As a doxie owner, you may be wondering how to tell if your dachshund is miniature or standard, as this breed comes in two recognized sizes. The dachshund is a very popular breed, mostly for its small frame, expressive face, elongated body, and quirky loveable personality.
The doxie is well known as a small dog with the attitude of a larger one. This little dog displays quite a courageous nature, due to its history as a badger hunting working dog. Seeing how the dachshund is already small, the even smaller frame of the mini doxie makes their personality more prominent.
Miniature Dachshund and Standard – Origins Of The Breed
What should I look for when buying a miniature dachshund is a question to ponder before getting a doxie. Being on the fence on which size dachshund to get is natural, as both are just as lovely. However, some differences do exist between the two doxie sizes.
Purposeful breeding is the basis for most of the dog breeds we know today, including the dachshund. Their appearance is one reason why humans intentionally decided to breed features in or out of their dogs.
A dog’s looks aside, man’s best friend has served through the eons as a partner working along with us. As such, the dachshund’s specific working purpose was as a badger hunter. Its small long body permits the doxie to burrow in the ground after its prey and drive it out.
The miniature dachshund follows along this same vein of hunting dog but for smaller animals, like rats or rabbits. Germany is the place where doxies have their origin, and the name eve means badger hound.
Is My Dachshund A Mini Or Standard?
What size should a miniature Dachshund be, depends on individual cases, but some proportions are specific to a mini dachshund. Knowing how to tell if your dachshund is miniature sometimes comes from just their size.
A standard dachshund weighs somewhere between 16 to 32 pounds, while a mini version weighs less than 11 pounds. Understanding size to know how to tell if your dachshund is miniature may not be easy when picking a puppy. To know what a doxie puppy will be as an adult, potential buyers need to see the adult parents.
The sizing itself is not set in stone and can vary in either direction by a slight margin. Dogs reach adulthood at 12 months, and it may take that long to know the exact size of your dachshund. The third alternative, albeit a rarity, is a dachshund can be so small as to be considered a toy size.
As far as coat colors go, both the standard and mini doxie display the same coat variations. There is no immediate discrepancy with this one physical trait, and it’s only limited to what the parents have.
Is A Mini Dachshund Purebred?
Since the dachshund is a recognized breed, the question of the mini dachshund and its purity comes to light. It’s entirely possible that to achieve the smaller body of the mini dachshund, it was bred with smaller dogs.
A chihuahua, pincher, and even toy terrier could be in their gene pool to make them so small. To many, this is unequivocal evidence of the lack of purity for the mini dachshund, but for others it’s irrelevant.
Why The Preference For Mini Dachshunds
People looking to get a dachshund already have a mind to get a small dog. The option to get an even smaller one is even better. Smaller dogs are oftentimes a preference for city living, where space is a limitation. A miniature dachshund fits very nicely in apartment life.
Parks in the city are enough for mini doxies to get their daily exercise. Due to their small size, they can easily go on public transportation. There is little worry about offering a mini doxie enough running space when they are smaller.
Learn more aboout: What Is The English Cream Dachshund Price And Is This Dog Worth It?
Miniature Dachshund Health Considerations
All modern dogs are the result of human breeding and as such many have plenty of health issues. This is mostly due to the fact that natural selections no longer had a part to play in their evolution.
Even though the dachshund fell into this exact pattern, they are generally a healthy breed. The mini doxie, even more so, as it has other mixed breeds in its genetic material. A healthy diet and regular exercise will further their health and provide a long life or around 12 to 16 years.
The main health concern about both standard and miniature doxies is their long spine and small legs. The original appearance of the dachshund is not as it is today, the exaggerated spine is a result of breeding. Intervertebral disc disease is an issue that occurs from this feature.
Miniature dachshunds can still inherit some eye problems like dryness, cataracts, or glaucoma. These issues are far less common than spinal problems, but it’s something to take into consideration.
Exercise Requirements For Miniature Dachshunds
The distinct difference between a standard and mini-size dachshund, as it pertains to activity level, will influence exercise. Their small size might make them look like lap dogs and as such require very little exercise. As hunting dogs, both versions need a certain level of exercise each day.
About 30 to 45-minute walk twice a day is the base requirement. The difference would be that the shorter legs of a mini doxie make it far slower. Jumping is something to prevent miniature dachshunds, to maintain their back.
Despite the shorter bodies of mini doxies, they are not so fragile as we would believe. With enough consideration for their spine, they can run about in the grass and they do still need to exercise.
Conclusion
Many elements go into deciding what dog to get and how to tell if your dachshund is miniature is one. Regardless of whether the standard of mini doxie is a preference, they both possess some similar features.
Size is the biggest difference that mini doxie displays and this by itself can influence other aspects like exercise. There is no disparity when it comes to how adorable they both are.
