The short and sweet answer is yes, dachshunds do need to be groomed! Dachshunds are bred with three different coat variations, smooth, long and wire-haired. These three different coats need slightly different treatment but all require some form of grooming attention. Keeping on top of your dachshund grooming will make your life easier in the long run, so it is definitely worthwhile getting into a grooming routine that suits you and your four-legged friend.
- Smooth-haired dachshund grooming: This variation of the breed requires grooming little and often. The reason behind this is due to the lack of grip on their short coat, meaning dirt and grime won’t attach to the hair as easily. However, you should aim to groom your smooth-haired dachshund 1-2 times per week to keep on top of a soft and clean coat. Aim to brush their coat with a soft-bristled brush, making sure that you are gentle and are only removing what is unneeded from the coat.
- Long-haired dachshund grooming: Long-haired dachshunds require daily brushing to ensure you are on top of tangles and knots. Brushing your long-haired dachshund will remove excess dirt that remains in your dog’s coat and will also keep that lovely wavy style looking tidy. Pay specific attention to areas around the ears and feet where long hair is more inclined to become matted.
- Wire-haired dachshund grooming: this variation of the breed is a little different from the others as they have dense undercoats which require stripping about two times a year. However, wire-haired dachshunds will need brushing several times a week to keep on top of maintaining their coat’s quality.
You should aim to bathe your dachshund around once every three months. No matter what coat your dachshund has, you should apply the three-month rule for all variations of the dachshund breed. If you wash your dog too often, this can cause the natural oils to diminish and will, in turn, impact the quality of your dachshund’s coat. Washing your dog too regularly can also create dry skin underneath their coat which can cause sore infections.
To ensure that you are using your grooming time with your wire-haired dachshund effectively, you will need to invest in a quality bristle brush. You should brush the hairs in the direction of growth and lift up the hairs slightly as you do so. Another top tip when it comes to grooming your wire hair is to apply enough pressure (still remaining gentle) to reach the skin underneath the coat layers. This way, you can remove any excess dead skin and at the same time, stimulate the glands in the skin to produce healthy oils to benefit your dachshund’s coat.
As with many dogs, the secret to a shiny coat is often in the grooming and their eating habits. Ensuring that you use the correct shampoo and conditioner for your dog’s coat is going to keep it shiny for longer. Similarly, bad nutrition and diets can often become apparent through coat condition, so it is important to make sure you don’t slip into bad habits when it comes to feeding time. Make sure that protein, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are present when you are purchasing dog food. Shampoo with natural ingredients will also help your dog retain its natural oils and keep their coat looking sleek.
Long-haired dachshund’s coats have a tendency to become easily knotted and tangled if they aren’t regularly groomed. For this reason, yes you should be looking at trimming your long-haired dachshund to help with the upkeep of their coat. When trimming, you should focus on the areas which are more likely to encourage knots such as the underbelly, behind the ears and around the feet. You won’t need to take a huge amount of hair off, just enough to stop your dog from picking up excess dirt from the floor and to discourage tangles. If you aren’t confident trimming your dog yourself, take them to a professional and certified groomer for advice on what is the best option for you.
Grooming your smooth-haired dachshund is fairly simple and will become second nature once you are in the habit of doing so. As you are grooming your smooth-haired dachshund 1 to 2 times a week, it is important to perfect your technique. Using a soft-bristled brush or a rubber mitt, brush the dog’s coat in the direction that the hair grows. This will ensure that you are removing any dead or loose hair from your dog’s coat that may cause knots or an untidy appearance. Grooming your smooth-haired dachshund should be pretty straightforward due to the short length of their coat. Continue to do this each week and you will find your dog’s hair keeps its lovely and smooth texture.
The easiest way to groom your long-haired dachshund is to begin by sectioning off the hair. This way, you can ensure that you aren’t going to get the brush tangled whilst combing. A pin brush can be used to fluff up the hair. Remember that trimming your long-haired dachshund is often essential to eradicating knotted hair.
Dachshunds, like most other dogs, do shed to some extent but if you keep on top of your dachshund grooming you will find a significant difference in the amount of hair you need to hoover up. Shedding is a positive process for a dog's coat as it discards the dead and unneeded hair and helps to keep the main coat in excellent condition. The three coat variations have slightly different shedding experiences:
- Smooth-haired dachshunds: You may find that one of the key differences between the way smooth-haired dachshunds and the other two variations of the breed shed hair is that they do so very gradually. Smooth-haired dachshunds shed little and often due to the short style of their coat.
- Long-haired dachshunds: Due to the very nature of this dog’s coat, you will find that long-haired dachshunds are the biggest shedder of the three breed variants. Unlike the smooth-haired dachshunds, the long-haired will shed seasonally at set periods so you will definitely notice when it’s moulting time.
- Wire-haired dachshunds: You may get some variation in wire-haired coats which means their shedding habits can often differ from dog to dog. If your dachshund has more coarse hair, you will find that they don’t shed as much. However, if your wire-haired is a little softer, they are more likely to shed.
