Dachshunds are one of the dog breeds that make the most amazing pets. For this reason, you may have planned on taking one home. However, with their coats, you may also think they would be shedding everywhere.
So, do Dachshunds shed? Dachshunds do shed, just like all other dogs. Still, these dogs are moderate shedders, which means it won’t be a problem for you. Compared to other dogs, they don’t tend to leave bundles of hair everywhere.
In this article, we’ll tackle everything you need to know about a Dachshunds shedding. This way, you can see for yourself if you can deal with taking such a wonderful breed home.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Contents
Do Dachshunds shed a lot?
As I said earlier, Dachshunds are moderate shedders, and they aren’t the type to molt many times. In simple terms, this breed doesn’t shed a lot.
Thus, unlike other breeds, you won’t have problems with Dachshunds when it comes to shedding.
Now, it’s important to remember that shedding comes with every dog and every breed. Thus, whatever breed you take home, you’ll have to deal with the loose and dead hairs.
When considering a dog, it’s only a matter of how much they shed and how frequent they do.
For dachshunds, shedding isn’t something you need to worry about too much. Since they are moderate shedders, they require less grooming maintenance than other breeds.
Now, the shedding may also vary depending on the type of dachshund. If you have a particular preference for the kind of dachshund, you may want to read more.
Do smooth Dachshunds shed?
Smooth Dachshunds also shed. However, out of all the three varieties of this breed, these smooth-haired ones shed the least.
For this reason, if you want this breed but prefer the one that sheds the least, a smooth dachshund is your best choice.
This type of dachshund comes with short and shiny coats. Thus, they have a lesser undercoat than the long-haired and wire-haired dachshunds.
While they shed the least, it doesn’t mean they don’t need grooming. These dogs also need brushing at least once a week. This way, you’ll remove the dead and loose hair and maintain a shiny coat.
Do wire-haired Dachshunds shed?
Wire-haired dachshunds also shed, and they can have loose hair more than the long-haired and smooth-haired ones.
This type of dachshund comes with a double coat. It consists of a fluffy undercoat topped with a coarse and wire-like fur.
With such kind of coat, the wire-haired Dachshund sheds more than the other two types.
Their coat grows thicker during winter, keeping their bodies warm. They shed it as summer approaches to help them adapt to the heat.
For this reason, these kinds of dachshunds shed at least twice a year.
Do longhaired Dachshunds shed?
Long-haired dachshunds also shed a lot. Like the wire-haired ones, these dogs also have loose hair frequently.
For this reason, they are ideal for pet owners who are familiar and who can deal with long and frequent grooming sessions.
Of course, like any other dog, you can lessen the shedding by constant brushing and bathing.
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How do I stop my Dachshund from shedding?
Shedding is a part of a dog’s nature and cycle. Thus, you can’t stop it from happening. However, there are things you can do to lessen the shedding of your dachshund.
Bathe and brush your dog frequently.
Bathing and brushing your dachshund helps a lot in preventing the shedding.
A typical dachshund would need bathing sessions at least once every three weeks. Moreover, it needs brushing at least once a week for smooth-haired and every other day for long and wire-haired ones.
If your pet sheds too much, you may need to groom your dog more than usual.
Remember that frequent baths may result to dry skin. However, you can avoid such by using an oatmeal-based shampoo.
Offer only a good-quality diet.
A good diet helps create and maintain a healthy and shiny coat. Thus, keeping your dog’s health in good condition may stop excessive shedding and prevent it from occurring again.
Prevent flea problems.
Flea and other parasites can be a severe factor for dogs to shed. For this reason, it’s always important to check your pet for these problems.
To ensure your pet doesn’t suffer from flea issues, consult your vet, and get your pet checked.
You can always prevent such issues by constant grooming. Thus, it would still be best to maintain your pet’s cleanliness by regular bathing and brushing.
Regularly exercise your dog.
Regular exercise is also a factor that can produce a healthy coat. Exercising maintains a healthy flow of blood. Moreover, it would give your good pet resistance against other diseases that can cause excessive shedding.
Visit your local veterinarian.
As always, your best bet to solve the excessive shedding is to have your pet checked by your veterinarian.
This way, your pet will receive a proper diagnosis to find out the cause of excessive shedding.
Moreover, it would also give you an idea of how to deal with that shedding.
Shedding is a part of a dog’s life. Thus, it’s not a good idea to always go to the vet whenever your pet sheds. Do so only when you think your pet sheds too much than usual.
Why are Dachshunds shedding?
As I said, all dogs shed to allow new fur to replace the dead and loose ones. It’s a part of every dog’s life, and dachshunds are not an exemption to this.
Aside from this, dachshunds also shed their coats to adapt to different climates and seasons.
For instance, long and wire-haired dachshunds shed their coats to replace them with thicker ones during winter. They do this to keep themselves warm amidst the cold season.
As they experience summer, they shed as well to replace the thick ones with thinner coats. They do this to withstand the heat and prevent themselves from feeling too hot.
When do Dachshunds shed the most?
Dachshunds shed the most during a seasonal change. In general, both the wire and long-haired ones shed most as the season changes. They do so to adapt to either the warm or cold environment.
For instance, dachshunds shed their coats to get a thicker one as winter comes. This way, they can keep themselves warm amidst the cold.
