Image by Ilona Ilyés from Pixabay   Accommodating all needs and personalities in a multi-pet household requires a proactive approach, especially when one of the pets is a Dachshund. Bred originally for hunting, Dachshunds possess a strong instinct to chase and dig, which can influence their interactions with other pets.   In addition, their determination and boldness, while admirable, can sometimes manifest as stubbornness. The ultimate goal is to create a harmonious environment where Dachshunds and their fellow pets can thrive together.   Consequently, this article will e ..read more

We have become aware of a litter of hairless Dachshund puppies that have been shown on social media. The hairless gene does not exist naturally in the genetics of the Dachshund breed. Hairless puppies must be the result of a planned outcross, for example to a Chinese Crested. Some Dachshunds already have a risk of developing skin conditions such as allergies. This was the 2nd most common condition reported in our 2018 breed survey. We investigated skin conditions in our 2021 survey and found an elevated risk of Colour Dilution Alopecia in dilute-coloured Dachshunds (Blue and Isabella). The ..read more

The Kennel Club is collecting data on the incidence of heart disease in dogs. Mitral Valve Disease has been reported in Dachshunds so please support the research by completing a survey for your dog(s), whether or not they have a heart condition diagnosed. The Press Release is as follows: NEW HEART SURVEY OPEN TO ALL BREEDS The Kennel Club, in partnership with the Veterinary Cardiology Society (VCS), has developed a new online survey, which aims to improve understanding of prevalence and type of heart disease affecting different pedigree dog breeds. The survey hopes to gain insight which w ..read more

Many of our readers will have seen articles in the UK press over recent days describing proposed new legislation in Germany that, potentially, could result in a ban on the breeding of Dachshunds. The legislation has been supported by animal rights campaigners such as PETA. This follows on the heels of proposed legislation in New Hampshire, USA, that would ban the breeding of brachycephalic dogs. Numerous court cases and examples of welfare legislation have been seen in Europe and Scandinavia in recent years. Although the majority of these have focused on the brachycephalic breeds, it is n ..read more

We've recently completed an analysis of the UK IVDD Screening Programme's results. There's a full report (PDF) here. This report presents the analysis of UK data to answer the question: Are dogs with 5 or more calcifications more likely to have clinical signs of Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)? The answer is "yes". The screening programme grades dogs from 0 to 3, with Grade 0 dogs having no calcified discs and Grade 3 dogs having 5 or more calcified discs. Previous research has shown that the number of calcified discs, assessed between 24 and 48 months, is a good predictor of disc herniati ..read more

We would like to thank Dr Manish Chauhan and the Midland Dachshund Club’s team of volunteers who hosted the booths at Discover Dogs. The booths looked fantastic once again, and the dogs were great ambassadors for the breed over 4 days. Image courtesy of Lesley Easton. Left to right: Molly - Cheryl Ealden-Burke Hamish - Lesley Easton Ernie - Wunmi Redman Bob - Lisa Duffy Emily Howe with 2 of her chilled Wires ..read more

Thank you to Alison Miller for this guest blog post. Image by Lauren Rathbone from Pixabay Obesity in dogs is a growing concern, and the stakes are even higher in Dachshunds due to their distinctive short legs. As such, excess weight strains their spine, leading to back problems, a common and severe condition for this breed.   Moreover, obesity can also lead to other health complications in Dachshunds, such as diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems, affecting their overall quality of life and potentially shortening their lifespan. Therefore, pay close attention to your dog's diet fr ..read more

In our ,2015 breed survey, we looked at dogs over the age of 3 that were exercised wearing harnesses and found they were 2.3 times more likely to have suffered an IVDD incident than those exercised in collars. This does not necessarily imply causation; it may simply be a reflection of the fact that dogs that have previously suffered an IVDD incident may be exercised in harnesses rather than in collars. Dogs that pulled on the lead rather than walking to heel were no more likely to have suffered IVDD, irrespective of whether or not they wore a collar or a harness. We asked about collar vs. har ..read more

Anecdotally, we have been concerned about the number of relatively young Dachshunds being diagnosed with IVDD. We revisited the data from our DachsLife 2021 breed survey and stratified the data into yearly age of onset cohorts. The analysis (from 889 dogs 2012-2021) is shown below. We removed all years where there were fewer than 20 dogs with IVDD. The data are shown by "Year of IVDD onset" rather than "Year of birth". This includes all the IVDD cases diagnosed in each year (incidence) and the average age of the dog at that point. This analysis shows that age of onset is not decreasing; there ..read more

An interdisciplinary team of veterinary neurologists and geneticists from the University of Cambridge Veterinary School are carrying out a study to investigate IVDD in miniature dachshunds.  The aim of the study is to further develop our understanding of the genetic architecture of IVDD in miniature dachshunds, as well as undertake initial investigations to explore the genetics of idiopathic epilepsy in the breed. For this purpose, the team is looking for miniature smooth-haired dachshunds that meet one of the following criteria: IVDD group: miniature smooth-haired dachshunds that have h ..read more