Wondering whether or not you should adopt a wire haired dachshund? These dogs are almost impossible to ignore with their beautiful eyes and friendly wagging tails.
Whether you are looking for a friend or a family member, dachshunds can pleasantly surprise you with their abilities. We are offering you a chance to learn important things about this breed, so you can make a smart decision about adoption.
What Is a Wire Haired Dachshund?
A wire haired dachshund is a dog of medium size. The’re characterized by short legs, hard, wiry coats, a bearded face, and fluffy eyebrows.
Most people opt to keep the beard and mustache full, their ears smooth, and the coat less than an inch long.
History of Wire Haired Dachshunds
Wire haired dachshunds were first bred in the late 19th century in Germany. Dachshunds were bred as hunting dogs, as their small stature and slim build made it easy for them to slip into small areas to track animals.
Wire haired versions actually came long after the original. The wire haired variety’s wiry coat is believed to have come from breeding smooth haired dachshunds with terriers.
They were mainly a European dog until 1887 when they exploded in popularity in the United States. In the early 20th century, they were one of the top 10 breeds shown at some of the most popular dog shows.
As of the mid-20th cent, they became one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the United States and many other countries.
What You Always Wanted to Know about Wire Haired Dachshunds
If you have never owned a dog before, there are many nuances you have to consider before making the purchase. This important decision shouldn’t be made without proper planning.
All dogs are different. With the wrong approach, even the cutest ones can become a nuance. Meanwhile, the scariest breeds can be the most dedicated friends when trained properly. A wire haired dachshund can easily become your best friend for life. However, you need to be aware of its special personality traits.
The list below can help you get to know the dog you’re about to buy. Read here some interesting facts on long haired Dachshunds.
1. Loud and Frequent Barking
Dachshunds love to bark as soon as they see the slightest cause for making the sound. Be it a big ant or a burglar, you’ll get plenty of loud barking. This is not a dog you can leave roaming around the yard since it may cause you trouble with the neighbors.
2. Unacceptance of Other Dogs
Stranger dogs can make the dachshund very upset and ready to start a fight. Since this breed is not too large, it can lead to some trouble.
You must be constantly present to prevent the Dachshund from provoking other dogs. However, you shouldn’t worry about other pets in your family. Wirehaired dachshunds are always gentle with the animals they consider family.
3. Housebreaking Problems
Although these dogs quickly adapt to family life, they struggle to learn appropriate behavior. You must be prepared to devote significant time to crate training the pet. Consider making a doggy door to allow access to the yard for proper potty training. Get ready for a battle.
4. Too Much Free Thinking
Wire-haired dachshunds can be quite stubborn. This is the quality that makes them great vermin hunters but hard to train as companions. They can manipulate the owners just like small children do their parents.
While it might seem fun and amusing at first, such behavior can become obstinate and annoying over time, especially when you try to train them. Just like with children, you need to be very consistent with your wishes and orders.
Make sure you go through with what you say. You have to teach dachshunds proper respect. If this dog doesn’t learn to respect you, you’ll have big problems with it in the future.
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5. Special Grooming
A wire-haired dachshund needs special brushing and combing. You need to consult a professional groomer to make sure you are doing everything correctly. Improper hair care can lead to the decrease of life quality and various diseases.
6. Unpleasant Shedding
Problems with shedding come with all long-haired dogs. Dachshunds are famous for the fact that all three coat types shed. Wire haired dachshunds shed somewhat less than the other two breed types.
However, you need to be prepared for the shedding problem in your home. Even though this breed is small, it still emits a certain dog odor that some owners can find unpleasant. If you have dog allergies, this breed is definitely not for you.
7. Diseases
Most of the wirehaired dachshunds are healthy and live a long life. However, approximately 25% of such dogs are prone to disk disease, which can cripple them by the time they reach middle age. Urinary diseases, epilepsy, heart disease, and other issues can affect these dogs.
