According to Holly@Dachworld.com, who has over 12 years as a Dachshund breeder:
There’s a whole lot to love about the Dachshund breed overall, regardless of which part of the family you choose. The personalities might slide on the scale a little compared to the classic Doxie, but not enough that you would lose out on the common traits of the purebred.
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“The bonus when getting a purebred is the personality will be somewhat familiar and rather predictable across the breeds.” |
Dachshund enthusiasts are already aware of the choices among the breed since there is a smooth type, a wire version, and, of course, the sophisticated long-hair. The smooth hair is classic or original for the Doxies. As time passed, breeders decided to mix things up with mere traces of other breeds that resulted in varied coats and only the slightest in character difference. Despite these differences in coat style, the core of the purebred personality remains intact.
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“Despite the appearance of a purebred Doxie, each will act as a standard dachshund with mere trace variances.” |
As a rule, you will find that a purebred Dachshund puppy will have the same baseline behavior patterns and personality traits regardless of the texture of their coat. The common characteristics you need to become familiar with for each member of the Doxie family include:
- Intelligent
- Ball of Energy
- Brave
- Playful
- Inquisitive
- Affectionate
- Loyal/Family Attachment
- Small Dog Syndrome (Believe big dog in tiny body)
- Think Independently/Stubborn (tough to train)
- Territorial
- Excellent Watchdog
- Natural Hunter/Likes Chasing/Digger
All dogs’ temperaments are different from breed to breed, species to species, even individual to individual. You can see that when a momma pup has a litter. Each will have its nuances of the different traits. Some might display each of these rather apparently, and others might only carry a few, with more coming out as they develop. Another differentiating factor will be how the animals are raised. That plays a key role in an animal’s development and ultimate personality.
The Smooth-Haired Doxie
The classic Dachshund with the original coat boasts the one most often showing all these common characteristics as described without much variation. Overall, the dog is a playful, alert, and intelligent animal who typically tends to attach to a single family member whom they decide is their favorite.
The Smooth-Haired Doxie is a medium size despite her short legs, not considered small at nearly 35 cm with weight as much as 12 kg with maturity. The coat is straight with a soft texture in an array of attractive colors.
**Exercise For The Smooth Doxie
Dachshunds require daily exercise due to boundless levels of energy. Exposing the dogs to as much as an hour each day on the lead is the expectation to help the puppy expel some of that energy.
If you take the dog off the lead, you need to be in close proximity since the animal’s instinct for hunting could result in escape when she catches a scent. The pup has exceptional digging ability brought to her from ancestors who were badger hunters, so going under a fence or other obstacle to get what she wants is no problem.
**Grooming The Smooth Coat
The texture of this family of the Doxie requires minimal maintenance, with the only requirement being that they receive brushing one time each week to eliminate loose, dead hair. These pups tend not to shed. Still, the fine hair does leave them more susceptible to cold temperatures. After a bath, make sure to towel dry thoroughly to keep the puppy warm.
**Trainability Of The Smooth-Haired Doxie
Training needs to begin early, as soon as eight weeks using a lead. The Doxie is a stubborn dog with natural hunting instincts making her an independent thinking animal, plus the dog will lose interest in what you want them to do quite quickly.That means the sessions need to conform to the attention span. A few brief sessions each day is ideal for the breed.
Involving the dog in obedience and socialization training is essential to help with their intolerance of other pets and small children who tend to bother dogs when dogs don’t want to be bothered. If training happens when she is very young, the Doxie will become a favorite family companion.
The Long-Haired Doxie
The speculation is the Long-Hair Dachshund resulted from the breed crossing with a member of the spaniel family centuries ago. Because of that mix, the long-haired Doxie has trace spaniel-type traits.
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Pet parents choose these most often for show. Some of these dogs will show a calm demeanor with a sense of sweetness and casual, laid-back nature. These pups like to bond with everyone in the family, less so picking one particular favorite.
The dog is also medium in size with stumpy legs at similarly 35 cm as the smooth hair with weight as much as 12 kg upon maturity. The coat will be either subtly wavy or straight yet soft with feathering on the ears, back of the legs, and tail. With this member of the Doxie family, you’ll also find an array of colors, but in this breed, not all colors are acceptable due to health concerns.
**Exercise For The Long-Hair Doxie
Each breed of the Dachshund, including the long-hair, needs exercise to satisfy the dynamic nature. An hour a day is sufficient for the animal with her on a lead. The dogs have an instinct to dig, making them great escape artists if you turn a blind eye even for just a minute since they’re always following a scent with their traditional hunting skills.
