Over half of Americans have one pet, and dogs are the top choice.
Cats come in at 49%, and fish only make up 11% of pet owners. However, 71% of Americans own a dog!
In this short but complete guide, we’ll review one of the most adorable types of dogs around, dachshunds! Their small size and curious personalities make dachshunds the perfect pet choice for both big and small families.
However, since there’s various coat types, colors, and patterns, deciding between the different types of dachshunds can be tricky. Don’t worry, though; we’ll break it all down for you so you can pick the perfect pet for your home.
What are the different dachshund sizes and colors? Read on to find out!
Long-Haired Dachshunds
First, let’s talk about one of the most popular types of dachshunds, long-haired dachshunds. We find that long hair Dachshunds work best if you’re okay with a pet that will need a lot of grooming.
Why? Long-haired Dachshunds shed a lot, which requires more trips to the groomer. Of course, you can always groom your dachshund all on your own as long as you have the right tools.
Grooming Your Long Haired Dachshunds
Learning how to groom your dachshund at home can be a great way to save money while also helping you bond with your new pet. For a long-haired dachshund, you’ll want to look for a slick brush that will be able to remove the tangles and mats gently. Next, you’ll need to use a stronger bristle brush to give the coat a shiny finish.
Do you want your long-haired dachshund on to have a cute fluffy look? Then invest in a quality pin brush that you can use to tease the hair.
Wire Haired Dachshunds
Moving, let’s look at the second type of dachshund, wire-haired dachshunds. Wire-haired Dachshunds have a thick fur coat that’s rough to the touch. Their undercoat is made up of short, fine strands of hair. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to find a wirehaired dachshund that even comes with a beard or adorable eyebrows.
Their smooth undercoat can grow and shred throughout the year. You can expect there to be some shedding when you have a wired hair dachshund, but not as much as you’d have with a long-haired dachshund.
Instead, plan on having your wire-haired dachshund hunts plucked about 3 to 4 times a year. You’ll also want to keep up with their facial grooming.
Grooming Tips for Wired Hair Dachshunds
If you’ve never groomed a wire-haired dachshund before, you’ll want to get help from a professional. We suggest going to an experienced groomer who can teach you how to pluck your dog’s coat rather than clipping it.
If you clip the short wired hairs, you’ll wind up ruining the texture of the coat. Of course, you can always let the professionals handle it instead of doing things yourself.
If you go to the same groomer, eventually, your dog will become accustomed to them and may even begin to look forward to spa days. You can find all sorts of grooming brushes on sites that have dachshund lover gifts and tools.
Smooth-Haired Dachshunds
Last on our list of the different types of dachshunds; the third option is to buy a smooth-haired dachshund breed. When you think of a smooth-haired dachshund, picture a typical wiener dog.
Smooth-haired dachshunds have a lustrous coat with a natural shine. The best part is, it’s straightforward to maintain their coat, as long as you brush it daily. As far as shedding goes, even the smooth-haired dachshund will shed to some extent throughout the year.
Whereas long-haired and wire-haired dachshunds only shed two times a year. With that being said, the amount of shedding your smooth-haired will do is minimal compared to the other types of dachshunds.
Helping Smooth Hair Dachshunds Shine
As we mentioned earlier, smooth-haired dachshunds have a naturally shiny coat. However, if you want to help them shine along, daily brushing is a great idea.
Spend a few minutes every day using a soft bristle brush. As you gently brush the smooth hairs, you’ll be distributing the natural oils throughout the coat. The natural oils are what helps the coat shine while also keeping it healthy.
If your puppy seems hesitant to let you brush their coat, it helps if you familiarize them with the brush. Let the puppy smell, and lick the brush before you start grooming them.
Dachshund Sizes and Colors
Now you know a little bit about the three main types of dachshunds. Next, let’s look at some of the different colors and sizes you’ll have to choose from. The two standard sizes you’ll have to choose from are miniature and standard. A miniature dachshund will be less than 11 lb. At the same time, a standard dachshund can weigh anywhere between 16 and 32 lb.
All About Tweenies
Dachshunds that weigh between 11 and 16 lb are lovingly referred to as tweenies. Tweenies don’t quite qualify as miniatures, and they’re not big enough to qualify as standards either.
If you’re buying a puppy, keep in mind that it can be difficult to determine the final weight that your dachshund will reach. You might wind up buying a tweenie that keeps growing until it becomes a qualified standard.
Thankfully, you can use equations to help create a realistic guess of how much your puppy will wind up weighing. For instance, you can take the puppy’s weight and pounds and then divide it by the number of weeks he’s been alive.
Next, that number multiplied by the number of weeks in a year, which is 52. The result should be a number that gives you a rough idea of how much your dachshund will be when it’s fully grown.
Dachshund Breed Colors
Did you know scientists are discovering links between dog coat colors and life expectancy? You can choose to either get a one-colored coat, two-colored coat, or a unique blend when it comes to dachshunds.
If your dachshund has a one-colored coat, it means just what it sounds like; they’ll have 1 uniformed color. One colored option for dachshunds includes red or cream.
If you’re open to getting a two-colored coat dachshund, you’ll have a lot more choices to choose from. There are black and tan, black and cream, chocolate and tan, and chocolate and cream color combinations.
If you’re lucky you’ll even be able to find a blue and tan dachshund option. Are you looking for a unique blend of colors? Then you’re going to want a wild boar coat option. The wild boar, is a mix of dark browns, creating a unique hair color throughout the coat.
Attractive Coat Patterns
In addition to choosing the color, you can also decide what type of patterns you’d like the coat to have. For instance, are you interested in a Dalmatian-type look with a cute dapple coat?
If you like dapple, you can always opt for a double dapple coat pattern. When two dachshunds with dapple coat patterns have a litter of puppies, the puppies are known as double dapple.
The double dapple coat patterns are unique looking and unlike any other dachshund coat pattern. However, it’s worth noting that double dapple dachshunds tend to have more health complications.
Next, you could also go with the brindle coat pattern. Brindle coat patterns have a unique look thanks to their striped coat markings. Typically, the stripes will be the darkest color, with a lighter tan filling in the background. Other common colors for brindle patterns include cream, red, or tan.
Another wonderful option is to get a sable coat pattern. An authentic sable dachshund will have striking black bands along each tip of the hair. The base color will begin closer to the skin and spread out from there. If you’re looking for a true sable coat pattern, make sure you don’t get it confused with darker red shades.
It’s easy to mix up a dark red shade coat with an authentic sable coat pattern. Lastly, another wonderful option is to choose a dachshund that has a piebald coat pattern. Piebald coat patterns are particularly adorable with their white coat base and dark spots. The dark spots can be black, brown, or even blue.
Choosing Between the Different Types of Dachshunds
Now that you know a little bit more about the different types of dachshunds, which one do you think is right for you? Of course, reading about dachshunds and meeting one in person are two different things!
Arrange some time to go and see a dachshund at a pet store this week. Look at their size, coat color, and pattern, and note what things you do and don’t like.
Watch out, though! You might wind up coming home with a new member of the family. For more fun tips like these, check out the rest of this site.
