People often avoid certain dog breeds because of their grooming needs. So, let’s go over groomed long-haired dachshunds – the why, how, and when of grooming. Do the long and flowing locks of these Doxies require a lot of work? Are there some possible health consequences if you don’t groom your dog well enough? And, most importantly, how should you go about grooming a long-haired dachshund?
What Do Groomed Long-Haired Dachshunds Look Like?
When talking about grooming, we don’t mean the fun pom-pom cuts some dog owners give their pups. Not that there is anything wrong with those anyway, but grooming is important for health and hygienic reasons more so than just fashion.
A properly groomed long-haired Doxie will have a straight, wavy, and untangled hair, a shining coat, nicely trimmed edges on the legs, ears, tail, and belly. If the grooming is done well, such a pristine look will persist for at least a few weeks until you need to groom your dog again.
What’s Included In Grooming Long-Haired Dachshunds?
The key part of grooming long-haired dogs is making sure that their coats are free of matting and tangling. This is a problem that doesn’t really factor in with short-haired breeds.
Aside from taking care of their long coats, these Doxies will also have the same grooming needs other dogs have. Here’s a basic list of the tasks included in a good grooming session:
- A good bath with a canine de-shedding shampoo, a skincare shampoo, and a canine hair conditioner.
- Dry your dog’s coat properly with towels, a hair drier, and brushing with vinegar water.
- Brush your dog’s hair thoroughly with a pin or bristle brush to remove any excess hair left after the bath.
- Cut your dog’s hair in whatever length you prefer. Never shave a double-coated dog but even a close haircut is completely fine.
- Trim key areas such as the edges of the ears, the legs, tail, chest, and belly for the best look.
- Trim the hair under the paws. This doesn’t have a health or cosmetic benefit but it will help your Doxie slip less at home.
- Cut and/or file your dog’s nails
- Clean the dog’s ears and eyes with a wet piece of cloth or a cotton ball.
- Brush your dog’s teeth to maintain good dental hygiene.
Not all of those are strictly necessary. The paw and hair trimming is for cosmetic and convenience purposes. However, good bathing, brushing, as well as oral, eye, and ear hygiene are a must if you want your dog to stay healthy.
Why You Should Groom Your Long-Haired Doxie?
Grooming is crucial for a dog’s health. Matted hair, in particular, is an often underrated problem. If matting is left unchecked, it can start trapping moisture underneath it. That’s because the matting prevents the airflow to the dog’s skin, often leading to irritations and sores. Not to mention that the matting itself can be painful as it pulls on the dog’s skin during movement.
In extreme cases, matting can also cut off the blood circulation under your dog’s skin and cause hematomas. Those are localized spots of blood collecting outside of a blood vessel. These can lead to a whole host of problems on their own and require veterinary intervention.
All this makes proper brushing and hair grooming a must. Dental hygiene is necessary too, for rather obvious reasons, as it is for people. Eye and ear cleaning are also important to prevent infections. Nail clipping is a good idea too as it will both increase your dog’s comfort and prevent leg trauma and tendon injuries.
Do Long-Haired Dachshunds Shed A Lot?
Long-haired Doxies shed quite a bit more than other types of dachshunds. However, they are still not as bad as some other breeds like Huskies or the infamous Greman Shedders. Still, proper grooming will reduce the amount of dog hair flying around your home by a significant amount. But the main reasons for grooming your dachshund remain the health benefits and prevention.
Learn more about: Do Long Haired Dachshunds Shed A Lot And How To Deal With It?
Are Long-Haired Dachshunds Hypoallergenic?
Neither long-haired dachshunds nor other types of Doxies are hypoallergenic. Technically speaking, no dog is truly hypoallergenic, but those that sled less dandruff in the air are better for people with allergies. Dachshunds don’t fall in this category either and aren’t even “a little hypoallergenic”.
How Often Should You Groom A Long Hair Weenie Dog?
Brushing should be done regularly, preferably at least a few times a week. Toothbrushing should be a weekly thing too, as are ear and eye cleanings. Baths can be done when necessary – depending on how dirty your dog gets when going out.
However, proper and extensive grooming should be done once every few weeks or once every couple of months. If you brush and care for your dog well in the meantime, the eventual full-grooming session would be much easier.
Is Professional Grooming Necessary For A Long-Haired Dachshund?
If you want the best-looking groomed long-haired dachshunds possible, you may want to use a professional groomer’s services, yes. Good groomers specialize in giving dogs the most comprehensive and effective haircuts as well as performing all other grooming tasks such as nail clipping, eye, and ear cleaning, paw hair clipping, bathing, and more.
What’s more, professional groomers are really good at doing all that quickly and without much hassle. So, if you’re having trouble with some of your dog’s grooming needs, it is a good idea to go visit a groomer. Even if you don’t intend to do this often, the groomer can get your dog used to some of the grooming procedures it’s been fighting against with you such as nail clipping.
Do keep in mind, however, that it’s best to start getting your dog to groomers early on. If your Doxie is already an adult and hasn’t been to the groomer before and/or hasn’t been properly socialized, it may get freaked out by the whole experience.