When summer approaches, dachshunds shed those thick fur to replace it with thinner ones. This way, they can prevent themselves from getting too warm in the season of heat.
To prepare for such seasons, they usually change their coats during spring and autumn.
What to do if your Dachshund is shedding excessively?
It’s normal to see a long-haired or wire-haired dachshund shed. However, if these dogs do so excessively, you may need to do something about it.
The best way to deal with it is to remove all those loose and dead hairs in your pet’s coat. You can do such by bathing and brushing your pet.
As I said earlier, shedding is when the old and dead hair gets replaced by new ones.
Thus, if your dachshund sheds excessively, it means the season is about to change and that it needs to change its coat.
Bathing your pet helps you remove those loose and dead hair without creating a big mess. Moreover, it will help you quickly take those loose hairs away in one washing.
Lastly, it will keep your pet’s coat clean and its skin healthy. This way, you’ll worry less about your pet shedding on your place.
Another thing you can do is to give your pet a brushing session as it sheds. By brushing, you help your pet eliminate the hairs that need replacement.
This way, you’ll lessen the shedding time and will help the replacement process to be quicker.
As a general rule of thumb, shedding is a part of a dachshund and all other dogs’ lives. Thus, it’s not something you can prevent, but you certainly can do something about it.
Are Dachshunds hypoallergenic?
The short answer is no. Dachshunds are not hypoallergenic. Thus, you may want to think twice about getting one if you’re allergic to fur and other things that this dog carries.
Now, if you already have a dachshund and you just find out that you’re allergic recently, don’t grieve. You can still do something about it.
Read on to know what you can do to deal with your dachshund if you have allergic reactions they can trigger.
What to do if I am allergic to my Dachshund?
You can do many ways to test yourself if you’re allergic to your Dachshund. Now, if you already think you are, here are some things you can do to deal with it.
Keep the coat short.
Dachshunds are not hypoallergenic. Thus, you may have allergic reactions and get it triggered through their coat. Aside from that, there are other factors, as well.
Thus, it may help you to cut the coat short since it will be easier to wash away the things causing your allergy. Some of these are your pet’s dander, urine, and saliva.
By doing so, cleaning your pet will be much more efficient, and it will lessen your chances of triggering that allergy.
Bathe your pet regularly.
Bathing your dachshund more often would do well not only for your pet but also for you.
In general, dachshunds need to take a bath once every three weeks. Thus, bathing your pet once a week would serve you well.
Be wary, though. Frequent baths can turn its skin dry. However, you can solve this through an oatmeal-based shampoo and a conditioner with a thick consistency.
Give the brushing duty to other people.
If you are allergic to your dachshund, brushing it on your own may not be a good idea. Moreover, it would be best to have your pet’s brushing session outside. This way, you’ll prevent dog danders from staying inside the house.
Regular brushing would prevent danders and other factors that may trigger allergic reactions. Still, it’s not something you need to do yourself.
If you keep, it’s coat short, brushing at least thrice a week lessens your chances of allergies.
Wipe your pet clean.
Using grooming wipes help keep your pet clean and prevent it from being an allergy trigger.
Three things can cause allergic reactions. These are dander, urine, and saliva. Thus, removing such things immediately with wipes would lessen your allergic reactions.
Of course, nothing beats an old-fashioned bath. However, bathing isn’t something you can do all the time. If your dachshund needs some immediate cleaning, a wipe will surely come in handy.
When using wipes, always give a run all over the body. Wipe up below to clean the specks of urine. It would be best if you also went for the face and neck for saliva and the rest of the body for dog danders.
Wiping is ideal, especially if your pet recently got back from playing outside.
Limit access for very allergic people.
If you or someone from your house is very allergic, it would be best to keep your dachshund from entering that person’s room. It would also be best not to let it access the room where that person spends most of its time.
Wash hands frequently.
The best way to prevent allergic reactions is by washing your hands. Most allergies get triggered through contact with their face. Moreover, a person may touch his face as frequently as we can imagine.
For this reason, washing hands is the best way to prevent such allergic reactions from happening.
If you are allergic to your dachshund, it would be best to clean your hands or even clean your body after handling your pet.
This way, you’ll lessen your chances of suffering from your allergies caused by your pet.
Purify your air.
Cleaning your atmosphere lessens the chances of triggering allergic reactions. By using an air purifier, you can get rid of particles that can cause allergies.
It’s something ideal for people who suffer from seasonal allergies. If you get a good-quality cleaner, you can remove those dog danders, dust, and even mold spores.
Summary
Dachshunds do shed, just like all other dogs. These dogs are moderate shedders. Thus, you may need to prepare to deal with loose hair. Of course, if you compare them to other breeds, shedding isn’t something you need to worry about too much.
Shedding happens in dachshunds not only to replace the old coat with new ones. Moreover, they need to replace such to adapt to the season.
You may experience shedding at least twice a year with dachshunds, and it would be during autumn and spring to prepare for winter and summer.
As a general rule of thumb, all dogs require proper grooming, such as bathing and brushing. As long as you do so regularly, you can lessen your pet’s shedding and even avoid allergic reactions.
Resources
Image credits – Canva
[1] Dachshund – Wikipedia
[2] Dogs Are Shedding… Light on Human Health – NIH
[3] Dog allergen levels in homes with hypoallergenic compared with nonhypoallergenic dogs – NCBI
