Toy Dachshund is one of the most popular toy dog breeds you can buy today. The breed stands out for its tubular body, short stubby legs, and long velvety ears. More people will find such a breed as being cute and fun to own.
Maybe this is the first time you are learning about the Toy Dachshund dog breed. What is it about? Why should you consider getting one? Is it good for your family? These are some of the questions that you will have in mind when picking this type of dog breed.
This guide takes a keen look at the breed and its characteristics. By the end of the guide, you should have all the information you need to know if the breed is good for you or not. Let us get into the guide already.
Table of Contents
What is a Toy Dachshund?
The Toy Dachshund gets its name because of its size. This breed is the smallest variety when looking at miniature Dachshund dogs.
Many people enjoy looking and playing with it thanks to having a bigger than life vibe around it. For its size, many would find it as an ideal handbag dog. Yes, you can carry it around in your handbag without much of a problem.
The cartoon-like appearance also makes it an interesting pet just to look at. You might find yourself being attracted to playing with it more often because of how cute it looks.
The breed is also known as a sausage dog. This is thanks to its elongated body structure. Now that you know it is called a sausage or wiener dog, you are unlikely to unsee it when you look at the dog in real life.
Below are more characteristics of the breed that should encourage you to consider getting one.
Appearance of Toy Dachshund
It is easy to identify a Toy Dachshund because of its low to ground and long in body appearance. The breed also has short legs with quite an impressive robust muscular development. Even if it is short, the robust muscles should be good enough to move its body around.
As for the skin, the breed features an elastic and pliable skin. Its skin also does not have a lot of wrinkles compared to some other wrinkly dog breeds.
Many people find its appearance to show boldness and confidence even for a dog with a tubular body and a nicknamed sausage dog. Well, its alert facial expressions should portray the confidence you have always wanted in a dog.
What about the weight and size? Many people would be asking themselves this question, considering the breed looks different from what they are used to seeing.
A Toy Dachshund weighs around 8 lbs. or 3.6 kgs. It is slightly smaller than what you get with the other miniature Dachshund breeds. The others would weigh up to 11 lbs. or 5 kgs.
The Toy Dachshund is around 5 to 6 inches in height, making it easy to find somewhere to carry the pet while on the move.
Still, on appearance, we have to look at its coat types and colors. The breed has three types of coats, including smooth hair, wire hair, and long hair.
The wire hair breeds are common in German and less common in America. The other coat types are what you would get in America mostly.
Looking at the colors, the Toy Dachshund can have a wide range of colors. The most common colors of this breed include cream, black and tan, chocolate and tan, and wild boar.
Do not let their small stature fool you for being polite dogs. This is because they do have quite a big bark for their size. The personality is also big to match the barking too.
History of Toy Dachshund
Toy Dachshund can be traced back to Germany, where it was used for hunting. Even for its short stature, the dog is good at hunting.
The standard Dachshund was primarily bred in the 15th century to sniff and flush out the badgers and related burrow-dwelling animals.
The miniature Dachshund dogs, such as the Toy Dachshund, were mostly bred for hunting rabbits. It is why such dogs were used for hunting even in the 19th century. This is because they are good at sniffing and following trails.
Other than hunting rabbits, Americans used the breed together with other hunting dogs to track deer and other animals.
To understand why Germans named it Dachshund, we have to split the breed name into Dachs, and Hund. Dachs means badger and Hund means dog. When combined, you have a badger dog as the name. It is appropriate considering it was mainly used for hunting badgers.
Toy Dachshund Temperament
The Toy Dachshund stands out for being a playful and stubborn dog breed. Being stubborn sometimes makes it hard to train the dog. It might be why sometimes people get the vibe that the dog does not care about its training.
As much as it can be a stubborn dog, we recommend that you become patient with it during training. One thing is for sure, Dachshunds are loyal and devoted to their owners. You are likely to find it always trying to get your attention while you are in the house.
The dog still has its digging instincts that will pop up here and there more often. One thing is for sure; the pet is likely to start burrowing tunnels into different things around the house. This might include burrowing into blankets when it gets bored or tired sitting around.
Toy Dachshunds are also intelligent and are good at being independent. As much as they might need the occasional touch of their owner, they can be independent for long hours compared to some other breeds.
Their playfulness means that the breed can easily make a game out of anything. Your mop might always be something amusing to it. That is why you need to get more toys to keep it busy if you want to work on other things.
Toy Dachshund Lifespan
When getting a new pet, its lifespan is always a big consideration. Not many people want to get attached to a pet that might die a lot sooner than expected.
So, what is the lifespan of a Toy Dachshund? For most people, they have found the breed’s lifespan to be around 13 to 17 years. You should find such a lifespan being good on overall to enjoy the pet’s company.
