If you are a dog owner and thinking do long haired dachshunds shed? then you are on right path. You will have to deal with the hair of your furry friend because of natural hair growth and shedding cycles. You need to know about how to tackle any issues hassle-free.
Human beings and dogs have shared a coveted relationship since forever. They are surely a couple that is made for each other.
However, some issues might come along while keeping a dog at your home due to being two completely different species.
These days, many people are allergic to dog hair, and the first question that comes to their mind and that they ask is whether this dog sheds?
Long Haired Dachshunds
For example, if someone wants to buy a Long Haired Dachshund dog, they will surely ask the million-dollar question of Do Dachshunds shed?
Well, the simple answer to this question is that with a very few exceptions of completely hairless dogs, all the dogs, whether they are short-haired or long haired, shed.
In this article, we will talk about Long Haired Dachshunds and try to know do dachshunds shed.
Dachshund Breed
If you are someone who just wants a conventional dog that you want to go under the radar with and a dog that doesn’t attract the eyes around you, then this dachshund breed isn’t for you.
Their build is so peculiar that it is almost a given that they will catch the attention of everyone who sees these dogs.
Some of their attributes are as under.
- They have a long-backed body.
- The legs are quite small
- These dogs weigh from 11 to 32 pounds.
- The coat might be smooth, wirehaired, or long haired.
Why Should You Keep a Dachshund?
These dogs are a tireless species. However, their built hinders them from performing too much strenuous physical activity, their simple power of will, and their personality that wants to win your heart overfills the gaps if there are any.
As John Keats said: “A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy Forever”
These dogs are surely a thing of beauty, and just by looking at them, you feel happy and willing to hold them and play with them.
These dogs can be excellent household dogs and can keep an eye on whatever is going around.
If you are just looking for a dog that lives with you and adds to your life’s beauty quotient, then Dachshund is a must.
Different Coats Of Dachshund
The coat is the outer layer of a dog’s skin that helps it fight against the outside environment and protects the body from enduring damage.
Their Dachshunds have three different coats, which are as under.
- Smooth coat
- Wirehaired coat
- Long Haired coat
The smooth Dachshund coat is not long or thick, but it might have long and sleek bristles towards the inner side.
The Wirehaired Dachshunds have an outer coat that is :
- Tight
- Short
- Thick
These dogs even have a coat beneath the coat, and sometimes the wirehaired Dachshunds even have eyebrows and a beard.
If one word would be used for the long haired Dachshunds, it has to be Elegant.
These long haired Dachshunds have the following qualities:
- The hair is quite long.
- The hair is wavy.
- Long hair covers almost all parts of the body.
What Is shedding and Why do dachshunds shed?
In simple words, it’s the hair loss of the dog’s coat.
The question might arise in mind why dachshunds shed; the answer to this question is that It is the process where the dog loses hair on its coat and is replaced by new hair, which is how the cycle continues.
Some breeds of dogs shed differently. Some of the dogs shed seasonally. Some of the dogs are moderate shedders, whereas there are some breeds out there that heavy shedders.
There is a misconception usually that Long Haired dogs shed more than small Haired dogs. It might not be true in all cases, however. It appears that the Long Haired dogs perhaps shed more because their hair is long and easily noticed.
However, except for a very few completely hairless dogs, all the dogs shed. The level of shedding might be different for sure, but it is a given that almost all of the dogs shed.
Do Dachshunds Shed?
As we have already discussed, there are just a very few exceptions of dogs that do not shed, and except for them, all other dogs shed.
The same is the case with Long Haired Dachshunds. These dogs also shed. It is a known fact that there are different kinds of coats in the breed of Dachshunds and all the dogs with different coats shed differently.
Let’s have a look at how differently these dogs shed.
● Smooth Dachshunds
The Smooth Dachshund’s coat is not very long or thick throughout. But they may have tough skin sleeks on some areas of their coats. Hair on these dogs grows and is shed throughout the year. There isn’t a specific season of either growth or shedding.