**Grooming The Long-Hair’s Coat
Tangling occurs most often for this Doxie where the hair is longest. That includes areas around the back of the legs, the chest, tummy, and tail. If you don’t brush the puppy’s long locks at least three times each week or every other day, she’ll likely develop knots.
Plus, the hair is susceptible to dirt and grime from dragging on the ground since the pup is so low to the floor. You’ll want to check the animal each time she comes in from a walk to make sure she’s clean and tangle-free. Make sure not to pull when brushing; gently untangling the knots.
**Trainability Of The Long-Hair Doxie
Training needs to begin early, as with each member of the Doxie family. You want to start as early as the puppy can retain some information. Again, socialization and obedience training are vital parts of early training to help with some of the more feisty characteristics that render the animal less tolerant of small kids and other animals.
The long-hair is a friendly dog. If trained early, the puppy should socialize well with family members and pets. Remember to employ positive reinforcement with training and keep the session to a tolerable level for the dog’s attention span.
The Wire Haired Doxie
Terriers introduced the Dachshund to its wiry texture somewhere in the lineage again centuries ago. While the dog will have the typical characteristics of the purebred, there might be some slight variances apparent for a terrier. The wiry pup might be a bit more of an extrovert with an exuberant personality and some feisty traits. The dog will also be a curious canine who tends to act a bit “clownish.”
You’ll find a dog of medium size once more with a measurement of approximately 35 cm and carrying a weight of up to 12kg when he becomes mature. The pup almost looks like a little older man with his overgrown eyebrows and little beard displaying coarse, short hair. The colors for these puppies vary by an array of choices.
** Exercising The Wiry Doxie
The Wire-haired Dachshund requires that he have no less than an hour of exercise on a given day. The dog needs careful observation when released from a lead because, as with his compatriots, he will find a reason to chase, which is an instinctual characteristic.
It’s not necessary to overdo the exercise; that can also be too harsh with the tendency towards musculoskeletal injuries. Sufficient exercise each day is the requirement.
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** Grooming For Wire-Haired Doxie
At least once per week, you need to comb through the facial hair for your wiry pup, with a trim occurring periodically to keep him neat and comfortable. “Plucking” the coat needs to be done at least three times a year and should take place with a professional who understands the concept.
If you have a breeder willing to teach you the process and you’re comfortable handling the dog to take care of this aspect of grooming, it’s essential to do so – pluck, not clip. Clipping notes to ruin the coat’s texture.
** Trainability Of The Wiry Doxie
The Wire-Hair is an independent thinking member of the breed with the need for patient yet consistent training. As with every Dachshund, early socialization and obedience training is critical to acclimate the dogs who tend towards aloofness with small children, other pets, and people with whom they’re unfamiliar. Most typically remain reserved around strangers.
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Smooth-Haired Doxie |
Long-Haired Doxie |
Wire-Haired Doxie |
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Size |
32 cm / 12 kg |
32 cm / 12 kg |
32 cm / 12 kg |
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Coat Texture |
Fine-Straight-Short-Soft |
Long-Straight/Slightly Wavy-Soft |
Coarse-Harsh-Short |
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Colors |
Vast Array |
Vast Array (Some not acceptable due to potential health concerns.) |
Vast Array |
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Shedding |
No |
Minimal |
No |
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Temperament |
Stubborn, playful, |
Friendly, Sweet, playful |
Independent, Extrovert, playful |
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Family |
Attaches to one family member in particular as a favorite. |
Loves the family as a whole, no favorites. |
Also attaches to one particular member of the family. |
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Exercise |
An hour each day on the lead with supervision when it comes off. |
An hour each day on the lead with supervision when it comes off. |
An hour each day on the lead with supervision when it comes off. |
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Trainability |
Yes- but you need to start early – stubborn/feisty. Needs socialization and obedience skills to learn to be around other pets and small kids. |
Ye – the dog is a bit more affable but all Doxies are feisty. Training needs to start early as a puppy to develop socialization skills. |
Yes- The dog has a very strong outgoing personality and is exceptionally independent. Training needs to start very early with the pup. He is not tolerant of small kids, other pets, or strangers. |
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Grooming |
1 x each week |
Every other day |
Pluck as much as 3 x each year, brush and trim facial hair regularly |
Final Thought
When you adopt a puppy, you take the challenges with the bonuses, and that’s certainly a truism with the Doxie. You will face fundamental challenges with this pup. She or he will test you regardless of the member of the breed you choose because that is what the Dachshund does. But they are also immensely loyal and faithful with great affection for those they love, and therein lies the reward.
