Types of Dachshunds: Smooth, Long, Wired-Haired, Rare (with Photos)
Looking to adopt a dog that is full of personality? One of the best choices is the adorable Dachshund, also affectionately nicknamed the wiener dog or a sausage dog.
These charming dogs are lovable and affectionate, and what can beat their unmistakable appearance? Their long bodies and short, stubby legs make them one of the most loved breeds.
However, even within a single breed, there are many variations of the Standard Dachshund. Their coat types, for example, range from short and smooth to long with some feathering around the ears and tail. In addition, the Wire-Haired Dachshund has medium-length, fuzzy coats.
In this blog post, we’ll look at the different types of Dachshunds and learn the difference between them all. One thing’s for sure, regardless of coat type, they sure are adorable!
The Dachshund – Standard Appearance
The Dachshund is a short-legged dog breed of German origin. There are three varieties of coat: shorthaired, wirehaired, and longhaired.
Coat colors include black and tan, chestnut brown, chocolate brown, yellow, reddish brown, wild boar (grayish brown), and fawn (creamy white or pale yellow). Patterns such as brindle, dapple (merle), and sable also occur.
Eyes are almond-shaped and eyesight is excellent. Ears are long, drooping, and set low. The front legs are straight and the feet are compact with well-arched toes.
The hind legs are muscular with short hocks that turn outwards. The tail is long with a characteristic curve at the end.
Before adopting one, you will need to decide what kind of Dachshund you want since they come in a diverse range of varieties.
Size Variations in Dachshunds
The Dachshund dog breed comes in three different sizes including the Standard Dachshund, Kaninchen Dachshund, and the Miniature Dachshund.
Standard Dachshund – Within the breed, the standard Dachshund is the largest with a length ranging around 40-50 cm. the chest circumference typically exceeds 36 cm.
Standard Dachshund tends to face health issues if they gain weight as they have smaller legs. This type of dog will weigh between 7-9 kgs.
Kaninchen Dachshund – Otherwise known as the Rabbit Dachshund, this type of Dachshund is slightly smaller than the standard. It has a chest circumference of 30 cm and a length of less than 20 cm. even though they are small, this dog is confident, courageous, and makes an outstanding watchdog.
Despite its diminutive size, they will fiercely protect their territory. Owing to their size and physique, this category of Dachshund should not be indulged in excessive efforts like climbing stairs or jumping.
Miniature Dachshund – Weighing no more than 11 pounds, the Miniature Dachshund lies in the 12-18 cm. range. The breed is generally spirited and playful, and it makes for an attentive little watchdog.
Mini Dachshunds don’t require much exercise, but they do require mental stimulation.
Coat Variations In Dachshunds
Dachshunds aren’t just classified depending on their size. You can also group them based on their coats, which come in three varieties: smooth-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired.
1. Smooth-Haired or Coated Dachshunds
Smooth-Haired Dachshunds have smooth coats that are shiny, soft, and dense. For many years, this category was chosen for the show ring because of its velvety soft coat. They tend to have leather-looking ears and long hair on their bellies.
They make up the largest group of wiener dogs and require minimal grooming. Smooth-Haired Dachshunds are easy to take care of and they do not shed very much. You can simply rub over using a damp cloth to get rid of dead hair.
In cold weather, you will need to dress up this breed.
2. Long-Haired Dachshunds
Long-Haired Dachshunds have silky, long hair that is developed to safeguard the dogs from elements in the environment like snow, rain, wind, and sun while hunting. Generally, this long hair is most noticeable on the neck, ears, tail, and beneath the belly.
Their coat is soft, straight, or only slightly waved. This creates an attractive feathering on the legs, back, ears and tail. This dog needs lots of brushing to ensure that the hair is tangle-free.
3. Wire-Haired Dachshunds
Wire-Haired Dachshunds are cute and have stubby little legs with fuzzy coats. They have medium-length, slightly wavy hair, giving them a rough look. You will easily recognize them because they have cute facial hair that resembles Fox Terriers or Schnauzers.
Dogs in this category have a softer undercoat and tiny beards on their face. Compared with Long-Haired Dachshunds, this sub-category does not require a lot of grooming. However, they still need a good brushing once in a while.
To maintain the coat, wire-haired dogs will need to be brushed in the direction of their hair growth.
