If you’re a new Doxie owner you may be surprised by how vocal these dogs are. So, you have a dachshund crying for no reason – 10 likely causes and what you can do about them. How often is this a problem? Should you be worried? We’ll go over all the crucial details below.
Why Is Your Dachshund Crying For No Reason?
As with any other dog breed, your dachshund is never crying for no reason. Like people, dogs always have a reason for what they are doing even if they are not really clear on that reason themselves. Does this mean that your Doxie crying is necessarily something scary, however?
10 Reasons Why Your Dachshund Is Crying For No Reasons
When it comes to a dachshund whining there can be many possible causes, not even just ten. However, for the sake of simplicity, let’s sum them up in the following ten groups:
- Physical pain – the one truly significant and urgent explanation for a dachshund crying for no reason is physical pain. More specifically – any possible source of physical pain, be it a skin issue, external trauma, or any internal health concern. Needless to say, all those necessitate a vet visit.
- A physical need – a much simpler and more common explanation is that your dog just needs to wee. If this starts to happen often, however, and especially right after a walk outside, your dog may have some bladder issues. Virtually all other possible explanations for a dachshund crying for no reason are behavioral, however.
- Excitement – Doxies are easily excitable. While whining doesn’t intuitively seem like something you’d do when you’re excited, it is quite typical for dachshunds.
- Apology – dachshunds may be headstrong but, with proper obedience training, they can learn to be submissive and respect your authority just like any other dog. And whining/crying when you’ve done something wrong and you apologize is quite a natural reaction for a well-trained dachshund.
- Attention seeking – Doxies are also quite social and playful so they don’t like to be ignored. Just like a baby cries when it wants attention, so does a dachshund.
- Anxiety – dogs can get anxious for a lot of different reasons and dachshunds are no exception. Causes for anxiety can be anything from a trip to the vet to you being late from work.
- Loneliness – when talking about anxiety, be especially wary about separation anxiety – dachshunds are quite social and don’t tolerate being left home alone for large parts of the day.
- Fear – they may be fearless badger hounds but dachshunds can get afraid as easily as any other dog. Fireworks, thunderstorms, even mere guests can frighten your Doxie, especially if the dog is not properly socialized.
- Frustration–born hunters, dachshunds have quite stubborn and goal-driven personalities. This helps them stay on-task when they chase badgers through the woods but it can also get them easily frustrated when they want something that’s just out of their reach. And, given their small stature, a lot of things are often literally out of their reach.
- Boredom – last but far from least, dachshunds get easily bored. And dachshunds absolutely don’t tolerate being bored. These dogs are not just active and playful, they are hunting hounds, i.e. they perceive themselves as working dogs. So, like most working dogs, dachshunds need a lot of mental stimulation, interaction, playtime, and stuff to do in general.
Is A Dachshund Crying For No Reason More Common Than It Is For Other Breeds?
So, when it comes to why do dachshunds whine, there are many possible causes. Do they apply to Doxies more so than to other breeds?
Generally, dachshunds are one of the more vocal breeds out there, although we wouldn’t say they are the most “whiny” breed. That title probably belongs to the Husky, the prima donna of the canine world. Doxies are a very outspoken breed too, however – both in terms of crying and barking. Fortunately, they don’t howl.
As for why do dachshunds cry so much compared to other dogs, the answer lies in their hunting purpose and their selective breeding. For centuries before they became pet dog favorites, dachshunds were bred as badger, rabbit, and fox hunters. In fact, that’s where their name comes from – “badger hound” (dachshund) in German. Many European hunters still use dachshunds for hunting to this day.
Dachshunds were specifically bred to have the following features:
- Elongated bodies and short legs to easily get in and navigate underground badger tunnels
- Excellent sense of smell and long ears to help catch the scent of the prey
- A headstrong personality that’s vital for any hound
- A significant tendency for barking so the hunters would be aware exactly where the dachshund is at all times
In other words, the dachshund’s loud nature is not a bug – it’s a feature. Doxies were bred to be individualist, opinionated, and loud. So, if you’re taking a dachshund home, keep in mind that your dog is going to have something to say about everything that’s going on around the house.
What Should You Do If Your Dachshund Is Crying For No Reason?
The first thing to do is figure out the actual reason why your dachshund is crying for no reason. As we saw above, the most common issues are simple, everyday behavioral problems such as boredom and anxiety. Those are relatively easy to take care of with simple lifestyle changes.
If you’ve ruled out all such behavioral issues, however, that leaves you with a wide host of potential health issues. We can’t just list them in a simple article as we’d have to list every single health problem that can cause your dachshund physical discomfort or pain. So, once you’re sure that your dog isn’t just bored or in need of a wee, your next immediate order of business should be to take your dog to the vet.
Whether the problem is some matted hair that’s pulling your dog’s skin or outright Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) the person best suited to figure it out is a veterinary professional.