We must point out that the lifespan will mostly be affected by various factors about its lifestyle. If the dog leads a healthy life, then it is easy for it to live longer.
It is why you might want to opt for a high-quality natural diet, give it plenty of exercises, love, and so much more.
Take the pet to the vet more often for regular health checkups to take good care of it.
It can be easier to treat some of the conditions when caught early before developing into something serious.
Toy Dachshund Health
If you hope to keep the pet around for longer, ensure that its health is always optimum.
How do you do this? A Toy Dachshund does not need much, but you always have to consider giving it your all. This includes giving it a good diet, taking it to the vet when it looks sick, and so much more.
Unfortunately, some of the things cannot be avoided. A good example is the spinal problem. Because of their long bodies, they seem to have spinal problems during their lifetime. The disproportionately short legs do not help either.
Their short legs are not designed to hold the pet’s weight. It is why the dog will end up with unnecessary pressure on its spine. So, always watch out for any early signs of the Intervertebral Disk Disease as the pet gets older.
Another health concern revolves around dental problems. If you do not care well for the dog’s dental health, you are likely to end up with one that has poor oral health and other related conditions.
To help the pet deal with such conditions, we recommend that you provide it with chews and brush its teeth. Another option would be switching to the natural raw diet where the pet can chew on meaty bones to improve its oral health.
Here is a list of other common health problems a Toy Dachshund is likely to experience.
- Patell luxation
- Hip dysplasia
- Obesity
- Eye problems
We recommend that you always remain keen about your pet’s health. If you notice that something is off, consider taking it to the vet for further examination.
Toy Dachshund Exercise
Toy Dachshunds are small dogs, this might work against them when it comes to exercising. This is because some owners would have the view that if they are small, then they do not need much exercise.
Well, that should not be the case. Dachshunds also need regular exercising other than running around the house. It is easier for the pet to remain fit by regularly exercising it.
More studies show that the pet would also develop strong muscles to support their back. Remember when we said that the breed is prone to spine problems? All that can be minimized when you opt for giving it the recommended exercises.
Take the dog for at least two moderate length walks daily. This should be enough to keep the dog fit all the time.
To avoid injuries, do not allow the dog to keep running up and down the stairs. Or jumping on and off the furniture. As much as they can be social, keep this behavior to a minimum.
They are not the best outdoor dogs. It is why you might want to bond mostly indoors and only take it out when it is time for its daily walks.
Toy Dachshund Grooming
Many people will love grooming this type of dog. We find that the Dachshunds are moderate shedders and clean too. They have little to no odor, making them good as indoor dogs.
If you have to consider grooming them more often, then weekly brushing should be fine. It can be more frequent, depending on the type of coat.
If your pet has a smooth coat, it will be easy to clean it even if it means doing it more often. Sometimes wiping the dog with a towel should leave it looking good.
The long-haired breeds will require frequent brushing to avoid its hair turning into tangles and mats.
As for the wirehaired breeds, consider hand stripping or plucking the coat several times a year. This will help a lot in improving its look.
Many people find it easy to clean and groom a Toy Dachshund. With occasional trimming of their beard, eyebrows, and brushing of the coat, it should be easy to have a good-looking pet.
Toy Dachshund Training
Toy Dachshund are quite intelligent pets to own today. People also love them for being independent. However, they are still stubborn dogs. This sometimes makes it a challenge to train them effectively.
To help with training the breed, you are advised to give it more affection and remain positive. Consider doing reward-based training to ensure that the pet loves its training sessions.
Toy Dachshunds are sensitive and they will not react well to trainers using harsh commands. So, consistency and patience are key to ensuring that the pet gets the best training that it needs.
Those who are patient with the breed always end up with a great pet. With its alert and responsive temperament, the breed would respond to the commands better after completing the training.
Toy Dachshund Price
Maybe at this point you feel it might be the right time to get yourself a Toy Dachshund. Well, first you have to consider the price.
A puppy Toy Dachshund will cost an average of $800 to $1500. It will mostly depend on the breeder, the type of Dachshund, and many other features.
Before you can decide to invest in getting one, we recommend that you take your time to check out the breeder’s reputation. The last thing you want is to end up with a pet that does not live up to your quality needs.
Conclusion
Toy Dachshunds are beautiful pet dogs to own. Because of their stature, we find them being an ideal choice for apartment use or generally for indoors. If you want a pet for company when you get home, this is it.
The breed is also playful, so make sure to give it the best exercises if you want it to remain fit. Several walks throughout the week should keep it fit and reduce the chances of it getting obese.
Go for it if you find it being a good breed for your home. It will always bring joy and years of companionship into your home.
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