4. Rare
Some types of Dachshunds are placed in the uncommon category, for lack of a better option. More often than not, it is due to the color of the coat.
While most Dachshunds are red, brown, and black, the rarer colors include blue, white, and sable. Keep in mind that while these colors are unique, they are sometimes the result of unethical breeding practices that focus on aesthetics and not superior genetics and temperament.
Breeders that breed for aesthetics often sacrifice much in terms of the health and welfare of their litters.
Personality Differences in Smooth, Long, and Wired Hair Dachshunds
Ever wondered if differences in coats can impact the personality of a Dachshunds? Regardless of the type of coat, the Smooth, Long, and Wire-Haired Dachshunds share similar personalities and distinctive physiques with their elongated bodies and stubby legs.
However, some very subtle differences might exist between the different coats due to breeding practices that want to achieve a certain coat type.
Smooth-Haired Dachshund Personality
Originally bred in Germany, the Smooth-Haired Dachshund is the most common. They are a cross between Bruno Jura Hound and Pinscher. These dogs are created to hunt, with their smooth fur helping them chase prey quickly and making it easier for them to dive into underground tunnels.
For this reason, their personalities resemble those of their hunting ancestors. Some of the common personality traits include intelligence, loyalty, playfulness, territorial, chasers, greed, and courage.
Smooth Haired Dachshunds are highly devoted to their owners. As a result, they might be clingy and experience separation anxiety when their owner is away from them. This sub-category of the Dachshunds breed tends to be over-protective and might turn aggressive towards strangers.
Generally, Smooth-Haired Dachshunds are noisy because they bark at strangers walking by your home or ones that are visiting you. They tend to dig into your lawn, bark a lot and hide under blankets. Even when domesticated, Smooth-Haired breeds have refined hunting instincts ingrained over centuries of breeding.
Long-Haired Dachshund Personality
The next sub-category is the Long-Haired Dachshunds, which came about by breeding Long-Haired German Pointers and Long-Haired Spaniels with Smooth-Haired Dachshunds. This is why this beautiful breed has wavy silky locks, feathery legs, and ears.
Moreover, it has an overall look that resembles Spaniels. Originally, the Long-Haired Dachshunds have warmer coats so that they could hunt longer and stay outside. They were later bred with Long-Haired Spaniels to make better, calmer pets.
The main personality traits of the Long-Haired Dachshund include loyalty but not always with the same person. Compared with Wire and Smooth-Haired breeds, Long-Haired Dachshunds tend to be less noisy.
They aren’t very cuddly so pet parents might want to reconsider. However, Long-Haired Dachshunds are still incredibly sweet-natured which makes them amazing pets for homes that have children.
In comparison with other subcategories, Long-Haired Dachshunds do not like to burrow under blankets as much as the Smooth-Haired ones do. Even though burrowing is a trait that is typical of this breed, perhaps the Long-Haired Dachshund is more inclined to overheat.
Wire-Haired Dachshund Personality
Wire-Haired Dachshunds came about by breeding Smooth-Haired Dachshunds with Wire-Haired Terriers or Pinschers. Previously, they were bred to have rougher, thicker fur that protected them from vegetation while hunting compared with the Smooth-Haired category.
Wired-Haired Dachshunds tend to be noisier, slightly more aggressive, and feisty, traits that might come from their distant Terrier genetics.
If you are looking for a dog with an attitude, then a Wire-Haired Dachshund is for you. They have a hint of a Terrier-type personality and are a bit mischievous. The clowns of them all, Wire-Haired Dachshunds are also prone to feeling anxious, protective, jealous, or threatened.
When they do feel these emotions, these dogs will bark at strangers or children. When trained properly, Wire-Haired dogs are perfect family dogs.
You will need to socialize them with people, children, and other dogs from an early age. However, you will always need to be careful with children around and supervise playtime.
Of the three types, Wire-Haired Dachshunds tend to be the funniest and are super mischievous. That streak of Terrier in them can make them little rascals!
Final Thoughts
There you have it. All the categories within the wonderful world of Dachshunds. Most of their differences are simply aesthetic, and each type requires a different level of care.
These amazing dogs make great pets, watchdogs, and companions, so whichever you choose, you’re in for a rip-roarin’ good time!
