Our standard dachshund is still a youngster at two years old, and full of energy.  We’ve put together a list of activities we want to try with him.

Camping

Most of the Barkmatic team started camping very young, and we still camp every year.  Some of our team love the challenge of British camping (cold, damp, high winds, sleeping fully dressed) while others prefer baking Mediterranean sunshine or the luxury of a campervan. We’re sure that our dachshund would love the freedom and adventure of camping, and being allowed to snuggle up in a tent with us.  It seems like wild or semi-wild camping might be the best option, giving him plenty of freedom combined with safety away from traffic. 

You’ll need to take your dachshund’s usual gear, along with some additional items.

  • A lightweight collapsible dog bowl.
  • A dog towel or microfibre cloth to clean off mud and wet before letting your dog into your tent.
  • A quick drying dog coat which offers warmth, insulation, reflective sstrips, and waterproofing for temperate climates and anything other than a hot summer day.
  • Consider dog booties for protection from anything sharp, and snow.  Ensure that your dog gets used to wearing them before rather than during a hike.  
  • A safety light - a small LED - to clip to your dog’s collar or coat so you can see her after dark.
  • Sufficient food and water for your dog.  Experts suggest that hiking all day requires you to provide more food and water than your dog typically consumes.
  • Bedding - and allow extra space for your dachshund to sleep, or at least for their kit if they prefer to snuggle up with you.

Hiking

Proper walking or hiking in mountains or on moors, or even along a wide deserted beach, is a great way to rebalance yourself by plugging into the awesomeness of the natural world.  At Barkmatic we all love walking and hiking, but haven’t been since we welcomed our dachshund a year ago. The North York Moors, the west coast of Scotland, and the Pyrenees are top of our list for a trip with Sunny. 

Very long walks and hikes are of a different order to the kind of extended walkies that you might go on from time to time, in your usual environment.  

You need to make sure that your dog is physically ready for hiking, both in terms of fitness and any specific vaccinations or preventative medicines that might be needed for exposure to insects or other risks found only in rural or remote areas.  If in doubt, build up the length of your walks gradually. Make sure that you know what the trail regulations are and stick to them. 

You may be required to keep your dachshund on a lead, and in any case you should always do so near farm animals and horses.  You need to be able to keep your dog calm when other people, dogs, trail bikes, or horses pass you by on a trail.  It’s best to step off the trail and yield the right of way to other trail users.

And finally, don’t leave dog poo lying around.  It’s easy to double bag poo and bring it back with you to dispose of away from the area.  ‘Leave no trace’ applies to dogs as well as humans.

Take a bike ride

Whether your bicycle if your main mode of transport, or you’re an occasional user who cycles for pleasure, try taking your dachshund along too.  There’s a wide range of dog-specific baskets and Scandinavian-style trailers to attach to your bicycle, depending on your budget and how many dachshunds you need to accommodate in safety. Most experts advise that you get your dog gradually used to the cycling experience, including riding over rough terrain or potholes.  Cycling with your dachshund could be an urban or a rural adventure. 

Swimming

We don’t yet know whether Sunny will enjoy being in water and swimming, but with some precautions in place, this is something we plan to try.  From what we can see, dachshunds can and do swim, but if they get tired may not be able to extricate themselves from water.  A dog life jacket looks advisable (they are not expensive), and he would need to be supervised in water.

Dog sports

These activities look like a lot of fun, and enable you to work as a team with your dachshund. What could be nicer!  There’s a whole range of dog sports available now in the UK

Agility classes -  you direct your dog through an obstacle course as quickly and accurately as possible. 

Nosework - like a working detection dog, your dog must find a hidden target smell amongst various distractions and alert you.  

Canicross - like cross country running but you are harnessed via a 2 metre bungee cord to your dachshund!  If your dachshund enjoys running and is healthy you can try this off-road activity, which requires fitness rather than obedience or any particular training.  Beginners can start off with canimarching and build up to canicross.  We are very keen to try this!