Talk to me about Dachshunds and having a second dog

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

So in a breed which has eight variations, many different bloodlines and a working/showline split, it's more factual to say that it's advisable to get a dog from working/health tested stock and get good insurance, rather than 'they are all cripples'.

'they are prone to' and 'they are all' are two very different statements. OP has been told to walk in with her eyes open and insure herself up to the nines.

 

[Dexter]

The inference is that they are prone to significant health issues, the advice is to get comprehensive insurance cover.

I think its time insurance stopped paying out for issues like this. It would soon put pressure on breeders to breed from healthy, health tested parents.

Saying that, I have no idea why anyone would run the risk of having a dog with such huge issues when there are other options. The BVA warns people against them as all varieties are prone to serious issues.

Their extreme body shape makes all six varieties of dachshunds– Standard Long-, Smooth-, and Wire-haired, and their miniature versions– at risk of serious spinal and neurological issues which usually require surgery to fix. These problems may not be immediately obvious, but often cause them life-long discomfort and may need costly treatment.

full article here

 

[HelenBack]

I'm not a dachshund owner but I did lose my dog to back problems and it completely broke me. My advice if you do go ahead would be to familiarise yourself with all of the symptoms of the disease, including the more subtle ones. Not all dogs present with neurological deficits. I found that a lot of vets, including specialists, were not aware of some of the more vague symptoms. I know that sadly I'm not the only one to have had this experience and I will always wonder if things could have been different for my dog because of the way it all happened.

I would also say that it would be worth considering under what situations you would be prepared to put your dog through treatment if the worst did happen. Spinal surgery and the rehabilitation afterwards is a lot for both dogs and their owners to go through and I think it was the strain of it all that contributed to me falling apart so badly afterwards. Depending on you and your dog there may be situations where you would decide it was kinder for all concerned to not go through it and to say goodbye instead.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It's certainly the inference and the OP has been advised to get a different breed.

Seeng as the OP is only at the planning stage, and has yet to get the puppy, and (s)he started the thread to ask...

I am aware Dachshunds can be hard to toilet train and yappy but is there anything else I need to be aware of?

Is there anything else that (s)he needs to be aware of? Yes, there most certainly is - the serious health issues associated with this breed.

 

[IrishMilo]

Saying that, I have no idea why anyone would run the risk of having a dog with such huge issues when there are other options. The BVA warns people against them as all varieties are prone to serious issues.

Because they're a wonderful, unique breed and those of us who have them know that and appreciate them? There are a whole variety of dogs with known health issues - look at how many Labs and German Shepherds are prone to elbow and hip dysplasia. Or Staffies who are very prone to cancer. If you were going to be put off by a health issue you would probably be safer to not get any breed as they all have 'their' thing, no?

 

[Clodagh]

Your boy has a gorgeous face!

The problem with the statement I have quoted though is that the current breed standard isn't anything like it's predecessors who were bred for working, they are much more extreme and less atheltic than then, with a lot more problems bred in, and so they really aren't anywhere near as hardy as they once were.

View attachment 99431

That second picture is a deformed freak, to my eyes as unattractive as a dwarf bully thing. I apologise to his owners and expect the KC think he’s perfect.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Re. specific breed "issues"...... whilst I am hearing what people are saying here, there are a good few dogs around who have been "engineered" or artificially produced for want of a better expression.

It isn't just Dachshunds is it; I'm thinking of say Jack Russells......... I think you could say this is true of them? Also (obviously) what are regarded as Working breeds in the past such as poodles.

Unless something is an out-and-out mongrel I'm not really sure if you can ever say that something hasn't at some point been Engineered??

 

[GSD Woman]

I think its time insurance stopped paying out for issues like this. It would soon put pressure on breeders to breed from healthy, health tested parents.

Correct me if I'm wrong but there is no test for the heritability of IVDD. When I was thinking of Cardigan Welsh Corgi during my research that they can have similar
and it is advised to carry theme up and downstairs.

 

[Clodagh]

I agree that all dogs can have issues. Look at the list of recommended health tests for labs. @Thistle would know but it must be over 20 things now?
I like dachshunds a lot but I’d avoid extreme examples.

 

[Dexter]

Because they're a wonderful, unique breed and those of us who have them know that and appreciate them? There are a whole variety of dogs with known health issues - look at how many Labs and German Shepherds are prone to elbow and hip dysplasia. Or Staffies who are very prone to cancer. If you were going to be put off by a health issue you would probably be safer to not get any breed as they all have 'their' thing, no?

There are breeds with very, very few genetic issues.

And there are health issues, and then there's crippling spinal issues caused by the way these dogs are bred.

 

[GSD Woman]

OP, we've gone over the good and the bad with dachshunds. Now it's up to you.
GSDs have their problems and responsible breeders are trying to breed away from those. I love a proper GSD and I understand that even with generations of healthy dogs and siblings and such I can get a dog with a bad roll of the genetic dice.
So, if you still love dachshunds and understand the risks, go for it.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Wrong thread

 

[Aru]

1 in 5 is your risk for IVDD, the common cause for hind leg paralysis on a Dachshund. (19 to 24 percent to be exact based on studies)
I'd think long and hard about if you are going to be able to afford the surgery- some need multiple and the rehab(4-6 weeks) before taking one on. Insurance may not cover everything and doesn't always account for the time and homecare needed. They often cannot urinate when they are paralysed so need to have their bladders expressed multiple times a day in recovery or when on cage rest for a conservative care approach to the spinal issues. It's a lot of homecare and time required.
It's one thing to be unlucky and end up with health issues in your pet .Its another to buy a breed knowing they have this level of risk and not make plans to avoid preventable euthanasia for predicted health issues.

