Blog
15, Apr, 2022
Dachshunds and firework season: how to help if your dog does not enjoy fireworks
Dog welfare organisations all warn about how frightening and traumatic the unfamiliar bangs and flashes of fireworks can be to some dogs. Modern fireworks are very loud, and quite unlike anything your dog is likely to hear in their day to day life. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) offers the statistic that 45% of dogs show signs of fear at the sound of fireworks. Scared dogs may behave unpredictably, putting their safety or the safety of people around them, at risk. Read on to find out how you can help your dog.
01, Apr, 2022
Dachshund winter survival guide
Temperatures are dropping in the northern hemisphere, and along with that comes months of long dark evenings, fog, frost, ice, and snow, in various combinations. Dogs need daily exercise all year round unless there’s a medical reason to suspend it. So you’ll need to take your dachshund out in all weathers, while keeping them warm outside, and taking precautions against the effects of cold, snow, and ice on your dog.
We’ve rounded up some helpful tips to help you make sure that your dachshund is kept warm and safe outside during the winter months.
01, Mar, 2022
Our newest dachshund dog coat: the new Original
We’ve just launched a new dog coat in our range of coats for dachshunds. We thought we’d share with you what inspires us in our work to design and make Barkmatic coats, and why we always keep innovating. All our dog coats are designed to make it easier for humans and their dachshunds to spend time together outdoors, doing the things they love. Read on to find out what’s great about our newest dachshund coat.
01, Mar, 2022
Muzzles and dachshunds: is this a good idea?
Visiting friends in Barcelona recently, we jumped on the metro with Sunny, and were told by a helpful passenger that dogs on the metro were required to wear a muzzle. In London it’s not something we are required to consider, although we are always careful not to let anyone get too close to Sunny without warning, whether that’s on public transport or on the street. Read on to see what we found out about dachshunds and the use of muzzles.
01, Feb, 2022
Pearly whites: how to help your dachshund achieve good oral health
Some experts suggest that the majority of dogs will show early symptoms of dental disease by their third birthday. We’ve read that dachshunds as a breed are particularly prone to dental disease and teeth problems. Dental problems can cause, or be caused by, other health problems.
In our household, we’ve found that brushing our dachshund’s teeth is not the easiest task. Even our vet admitted that she struggles to regularly brush her dog's teeth. But given that dental disease can be prevented, we thought we would brush up on our dog tooth care techniques. Read on to find out what we discovered.
01, Feb, 2022
Dachshund themed craft projects to make during half term
We posted instructions for making an origami dachshund not so long ago, and were surprised to see how popular these instructions were. Since then we’ve been waiting for the first opportunity to share some wonderful dachshund-related ideas for things for you to make with your kids during school breaks. Read on to see these easy ideas.
If you’re a dachshund parent, or you and your kids are thinking about it, or you all just love these beautiful and characterful dogs, then there are so many crafty things you can make or do. The unique and recognisable dachshund shape is a real bonus when it comes to making and using their shape for crafts.
Here are just some of the ideas we found. Nearly all the projects we describe are available for free or at very low cost online, either as a downloadable or shapes and ideas you can print off and trace.
15, Jan, 2022
How to check whether your dachshund is out of condition or overweight
Weight and body condition can be sensitive subjects for humans to think about or discuss, and it’s probably the same when it comes to the animals we love and are responsible for. I was shocked to be told by the vet recently, at Sunny’s annual booster appointment, that he needed to lose some weight. We’ve kept him right in the middle of the Kennel Club weight range for standard dachshunds, which we thought was the best place to be.
But the vet told me simply that “orthopaedically speaking, the closer he is to the bottom of the weight range the longer he’ll live and in better health”. After being told this, I went straight to my laptop to look again at dachshund weight and body condition. Read on to see what I found out.
01, Jan, 2022
Do dogs really need coats? Reasons why your dachshund could benefit from a dog coat
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.
15, Dec, 2021
How to train the humans around your dachshund
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.
01, Dec, 2021
Big love: share your forever home with a rescue dachshund
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.