This means that you might see some hair falling out on the ground now and then.
● Wirehaired Dachshunds
The wirehaired Dachshunds have a double coat. The outer of which is tight, thick, and feels rough on touch. The inner coat is thin, smooth, and fine on touch. The specialty of this phenotype is that they shed seasonally.
So, at one time, you might not see a single hair falling, and at some other time, there will be a plethora of hair for you to take care of.
● Long Haired Dachshunds
The long haired Dachshunds have long wavy hair, which is widely distributed in front of the chest of your fur baby, on the ears, and under the neck as well. Depending upon the area of hair distribution, their shedding and growth cycles vary.
Long haired dachshunds do not shed a lot. This might come as a surprise for most of the readers, but this is a fact. They shed seasonally as well because the long hair needs a period to grow first and shed later on.
However, one thing must be cleared that as we know that there is actually an undercoat beneath the outer coat of Long haired dachshunds, and that undercoat sheds seasonally. The shedding comes from their undercoat most of the time.
But, the hair on the outer coat takes a while to grow, and this is why these dogs do not shed that much.
Why Do Dachshunds Shed?
Shedding is one of the most important processes of a dog’s life, and it is very important for the healthy, sustainable life of a dog.
The dog’s coat should be of a specific thickness in different seasons, and that thickness might have a direct influence on the health of the dog.
This is why Dachshunds need to shed and get rid of the weak and old hair and replace them with strong new hair that might provide them with the required protection.
The coat adds to the aesthetic quotient of the dog as well. We hope that this answers all the questions regarding do dachshunds shed.
Is your Dachshund shedding more than usual?
If you are a dog owner, you will have to deal with the hair of your furry friend because of natural hair growth and shedding cycles.
You need to know about shedding according to your dog breed. As we already discussed that long haired dachshunds shed comparatively less keeping because of seasonal variations.
Sometimes, when it just gets to your mind, you would surely ask yourself why dachshunds shed, but this is just something that you have to live with it at the end of the day.
If you notice that you are getting chunks of hair lying on your pillows, sofas, dog bed irrespective of shedding season, you might have to get your dog checked.
Some breeds of dachshunds like blues and isabella are more likely to develop color dilution alopecia. The alopecia will leave your dog’s skin with areas where a chunk of hair will be absent.
These alopecia struck areas can be harmful to your dog’s skin and overall health. Other than alopecia, there are certain factors in your dog’s body such as hormones, stress level, temperature exposure, hygiene, and most importantly, the nutrition of your dog affects the natural shedding process as well.
What factors affect the shedding of your long haired dachshunds?
Like every other trait, the mastermind controlling the shedding of your Dachshund is his genetic makeup and the type of breed he belongs to. But this does paint the complete picture; let’s take a sneak peek, what’s more than genetics behind the shedding :
- Your dog’s overall health is a key factor that will decide how long the hair follicles of your dog are going to live. If your furry friend is suffering from reduced immunity or parasite infestation, it will cause his poor health and weak immune system. All this will add up, causing the shedding of your long haired dachshunds.
- Thyroid hormone levels dictate most of the growth phases of a dog’s hair and hair follicles. If thyroid levels are abnormal in his body, his hair roots will become weaker, and she easily.
- Nutrition is an important factor like it is for every living being on earth. Healthier the nutrition, healthier will be your canine, and resultantly no excessive or prolonged shedding seasons you will have to face.
- General cleanliness and bathing of your pet will significantly affect the growth and preservation of his hair follicles. It will remove the dirt from your pet’s hair and give a presentable look, and vice versa is true to be a cause of excessive shedding.
- Just like internal changes, external or environmental conditions affect the shedding process as well. Prolonged exposure to sunlight and subsequently length of day will enhance the shedding.
How can the excessive shedding of your long haired dachshunds affect you?
