Blog

Do dogs really need coats? Surely they’re born with their clothes on? That pug in a dusty grey cashmere cable knit, or the Jack Russell in a metallic down jacket fit for the ski slopes, may be better dressed than you or me. But is it necessary? Not all dogs are created equal when it comes to staying warm. Dogs with longer and thicker fur have an insulation advantage. Large, athletic dogs and dogs with substantial fur seem to power through wet and cold weather, entirely oblivious. Dachshunds’ hairless tummies are only inches from the ground. They are famously reluctant to go out in the wet, despite their fierce reputation as hunting dogs. Well-fitting dog coats can be extremely beneficial for some dogs, including dachshunds. Read on to find out why.

There's no denying that dachshunds of all sizes are cute and puppyish, even when they are fully grown. Dachshunds look amusing too. Popular films and children’s books have given dachshunds and doxies ‘brand recognition’ too, like dalmations. All of this makes them both familiar and appealing to strangers. But as anyone who is owned by a dachshund knows, it’s not always easy to manage interactions between other humans and your dachshund. Both adults and children may try to touch or feed your dachshund without checking with you first, bringing a risk of unpleasant consequences. Read on to find out how you can train - or instruct - humans who meet your dachshund for the first time.

When you want to welcome a dog - or another dog - into your home or your family, then offering a home to a rescue dog is a rewarding option. If you’ve done your homework on the breed and are clear that you’d like a dachshund, then rescued dogs are an option for you too. It can be hard to imagine anyone mistreating or abandoning a dachshund, but it does happen. And we tend to forget that responsible dog owners may need to surrender a dog they can no longer care for, and these cherished dogs are rehomed alongside rescue dogs with unhappier stories. It’s certainly the case that the big national dog rescue charities (Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross) tend to have mostly bigger dogs on offer, and dachshunds are rarely seen in their online lists. But in the UK and elsewhere, breed specific rescue and rehoming groups provide invaluable support, including for dachshunds and dachshund-crosses. Read on to find out more about opening your heart and your home to a rescue dachshund.

To keep our dachshunds healthy and groomed we need to pay attention to a surprisingly long list of tasks. Like any other type of dog, dachshund grooming and maintenance needs regular attention. Many years ago when I was looking after my mother’s mini dachshund while she travelled, she took the trouble to write and illustrate a short dachshund maintenance manual for me. I still have the folded sheets of A4 paper in a drawer of memories. Read on...

What is it with dachshunds and rain? One of the first things we noticed at the end of one summer when we got Sunny, our black and tan standard dachshund, was his reluctance - or outright refusal - to go outside in the rain. Read on to find out why this inspired us to set up Barkmatic and provide well-fitting coats for dachshunds in all weathers ....