A litter of sheltie dachshund mix puppies is a truly adorable sight! These little bundles of fluff turn into lovable family pets, and are rapidly increasing in popularity. Let’s find out everything you need to know about sheltie dachsund mix puppies!
What Are Sheltie Dachshund Mix Puppies?
In recent years there has been a huge increase in the breeding of designer hybrid puppies. These puppies bred from two different breeds of hybrid dog, with the aim of combining the best traits of each breed. The puppies themselves are not a pedigree breed, but are known as designer hybrids.
The first and most famous designer hybrid was the Labradoodle – Labrador cross poodle – but there are now hundreds of different crosses between pedigree dogs. Some of these have worked out really well, while others have quickly transpired to be a rather bad idea!
A sheltie dachshund mix puppy has one parent that is a dachshund, and the other is a Shetland sheepdog. This hybrid, also known as a Shethund, has some interesting quirks and features that makes them very popular.
To find out more about what sheltie dachshund mix puppies might look like, first of all we need to know a bit more about the parent breeds.
What Does A Sheltie Dog Look Like?
The sheltie, or Shetland sheepdog, is a herding dog that originates from the Shetland Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. These are small but active dogs that are taller than the dachshund, but fall within the same weight range.
Shelties have a long, pointed muzzle, semi-erect ears and an intelligent facial expression. Their coat is long and dense, to enable them to stay warm in the bitter Scottish weather. The average lifespan of a sheltie dog is between 12 and 14 years, which is very similar to the dachshund.
What Do Sheltie Dachshund Mix Puppies Look Like?
Shethunds are slightly taller than a dachshund, but they do retain the characteristic long body and shorter legs of a wiener dog. The face shape is very similar to both breeds, with an alert, intelligent expression. The ears can be either completely floppy, like a dachshund, or semi-erect.
The coat of a shethund will vary according to the coat type of the dachshund parent, but will normally be incredibly dense. These hybrid puppies inherit the dense double coat of the sheltie, with a fluffy undercoat and longer topcoat. The top coat will be smooth if the dachshund parent was smooth or long-haired, and wiry if the dachshund parent was wire-haired.
The color of a sheltie dachshund mix can be very variable, as it depends on the color of the parents. White patches on the coat are common, as are brown, sable, or tan coat colors. Puppies bred from a blue merle sheltie may even have blue-colored eyes.
Pros And Cons Of Sheltie Dachshund Mix Puppies
Whilst these hybrid puppies might look adorable, it is important to take in all factors that may influence your decision on what type of dog to get!
Both dachshunds and shelties are easy to train, so these traits are highly likely to be carried over to the puppies. They are intelligent dogs that like to be kept entertained, so this is not a good choice of dog if you will need to leave it home alone for long periods.
Another factor to bear in mind is that these are both very vocal breeds of dog that like to make themselves heard! They will be very good at alerting you to visitors, but may also bark at every little sound they hear.
The dachshund was bred primarily as a hunting dog, used to flush out prey from dens and burrows. As the name suggests, Shetland sheepdogs were used for herding sheep, and they still retain strong herding instincts to this day. So, your shethund dog will have strong hunter-gatherer instincts, and feel the need to keep its human family rounded up in one place!
How To Buy A Sheltie Dachshund Mix Puppy
Buying a hybrid puppy requires careful thought, as there are many unscrupulous dog breeders who will not breed good-quality puppies. Breeding any dog requires careful thought and consideration, and the aim must be to produce fit and healthy puppies that have no genetic defects.
Unfortunately, dog shelters are overflowing with dogs that have been abandoned, and many of these have long-term health problems or are not fit to be rehomed. You may be lucky enough to find a sheltie dachshund crossbreed in a dog shelter in need of a new home, or even another crossbred dog that would be equally suitable for you and your family.
If you are buying a dachshund mix puppy from a breeder, ensure they breed only from pedigree dachshund and Shetland sheepdog parents. The offspring of two different pedigree dogs is called a F1 hybrid, meaning it is the first generation. Both parents should be health-screened in the same way as for breeding pedigree dogs, and you should be able to meet the parents when you view the puppies.
Beware of any dog breeder that breeds puppies from hybrid dogs, rather than pure pedigree parents. If two shethunds are bred together this greatly increases the risk of genetic defects being passed on to the offspring. There is no guarantee of what the offspring of two hybrid dogs will be like in terms of appearance or behavior, and most dog breeders consider this practice too risky.
Summary
So, as we have learned, sheltie dachshund mix puppies take on some of the most adorable traits of both these lovable dog breeds! These hybrid puppies have one dachshund parent and one Shetland sheepdog parent and take on characteristics from both parents. They tend to be intelligent and easy to train, but are very vocal and like to make themselves heard.
We would love to hear your thoughts on sheltie dachshund mix puppies! Do you think this is a great choice of hybrid dog or a terrible idea? Or maybe you are considering getting a shethund but are not sure if it is the right choice for you and your family? Leave a comment below and we will get back to you!
