Dachshunds

MarkAnthony

I'm thinking of getting one. I've always had muts and am really tempted to go to a rescue centre and get one but also considering getting a sausage dog from a puppy.

Any suggestions on things I need to know? How much exercise do they need, can he/she come for a 20 minute run with me and longer walks at the weekend? Will it get along with our moggy, who doesn't seem to mind Dogs. Will he/she be okay at home during the day while we're at work?

Any info is appreciated.

ene

I have had three dachshunds and they are not a dog who likes to be left alone.

In my experience they are very happy and their bark sounds like a much MUCH bigger dog (could be a good thing for security though?). You have to be very aware of their weight and activity levels as they are being bred with longer backs these days and can easily be damaged.

If you get a puppy they will not be able to go for runs for at least a year as they will be growing.

VonVix

Some of the things you stated really depend on the dog in question. From my experiences they have been one of the more insecure breeds I've worked with (barky, not stranger friendly), which I put mainly down to their small size, they essentially live in a world of giants so it's easy for them to be pretty hesitant dogs when interacting with new people/animals unless they have had plenty of positive interaction as puppies.

How big/what breed is your existing dog?

MarkAnthony

VonVix wrote: »

How big/what breed is your existing dog?

Sorry my post was probably a bit misleading, I should have said I grew up always having muts. Since I've lived in Ireland I was in a one bed flat so we got a cat, who we adore, but now we've moved and have a nice garden we thought we might get a dog as well. I've always liked the look of Dachshunds and thought they might be low enough exercise given their little legs; don't know why I thought that tbh as my father still takes the Jack Russell (the first 'pedigree' dog they've ever owned) for 5+ mile walks.

ene

They still need a lot of walks, you just have to be careful of them jumping up on beds/coaches/walls because of their backs.

I really wouldn't recommend going for big runs with them though.

MarkAnthony

ene wrote: »

They still need a lot of walks, you just have to be careful of them jumping up on beds/coaches/walls because of their backs.

I really wouldn't recommend going for big runs with them though.

I've definitely mislead you all with the 'run' element - I'm a rather portly couch potato! Gentle Jog/waddle (Joggle?) would be more accurate!

ene

then you will probably be fine! the hardest thing i found was getting him not to jump up on things! He thought he was a much bigger dog then he was.