A lot depends on how well you take care of your dog. The more attention you pay to its health and regular veterinary check-ups, the more chances you have of extending its lifespan.
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8. Child-Friendliness
If you are looking for a companion for your child, you have chosen the right dog. Even though you have to supervise your kid and the dog at first, with time they can become the best of friends.
Wire haired dachshunds love playing with kids. They are not too big to hurt them during the games and not too small to be hurt by them.
9. Easy-going Temper
Most of the time these dogs are easygoing. They usually become devoted to the family member they spend most of their time with.
However, they are always ready to have fun with the rest of the family as well. If you want to get an idea of what kind of temper your puppy will have, take a look at its parents.
10. Destructive behavior
Dachshunds tend to suffer from separation anxiety. Therefore, you must not abandon them for an extended period of time. They don’t like being separated from the owners.
If you leave them alone for too long, they may express their resentment by damaging whatever they lay their claws and teeth on, such as your carpet, clothes, or furniture.
If you want to avoid the damage, keep the dog in a crate or put up some dog barriers around the area you want it to stay in.
How to Groom Wire Haired Dachshund
Brushing
Wire haired dachshunds need grooming daily. When they shed, their fur doesn’t always fall off, so you need to brush them to remove it. You’ll also need to brush them to prevent the hair from matting.
If you keep your dog’s hair short, then you can get away with weekly brushing.
Stripping
Every 4 to 6 months you’ll need to go through your dachshund’s coat with a stripping comb. You can use your hands, but a stripping comb will be far more effective. This will help remove dead fur from your dog’s coat.
When your dog’s fur reaches around an inch in length, you know it’s time to strip them.
The most effective way to strip your dog’s fur is to start at the shoulders, brushing in the direction that the fur grows. Next, you’ll do your dog’s back before moving on to the sides.
Move on to the neck and chest area, brushing towards the abdomen. Do the abdomen next, followed by all the legs and tail. You should do the head and face last, being very careful to keep the facial hair bushy.
Thoroughly inspect your dog to see if any stray tufts of hair are sticking up. You can pluck these away with your fingers.
After stripping, the wire-haired dachshund’s hair should be between half an inch and ¾ of an inch long.
Washing
A wire haired dachshund should be bathed every month with a shampoo made specifically for their hair type.
If your dog doesn’t run around in grassy or muddy areas too often, then you can skip the monthly washes and bathe them every two months instead.
Maintaining Coat Health
Speak to your vet about the best diet to feed your dog to maintain a healthy, strong coat. Wire haired dachshunds need lots of vitamins and nutrients to look their best.
FAQs
Long haired dachshunds are mostly low maintenance to look after when it comes to health.
However, if you want to keep them looking their best, you need to groom them often, bathe them every month, and feed them a great diet to keep them looking their best.
No. Wire haired dachshunds and all the other dachshund varieties are not considered hypoallergenic. They don’t produce as much dander are some larger breeds, but they shed moderately.
Yes, wire haired dachshunds shed a moderate amount. Out of the three dachshund variations, they shed the most because they have double coats.
If you know what to expect and agree to deal with all the problems of a wire haired dachshund, then you can become the best owner for this wonderful dog. Good luck!
Judith
Sunday 23rd of February 2020
Our Rosie is wire hair doxy and some jack Russell, a great pup! ! She's 3 y-o. She was not socialized, was mistreated with feet and crutches probably crated her whole life. I am handicapped and she has adapted WELL! Not afraid of my scooter or my walker. In 9 months she has gotten adapted to our home with a doggie door and also walking on leash while we are snow birds in Az. She wouldn't let ANYONE except the 2 of us pet her. She loved other dogs but not people! Now she has become so social that she will let most people pet her! She is spoiled but well trained, walks to the dog park to do her business and chase her "vinyl fish" for exercise. She is a sweetheart and a lover . Mild separation anxiety but we are working on that.