Last Updated on May 16, 2022 by Marco
Caring for a dog’s coat can look stressful at first. For example, how often should I bathe my dachshund, and how much brushing and grooming does my dog need? Such questions can feel daunting to rookie dog owners but are actually pretty easy to answer. Let’s cover them one by one.
How Often Should I Bathe My Dachshund?
Dachshunds are a mostly indoor dog breed which means that they don’t spend nearly as much time outside as other dogs. This is great if you don’t want to have to bathe your dog too often. Yet, even dachshunds need to go out a couple of times a day and their low build does mean that their chests and bellies are closer to the ground.
So, on average, you can expect to have to bathe your dachshund about once a month. If you live in a colder and/or more rainy climate, more frequent baths may become necessary. Similarly, if you have a long-haired or a wire-haired dachshund, you may also need more frequent baths to keep your dog’s coat clean. If your dog has a certain coat or skin condition such as Alopecia or Acanthosis Nigricans, you may need to bathe and condition your dog’s coat and skin with specific ointments more often
Overall, you’ll need to bathe your dog whenever it is dirty – it’s as simple as that.
How Often Should I Brush My Dachshund?
That depends on many different factors – what type of coat does your dog have, how much time is it spending outside, how dirty does it get, what skin conditions, if any, does your dog have, and how much does your dog groom itself, and a few more niche questions. So, let’s go over each point separately:
- If your dachshund has a smooth (short) coat, you shouldn’t need to brush it very often – potentially as rarely as once a week. However, if you have a long-haired or wire-haired dachshund, you’d need to brush it more often, maybe even daily, to prevent matting and entangling.
- If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors or even if you don’t clean your home’s floor too often, your dog’s coat is going to pick up more debris and dirt than what’s expected. In that case, you’d want to brush your dachshund more regularly.
- If your dog has pretty much any skin condition, more regular brushing and grooming is almost important to keep the skin safe. As for self-grooming – dogs obviously don’t groom themselves as much as cats but they still try to paw or “bite” away debris, matting, and entangling when it gets too annoying. If your dog doesn’t do that often enough or at all, you’re going to have to pick up the slack.
Overall, our rule of thumb is that brushing your dog once every other day or daily is always a good thing. As long as you make it a pleasant habit, your dog will enjoy getting brushed every day.
Learn more about: Long Haired Dachshund Puppies And Everything You Need To Know About Them
What Other Grooming Does A Dachshund Need?
A healthy dachshund doesn’t have any special needs outside ordinary grooming. So, in addition to brushing and bathing, you’ll need to:
- Maintain your dog’s dental hygiene through chew toys and toothbrushing once a week
- Trim or file your dog’s nails from time to time as Doxies are mostly an indoor breed and don’t get to file their nails “naturally” by running in the dirt
- Keep your dog’s eyes and ears clean with wet wipes once a week to prevent infections
Should I Get My Dachshund To A Professional Groomer?
All of the above can be done easily at home once you get the hang of every individual step. That being said, with long-haired and wire-haired dachshunds, in particular, going to a groomer once or twice a year can help make sure that your dog’s coat is in perfect condition. The best time for that is in the spring and autumn, just before the seasonal shedding.
FAQs
How often should a dachshund be brushed?
This will depend on y our dog’s coat length and type, as well as on how often your dachshund gets dirty. A smooth (short) coated dachshund that doesn’t spend much time outdoors and lives in a clean environment won’t need to be brushed more than once a week. However, a long-haired or wire-haired dachshund that loves running in the yard will collect much more debris in its coat and need to be brushed several days a week or even daily.
Why do dachshunds smell?
Dachshunds don’t have any inherent smell that’d differentiate them from other breeds. Every dog can smell when it’s unclean, wet, or has a certain health or skin problem. So, if your Doxie smells, chances are that you just need to bathe and groom it better. If that doesn’t help, it might be a good idea to check in with your vet.
How do I keep my dachshunds coat shiny?
Keeping a dog’s coat in a good condition requires some work but isn’t all that difficult all things considered. Regular brushing, the occasional bath, and good overall grooming and coat conditioning are more or less everything you need to do. The rest is just basic health tips such as good food, hydration, and regular exercise. If all this doesn’t help, your dog might be dealing with a specific health problem.
Do dachshunds like water?
Doxies aren’t a “water dog” breed and their history doesn’t necessarily involve swimming or frequent bathing. They are forest scent hounds so they used to live in kennels and hunt in the woods.
That being said, dachshunds don’t hate water any more than your average dog breed either. Some breeds like the Husky do have a very strong aversion to water but dachshunds are relatively “average” in that regard. So, if you get your dachshund puppy used to water early on, there should be no problem bathing your dachshund or even going swimming with it in the future.
In fact, swimming is one of the best exercises for a dachshund as it keeps the dog fit while not leading to any back stress and pain.
Jordan is an animal–lover who specializes in dachshunds. He has owned and cared for dachshunds since he was a child, and his passion for these unique dogs has only grown with time. Jordan is an avid researcher and learner, and spends a large portion of his free time studying the history, behaviour, and health of dachshunds. He has a knack for training and socializing his own dogs, and loves introducing them to new experiences. When not caring for his own pets, Jordan likes to volunteer at local animal rescue shelters, helping to find homes for abandoned dachshunds. He is a true animal advocate, and dedicates his time to ensure that all animals receive the love, respect, and care they deserve.