They are wonderful characters....being bred to take on badgers had made them brave and bold dogs. I'd love a longhaired one....but they are on my heartbreak breed list.
I've put down multiple in young age for paralysis because the owners couldn't afford the surgery and didn't have the lifestyle/time to be able to do the care needed for conservative care when they went off their back legs. The last one was 5. She came in bright and happy one day just with a slight delay on one hind leg. Euthanised the next as complete paralysis including bladder and her owners could not do the care needed.Heartbreaking tbh. They loved that dog. She was really sweet.

I absolutely would advise another breed despite that being an unpopular statement.
The more we ignore health issues related to structure the less things change for the better. This breed becoming more popular is not a good thing imo.
Breeding for hereditary dwarfism has health consequences. Minimising health issues isn't helpful. Better to know the risk before taking it on.

 

[TealH0rse]

I’ve always had two dogs, in most cases two dachshunds. My dogs have always seemed to do much better in pairs.

Dachshunds are great. Super loyal, loving but also very stubborn. They have pretty big personalities for such tiny dogs, though it’s usually not an excitable or destructive personality.

My one bit of advise is to take their back health seriously. Don’t let anyone pick them up who doesn’t know how to. Don’t let them jump off of things or climb stairs. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s so important. Couple of ours had slipped discs and other back issues. We lost a 5 year old as the treatments didn’t work. Our other two healed up without surgery, but it is absolutely heart wrenching to have your dog half paralysed for months. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, it just happens. We took all of the precautions with ours but at the end of the day they have a mind of their own and don’t know what will hurt them.

 

[Clodagh]

1 in 5 is your risk for IVDD, the common cause for hind leg paralysis on a Dachshund. (19 to 24 percent to be exact based on studies)
.

That’s a bit high. Wow!

 

[blackcob]

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in a referral hospital waiting room for about 20 minutes and in that time the three dogs that joined me there were all dachshunds with shaved patches over their lower spine. Two were carried, the third had a sling on his rear end but had no sensation or movement, his paws and genitals were being dragged on the floor. Everyone was very jolly and encouraging to these lovely dogs but having had a dog with a degenerative spinal condition, I know just what an awful thing it is and it did upset me to see. There is no pedigree breed without its issues, true, but I can't think of another condition where the prevalence is so unacceptably high or where testing can't mitigate against it to some degree.

 

[Clodagh]

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in a referral hospital waiting room for about 20 minutes and in that time the three dogs that joined me there were all dachshunds with shaved patches over their lower spine. Two were carried, the third had a sling on his rear end but had no sensation or movement, his paws and genitals were being dragged on the floor. Everyone was very jolly and encouraging to these lovely dogs but having had a dog with a degenerative spinal condition, I know just what an awful thing it is and it did upset me to see. There is no pedigree breed without its issues, true, but I can't think of another condition where the prevalence is so unacceptably high or where testing can't mitigate against it to some degree.

I admit that when I was at the referral centre with Tawny other dogs I saw there were dachshunds and frenchies. Makes you think when you see Aru’s statistics.

 

[buddylove]

I haven't been here for a year!
I'll just pop in with a picture of my 4 perfect miniature long haired dachshunds ?

 

[buddylove]

I'm going to be the wet blanket. I had always thought that dachshunds would be fine with their backs if kept in appropriate shape. I found out from a board certified veterinary surgeon that it is actually a genetic issue that actually causes the disk issues. I was crushed because I wanted a standard wirehaired one.
Another issue is that their teeth seem to get dirty faster than many breeds. I've cracked enough tartar and found hair underneath. I don't know if the dogs in the UK have this issue.

IVDD is neither specifically a genetic condition, or specifically a condition caused by lifestyle. It is often a combination of the two and although breeding stock can be screened for calcifications, the presence, or lack thereof, is still no guarantee that that dog, or its offspring will or will not suffer.

 

[druid]

Another vet chiming in to sya they're lovely outgoing dogs and I'd never own one. IVDD is heart breaking and expensive. My mother desperately wanted Daxies and we have Manchester Terriers instead!

 

[MarvelVillis]

I haven't been here for a year!
I'll just pop in with a picture of my 4 perfect miniature long haired dachshunds ?
View attachment 99951

Gorgeous!

 

[Nudibranch]

I had a longhaired dachshund. I absolutely love them and he will always be my best boy. But it broke my heart when I lost him and I swore I'd never have another. In his case it was heart failure, which could be any breed I guess but his legs were starting to go as well. He was born 15 years ago when they were less popular. The big numbers and indiscriminate breeding now worry me, particularly in the short hairs, which is why I probably won't get any more.
Fwiw he had immaculate teeth to the end, but then all my dogs have as I feed raw.