Every dog breed shed, so do the long haired dachshunds, but if you have to deal with excessive shedding, you can face the following issues:
A mess of chunks of hair lying here and there could be a common scenario in your house, with an excessively shedding long haired dachshund.
You will have to clean twice or thrice to make your house look better, but the shedding will supersede your capacity to clean at the end of the day. It could be an embarrassing situation with or without a company in your place.
- Long hair can be clean, but it will look messy and dirty. So it will be a challenge for you to maintain your Dachshund’s hair care routine and make it stylish and presentable.
- Sadly, some people are allergic to dog fur; if you are one of them, it will be a challenge to escape from your allergies and shedding fur all at once. But with the care and grooming of your pet’s hair, you can create a win-win situation.
How to take care of a long haired dachshund’s coat?
After all this load of information on long hair dachshunds and their problems regarding shedding, you might be thinking that are we going to just rant about problems? Well, the answer is no.
This section discussed everything that you might need to know and do to keep your long haired Dachshund looking elegant with wonderful, appealing, and playfully light hair.
1. Brushing and Bathing
It could be hard at times to brush and bathe your Dachshund. Pets are hard to catch, especially when you are about to bathe them. So it will be easier for you if you will start the process when they are younger.
You are the master; you will have to decide the time to brush and bathe your long haired dachshunds.
Put your pet into a comfortable position and bathe them gently with dog soaps to enrich the skin with necessary nourishment.
Regarding drying, some of the groomers suggest using a hairdryer for healthy and shiny-looking hair. Spread a sheet below your pup to collect the shedding hair on it.
Choose the right brush and start Brushing the natural direction of your Dachshund’s hair to avoid creating any frizz and entanglement. Brush very gently to relax your pet for future Brushing and Bathing sessions.
If you want to create a friz, use a pin-wired brush and stroke in the opposite direction to his hair to give an adorable look to your pup.
2. Dachshunds haircut
Everyone deserves a good haircut, right? More than anything and anyone, Long Haired Dachshunds surely deserve a great haircut.
Long haired dachshunds need a low-maintenance haircut to keep their iconic slaying look. You will need to trim the lower sections of the long hair at the ears, forechest, and legs.
No systematic haircut or difficult maneuver is needed to keep your Dachshund groomed. Moreover, they have fur which needs to be trimmed regularly when it grows in fringes surrounding their feet and ears.
Trimming will help with entanglement, and there will be fewer chances of it. Their nails, paws shall be regularly checked and groomed.
This attention to detail is absolutely necessary to manage the shedding problems of long haired Dachshunds properly.
3. Stripping Dachshunds
A technique that involves the removal of hair by knife or hand is called stripping. It is used twice or thrice (not more than that) a year.
You won’t need to worry about the amount of hair left on the body of your Dachshund or coat being damaged, as stripping works on the outer layer of fur only.
It is helpful as it removes the already grown hair artificially and lets the new coat grow, so it helps to deal with shedding problems as well. You can do stripping on your own after learning it from the professional; it will increase the period between two trimming episodes.
Conclusion
Raising a pet is not a lesser responsibility than raising a child, but the former outweighs the latter most of the time, and sometimes it even challenges your health as well while taking care of it.
So, if you are someone who doesn’t really like the shedding of your dog, you can deal with the shedding problems of your long haired dachshunds by focusing on the diet, stress, and activity levels.
You can overcome it by properly bathing, brushing, grooming, and trimming fur yourself to decrease your burden of cleaning your home many times a day.
Consult your vet if you see a sudden rise in shedding pattern to get your furry friend checked for alopecia or underlying worm infestation.
All in all, if you are hypersensitive when it comes to the shedding of dogs, then the best choice you might have on your plate is Long Haired Dachshunds. If you can’t even tolerate their shedding, then the only dog you should keep is hairless.
We hope that this article has covered your questions, such as do Long Haired Dachshunds shed and why do dachshunds shed.