Tell me about sausage dogs.

[LordJohnGrey]

We have always had staffies, but after losing our old girl in January have a hankering for a daushound.

DH who woukd be walking the dog has a back that gets muscle spasms so don't want another strong dog.

Also I've always just fancied a mini one. 🙂

How easy are they to look after? I'm at home all day so no worries about it being left on its own.

How much walking does a mini need?

Any health issues i should know about?

We are looking at a short haired one, not a long.

Anything else I should know?

I have a 4yo mini dachshund. They are incredibly strong so you'd need to train it early to walk nicely on a lead. They're better with harnesses than collars. They can be barky. My one has a habit of taking a toy up to the end of the garden and shaking it while doing a weird growl/bark type of thing because he can hear foxes in the adjoining garden. Socialise the dog well as a puppy, or they can become afraid of bigger dogs (let's face it, that's most dogs!) and bark as a form of self protection. You couldn't really have small pets like guinea pigs or rabbits with a doxie because they have a high prey drive.

Health wise they can be prone to IVDD, so you need to get them steps for high places such as the sofa or bed (if allowing them on) as they must be discouraged from jumping to protect their spines.

All that said, they are the loveliest little dogs. Very cuddly and affectionate. Love sleeping in your bed and don't like being left alone too much. Very characterful, especially when giving you the side eye. Love playing with toys and chasing balls. Mine checks the shopping bag after every trip to see if we've bought him a new one.

Here's a few photos of mine (when they're approved by admin).

Meant to say, if you have a big garden then they won't need tons of walking as long as you play chase/throw toys for them. Good to get them out occasionally though to keep them socialised and keep them slim (less pressure on that spine). If you get one, definitely have it insured because treating IVDD is very expensive.

Dachshunds are bred to go down badger setts, they’re very brave and very vocal.
I know a few and only one is gentle. It makes me reluctant to get one.

They’re yappie nippy nasty bastards . They have a huge gathering of them on the beach locally and all they do is strain on their leads barking and snarling at my two dogs . Wouldn’t have one in a million years .

I am about to rain on your fireworks, I'm afraid...😟

I honestly think these poor dogs have been broken by poor breeding. The rescue we had our greyhounds from had a number that had been used for breeding, then discarded.

To add more misery (and I'm so sorry, I feel like a real bstard, but I wouldn't sleep tonight if I don't say it 😟) seeing the pain they go through when their back goes would haunt you. Humans have disabled these dogs and it's criminal, imo.

Sausage dog will likely share your DH’s sore back,
get a dog that has less health risks,
you don’t need a dog that can squish down badger sets !

Noisey barky fuckers... Ndn dd's had one.

It got dropped off every day at 8 to bark all day until collection time.
As the dd didn't want it annoying HER ndn so let her dm's house be blasted with din instead
.

My MIL has one and it's lovely and affectionate towards humans but it's a nasty little bastard to our dog!
Always attacking him for no reason whatsoever.
Nasty to every other dog. When we walk our dog every other one we've come across has been a nasty little bastard as well and owners just laugh.
One growled and barked at me in pets at home the other day and the owner laughed and walked on....

I was at Goodwoof on Sunday and the really yappy, reactive dogs were almost all dachshunds! Also I will never have a dog with a bred-in impediment. They are prone to back problems because of the ridiculous breeding to get such short legs and long back.

Mine is a barky little fucker but she’s not at all aggressive, she never growls or snarls. She’s genuinely the nicest and most gentle dog I’ve ever had. All she wants is to cuddle up next to me in a blanket.

But, she’s hard work. She hates being left alone. She’s stubborn. She’s fussy. She isn’t good motivated at all so was very difficult to train. She’s just turned 11 and is starting to get back issues - which she refused to accept so still charges around like a lunatic - and it’s been heartbreaking seeing her in pain.

I love her a lot, she’s my favourite thing in the world, but I wouldn’t get another one.

This.

My in laws have one and it is a little shit. I think because they’re so small and cute, people let them get away with murder and don’t train them properly. Doesn’t stop barking, won’t stop pissing in the house - pretty untrainable at this point now. Sorry if you had your heart set on one.

They are the breed most likely to bite.

Genuinely not great pets. They were bred to be working by going down holes.

They are mostly dog aggressive, people snappy and horribly yappy. I know 4 owners of Dachshunds and every single one of them has separation anxiety to the point of the owners spending thousands on professional help and medication.

Seriously, I'd swerve especially if you're used to staffies. A westie would be a better option for you.

I did consider one and have discounted them because of back issue potential but also because of the barky reputation. Am now considering other small, but more robust dogs.

Barky little fuckers and can be quite feisty.
Friend at school had one and a Doberman but guess which dog we were all terrified of?
Not to mention the health issues

Am considering whippets, maltese, Australian terrier and also Podengos. I've had Podengos and greyhounds before.

My mate has one and it is the neediest dog I've ever known. It is obsessed with eating cat poo direct from the source if possible. This is my only experience of the breed and so I can't say I would recommend one.

I used to walk one daily for a friend, and, while I adored him, he could be aggressive and reactive — he snapped at people in my presence more than once, and bit my friend’s cleaner so badly she needed to get stitches. He also had back problems.

Wire haired lovely if you meet their needs. Pretty healthy and lovely temperament. Difficult to find though.

Smooth. No way. If you want a small dog with attitude go terrier. Trainable, lovely to live with and much healthier!

I work in a vets and we see quite a few , i would sat 50/50 when it comes to personality lots are sweet friendly little souls but equally lots of them aren't !
The potential for spinal problems make them a big no for me and i would also say when you have known the love of staffies there is no comparison !
Someone has mentioned westies similar personality issues to a Dachshund in my experience.
Have a read on Norfolk terriers.

My friend has one. It’s a very very needy dog that howls and howls if it’s left on its own and doesn’t mind crapping anywhere it fancies in the house. It’s a very affectionate dog, but the down side is to great for me to ever want one.

They are wonderful dogs (imo) but you do have to put the work in and train them properly and then keep them fit and healthy to protect their backs - I think that problems arise as the perception is that small dogs don't need to be kept mentally active and be trained correctly. Despite their cute appearance, they are working dogs and need stimulation and boundaries. My Dachshund is an amazing companion and is always by my side (or in my bed!). She's incredibly loyal and loving and is an excellent guard dog.

have a read on Norfolk terriers @tsmainsqueeze .

I endorse that.
Not without their quirks - they may be small but they are still terriers - but totally fab little dogs.

What an absolutely beautiful little boy 💙

No one’s mentioned the house training? Most will only ever be semi housetrained. We’ve (as a family) had generations of dachshunds (not related to each other, through the human generations I mean) and very few were reliably housetrained.