Does anyone have a dachshund?

[Anothernamechanger1]

I just wonder if you do, could you share your experiences please? I'm looking to get a smooth haired and Iv not read great things about them but the few I know are great with kids etc. I have 2 kids and would be about in the day etc.

What is yours like? Any negatives?

Tia

I'd not judge king charles spaniel on mine though as it was just a clash with my younger girl as she has behaviour issues (my daughter not the dog lol) and she annoyed her once too often and cane close to been bitten so I don't have her around my youngest at all which is a little sad she can't be free in the house but safety first and my other 2 girls take her out lots

I think poodles tend be a one person kind dog from friends I know that have them

We have a moodle (or maltipoo) - a cross between a Maltese terrier and a toy poodle. He is very easy, loves draping himself over people & lots of cuddles, will run like the wind if he's off lead but is perfectly happy to stay home if the weather is inclement. Low shedding too and he weighs 5kg. Could be an option?

Maltese terriers as gorgeous!!

carol my eldest has high functioning autism, and is an anxious child (hence looking at therapy dogs) but he is great with animals and loves to learn about them so I don't have a worry with him, more the dog needing to be robust and not 'over sensitive' as such?

I've had dachsies all my life - standards and mini smooths. I adore them, but they are hard work, and they're looooong lived (17-18 years average - I had one live to 20) so you really need to happy being glued to a stubborn little dictator for a long time.

Utter buggers to house train - of the seven or eight I've had only two have been 100% clean. They just don't see the point. For this reason, they're tough to have with DCs around - you never know when a bomb has been dropped somewhere and a blissfully unaware child will go gambolling through it.

They're notorious coprophagics. If you don't know what this means, Google's over that way -->

They can be very highly-strung, and tend to only bond with immediate family. My current two are the most sociable I've had. Most of my others have been lovely with us, but nippy yappy little shits with everybody else, despite avid socialisation from puppyhood. Only one, maybe two, of the dachsies I've had would have been good therapy dogs - the one who would have been great (I even took him on placement with me as a student occupational therapist) had a bit of terrier in him which I think helped his temperament somewhat. He was also one of my only completely housebroken ones (and the one who lived until 20 - beautiful boy!). Overall, I think you'd need to have a dachsie first, then decide later if they'd make a good PAT dog, not get one with the intention of turning them into one as they may well not agree with you!

Two of my dachsies have needed back surgery, so insurance is a must. Those of you who let your dachsies do stairs and jump on/off sofas - please, please, please don't. Just because they can, doesn't mean they should. The stair gates I have are to stop my dogs attempting the stairs, as much as they are for my DCs.

Most of mine have been so epically lazy, or so antisocial, that daily walks were entirely optional. Access to a back garden has been all any of my dogs have ever needed. My current girl dachsie hides if she sees her lead being brought out then pretends she's paralysed if expected to then walk. Suffice it to say she was dead easy to keep on crate rest after her back op.

I've read this thread with interest as (I naively thought) I'd also like a dachshund. However you lovely ladies have put me off. As much as I still love them, they won't fit with our family, and I think I'll have to love them from a distance.

But emanicipation I think I'm a bit in love with your gorgeous girl

He's a boy He's just a little prince and likes his diamanté collar because he's london urban chic

Your list of breeds makes no sense...they're not similar dogs in anything other than size.

Therapy dog is also kind of a vague term...

What you want to be thinking about is what sort of traits you want, do you want a dog that is likely to cuddle up with your DS, or are you after something he can play fetch with and train?

How much exercise are you going to be able to give?

Do you need a dog that's likely to be good with other dogs and strangers or does it not matter as long as it's fine with you?

Oops - sorry emancipationsausagedog he's gorgeous. Love his style 😍

Growing up we had a female, long haired German shepherd. My aunt and nana could not for the life of them remember that she was a bitch and constantly referred to her as "him". Very annoying 😩

Sounds a good plan for him.however you really would probably find that a mixed up dog fits in great or are you really wanting a breed especially.

You may know already but worth mentioning that dogs that dont shed hair still shed dander, and it can be that which triggers allergies still. We get quite a few supposed 'hypoallergenic non shedding dogs' into the rescue because of this

Dds friend who is allergic to most dogs wasn't allergic to my wire haired terrier. So that might be an option worth exploring? I guess wired hair dogs are less fluffy and also don't shed as much.

My dog is coprophagic, every day is a school day! I never knew she was until this thread.

Mine was partial to sheep shit when he was young but he grew out of it. The previous one wouldn't have dreamed of it - I'm really not sure its a breed characteristic.

All but one of my dachsies have been poo-Hoovers, Errol. I read on some (incredibly reliable, evidence based) internet click bait survey that dachsies top the list for this behaviour, so I know it to be true, without doubt

I have a mini smooth and he is my life - your welcome to borrow him to get over the idea, my ears can do with a rest from all the barking.

carol when you say mixed up do you mean a 'mutt'? Or whateve they call them?

tabulah it doesn't matter to me what the dog would be like with strangers, it's how it is with us that matters. Walk wise.... I could easily walk it twice a day but not hours a day. Yes, something that will be happy to cuddle up to him and love being stroked/fussed over. What ever it is I will obviously take it to training etc and would be nice for ds to be involved in teaching it new things. Fetch would be nice for the other ds as he loves to play that with a friends dog and keeps him entertained for ages.

It just be a small dog though, landlord has said yes to small plus I'm not keen on big dogs (plus wouldn't want a large dog sitting on the DC, or me! )

Poodles are bloody gun dogs - they shouldnt be noise sensitive!

It doesn't matter to you how the dog is with strangers?

You & your dog will meet plenty of strangers out on walks and presumably you have visitors at home who aren't your immediate family. How your dog interacts with others is important. Even if you don't care about the other person or other dog (bites? barking?) then surely you are about the stress your dog is being exposed to in these situations?

I don't get it.

Really? Would that apply to toy poodles? Goes to show how come I'm abit concerned as to what to get as I keep reading things that contradict what else Iv read or what other owners have said!

howard I was answering a question upthread

Can't risk getting the wrong dog and having to rehome? worrying
A puppy won't be a therapy dog. It'll be a biting piddling machine that chews everything.
An older dog could suit but you would have to look at temperament rather than breed.
I'm not sure why you want a dog. For your child to cuddle? What makes it a therapy dog? It actually sounds like what you want is a lap cat!

What's wrong with not wanting to make a mistake with a dog wolfie?! I'm being responsible by doing plenty of research by trying to find a suitable breed.

I said at the start of the thread it would first and foremost be our pet but looking for a breed that is used for therapy dogs. Iv never said it had to be a puppy either. And no I don't want a cat.

But you haven't said what you mean by therapy dog.
Most people start by thinking what they want in terms of grooming, exercising, space etc. you seem to want a dog for your child and I'm not exactly sure why.
What's wrong is I felt that it sounded like you would rehome any dog that didn't end up quite ticking all the boxes.

Ok, so lapdog, but a bit playful and trainable...

Your best bet is probably a bichon frise tbh.

Non shedding, affectionate, playful, trainability is a bit iffy, but they're clever enough so if you're consistent with early training should be fine.

They can be a bit clingy and don't like to be left much though...but I'm assuming they'd have company most of the day anyway?

A cavalier would be ideal, if you don't mind a bit of shedding, but as already mentioned there are huge health issues in the breed and finding a good breeder can be really really hard.

"It doesn't matter to you how the dog is with strangers?"

She was answering me, I was trying to get a handle on which sort of traits she might be after as if it was something more along being trained to do specific tasks rather than just a companion it might have mattered if aloof was a breed trait.