More dachshund questions Questions

. What insurance plan type would you recomend??
. What health tests should the breeder be checking for? Im still a tad confused about them and would like to know more, I am after the Miniature smooth coat variety either the liver colour or the black and tan,
. Are they good on a raw diet?? What amount do you typically feed yours??

Their was a lot to be said about their spines and exercise what would you recomend time wise for exercising a puppy/adult??

Personally I don't insure any of my dogs, so I am the wrong person to ask on that. ;-)

With regards to health testing on a mini smooth the parents need to be PRA clear.

Raw is abolutely fine, ours are fed a raw diet. As far as quantities go, it depends on what exercise you give. Ours are out all day working, but still only need say 1/2 - 1 chicken wing each in the morning and a couple of sardines in the evening (obviously it varies what we are feeding). As I groomer nearly every single dachshund (whatever the variety) that comes in is overweight. They should be lean, but muscular not like a sausage on matchsticks.

As far as exercise goes again, most are not exercised enough. They need free running and even as a puppy can take lots - as long as it is on soft ground. Too much on hard roads pavements is not good at all.

The main reasons they can suffer from bad backs, is because

A. they have been bred by some breeders too long and too low (remember the absolute max height to length ratio in the UK SHOULD be 2x height = length) However in the rest of Europe they generally breed them more as they should be with longer legs and 1.7 -1.8 ratio).

B. They are overweight

C. They do not have enough OFF LEAD exercise, so are missing adequate core muscles

It is a common misconception that they are genteel dog just wanting to potter about. It is because of this that a great many suffer from problems. They are tough little characters. Mine are out with the gundogs all day and STILL never sit still lol

Hope this helps (the correct terminology for colour is chocolate not liver ;-) )

I stress about my Doxie's backs constantly! I do not let them jump off furniture, or go down stairs. They get lots of playtime in the house, but get very little off leash time, due to being deaf and sight impaired. I get them swimming in the bathtub several times a week.

I also supplement with the liquid form of this:
http://www.pet-tek.ca/canine-products/re-gen-max

and Salmon Oil, Kelp, and Primrose Oil with Vitamin E. Mine aren't fed raw, but a variety. Sometimes dry, sometimes canned, sometimes dehydrated raw, and sometimes raw. something different every meal.

Mine are both around 4kg, Boo is 7.5 years old and Mouse is 3. Mouse eats double the amount that Boo does. Both are thin (Mouse is extremely hard to keep weight on, she's often borderline scrawny).

They're very fun loving little dogs, playful and active... but if you dont want a lap dog, dont get a doxie. I cant sit down without at least one of them on me.

Proper socialization is key, as they can turn nasty without proper socialization and structure.

As far as health tests, I have no clue, as I rescued mine. And I have no idea about insurance either, as I'm in Canada

Mine jump all the time - they have to, otherwise they would not be 'fit for function' ;-) I never bend down to pick them up either, they jump into my arms. As I said, if they are kept fit, and are bred correctly their backs should not at all be a problem.

If you look at a dog that is say shown and does well under FCI rules, it will be a lot more like the original breed as opposed to say a dog that does well in a class under KC or AKC, both of which 'generally' have become too far removed from what they should be like, hence back problems, coat problems, massive temprement issues and all importantly, the Lafora.

4kg is quite light, although it depends on the build. Don't forget there are actually 3 sizes of Dachshund not 2. If your dog is small it could be a Kaninchen.

Firstly, I am in Canada, there is no FCI here, secondly, mine are rescues, so I have no idea of their breeding. The least I can do is follow as many preventative measures as possible. Boo has a weak back, and Mouse is a bit longer than Boo is, so I worry.

Have you considered getting a cross to potentially minimise the typical Daxie problems? I know there is still no guarentee with this though.
I have a 3/4 mini smooth 1/4 jrt. He looks just like a daxie just bigger , I think his legs are a little longer, he's not huge though. If I knew how to put pics on here I'd show you

Thank you for the info so far everyone
I'd be happy with a cross but it would have to be crossed with something with lower energy levels like a toy breed of some sorts.

Hope this works. Digger 10.11.11

Sorry I wasn't having a go and really really sorry if it came across that way .

Dachshund health is a real thing for me. It is such a problem for us in the UK where they have been bred so wrong for so many years, and I know in the US/Canada it is the same. I am passionate about them being fit for purpose - something that has gone totally askew for too long. They just do not have the same health issues in say Germany, Belgium etc as we do here. But that is what I was saying if they are bred right, the issues are nowhere near what people seem to think they are. I am just so glad the Breed Club in UK is stepping up to the mark, so things can be put right

Yeah, I wish they'd be as passionate here about it. They are such awesome little dogs, full of life and fun. I rescued one, not really liking the breed (every one I'd known so far was nasty) but I fell completely in love! then got another one!

My passion is deaf dogs, I think that I'll be rescuing deaf dachshunds (and others) for the rest of my life! My little Mouse, who's deaf, almost blind, missing half a foot, is allergic to metal, and has sleep apnea, is the happiest dog in the world! She's utterly fearless

Here are my two

everyones Dachshunds are so CUTE ^^

They really are lovely dogs, ive met a few of them come across some snarly ones but thats more down to the owners foult.

The more I see pictures of them, the more I find info out the more I want one!

here is a recent picture of brena at 15 weeks. she will be 16 weeks (4 months old!) this coming saturday.

the photo doesn't seem to have uploaded correctly. i have other photos of her in the dachshund section, andf she is my avatar.