify early, often before two years old. A calcified disc can herniate suddenly, compressing the spinal cord.
Estimates commonly cited put the lifetime risk at around one in four Dachshunds, with the peak between three and seven years.
Signs of an episode:
- Reluctance to move, or a hunched, tense posture
- Yelping when picked up or touched
- Wobbliness or weakness in the back legs
- Dragging the back feet, or knuckling over
- Unable to stand
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
Any of these is an emergency. Time to treatment strongly affects outcome, particularly once a dog has lost the ability to walk. Do not wait until morning.
Do not pick a dog up under the front legs if you suspect a back problem. Support the whole body, chest and hindquarters together, keeping the spine level.
Reducing the risk
You cannot change the genetics. You can change almost everything else.
1. Keep them lean. This is the single biggest lever. Excess weight loads the spine directly. A Dachshund should have a clear waist and easily felt ribs, and most pet Dachshunds are heavier than their owners think.
2. Ban the jumping. Off sofas, off beds, out of cars, up and down stairs. Repeated impact on a long spine with degenerating discs is exactly the wrong load.
- Ramps to the sofa and bed, introduced with food so they actually use them
- Stair gates, permanently
- Lift them in and out of the car
3. Use a harness, never a collar. Pressure on the neck transmits to the cervical spine.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps keep this site free. We only recommend products we would use with our own dogs.
rabbitgoo No-Pull Dog Harness
Fully adjustable, which matters on a long-bodied, deep-chested dog that standard sizing fits badly. For a Dachshund a harness is not optional — a collar puts load directly through the part of the spine you are trying to protect.
4. Build core and hind limb strength with controlled, regular, moderate exercise on level ground. Fit Dachshunds with good muscle do better.
5. Avoid rough play with larger dogs, and twisting games.
6. Non-slip flooring. Slipping on laminate is a common trigger.
7. Ask about screening. Some countries run X-ray screening programmes for disc calcification, used to inform breeding. Ask a breeder whether their dogs are screened and what the results were.
Other health
Obesity, which underlies the IVDD risk.
Patellar luxation.
Progressive retinal atrophy — DNA test available.
Cushing’s disease, over-represented in the breed.
Dental disease. Small mouths, crowded teeth. Brushing matters more than in most breeds.
Double dapple. Breeding two dapple (merle) Dachshunds together produces puppies with a high risk of deafness, blindness and severe eye malformation. It is condemned by responsible breed clubs. If a breeder is selling double dapples, walk away.
Exercise
Moderate and regular — around 30 to 60 minutes a day for a standard, split into two or three walks, on level ground.
Avoid: long stair climbs, jumping, rough play, and long hikes over rough terrain.
Good: steady lead walks, swimming (excellent, non-weight-bearing), and sniffing games.
Do not under-exercise them either. An unfit Dachshund with poor muscle tone is at greater risk, not less. The goal is consistent, moderate, level-ground work.
Temperament and training
Bred to work alone underground against a cornered badger. That produces a dog who is brave, persistent, independent and entirely unbothered by your opinion.
What to expect:
- Stubbornness. They are not unintelligent; they simply weigh up whether it is worth it
- Barking. Loud, frequent, and directed at everything. Bred in deliberately, so the hunter could locate them underground
- Digging
- Suspicion of strangers, which makes early socialisation important
- Difficulty with house training, which is well documented in the breed. Small bladder, small dog, and a dislike of going out in the rain. Be patient, be consistent, and use a schedule
Training approach: short sessions, high-value food, and patience. Harsh handling produces a defensive Dachshund, and they are more inclined than most breeds to escalate rather than defer.
Priorities: socialisation, a settle cue, managing the barking with mat training and view-blocking, and teaching a ramp.
Grooming
Three coat types:
- Smooth — a rubber curry mitt once a week
- Longhaired — brushing several times a week, with attention to the feathering on the ears, chest, legs and tail
- Wirehaired — hand-stripping every few months, or clipping, plus regular brushing of the beard and eyebrows
All three: ears weekly, nails every two to four weeks, teeth several times a week.
Check the belly and chest — long low dogs pick up mud, grass seeds and scrapes underneath where owners rarely look.
Earth Rated Dog Wipes
A long low dog collects everything on the ground along their entire underside. A wipe-down of the belly, chest and legs after walks is a Dachshund-specific habit worth building.
Who they suit
People who find a stubborn, characterful, bossy small dog delightful. People who will manage the weight strictly and install the ramps and gates without resentment. People who can tolerate barking or are willing to train it down.
They do not suit households with lots of stairs and no interest in gates, homes where the dog will be encouraged onto and off furniture constantly, or anyone expecting a biddable dog.
Get the weight and the jumping under control and many Dachshunds never have a back episode at all. That is the whole game, and it is largely in your hands.
