The Dachshund is a small dog breed traditionally used for hunting wolves and other pests. So it’s not surprising that the Dachshund loves clean water! Even though they are built to go long periods without water, Dachshunds can’t resist a good swim in the river, lake water, or even an average pool.
It is also important to note that eighty percent of Dachshunds will show interest in drinking out of water fountains at some point. So if you have a Dachshund, don’t be surprised if your dog is fascinated by the water fountain in your house and other houses as well.
Can Dachshund Swim?
Doxies are capable swimmers! Many Dachshunds can swim and do enjoy it. There are even some who like to go out surfing. But for the most part, Dachshunds are not natural swimmers, not like other breeds. With their short feet and barrel-shaped body, Dachshunds swimming have trouble keeping themselves afloat.
I am not implying that your Dachshund should not swim. Some prepared dry land over water because they are not strong swimmers. Every day you spend with your dog is another day to have a happy life and make memories. As long as you safely supervise the water, there is nothing wrong with letting your dog give swimming a shot.
Doxies like warm water, but not all like swimming
The Dachshund is a relatively large dog that can weigh up to 31 pounds. These kinds of breeds are not strong swimmers due to their body types. Their tiny legs and bodies act as obstacles, and they would feel more vulnerable than comfortable in a large body of water. Not all Dachshunds will like to swim, which is normal.
Although this breed is fully able to paddle, playing in deeper water can pose health issues. There have been cases of Dachshunds who suffered from organ failure or skin issues after swimming too much. Please pay attention to your dog for any health issues before letting them out in the water for a swim.
5 Tips To Get Your Dachshund to Swim
These are five tips that a person uses to get your Dachshund to swim.
- Train the dog to swim by throwing a toy in the water and encouraging him/her to retrieve it.
- Enroll your Dachshund in a dog training class or affiliate programs. Not only will this allow it to play with other dogs, but it will also learn the discipline and specific commands that make a dog well-rounded.
- Never leave your Dachshund alone in water if they have never been swimming before. If your dog falls beneath the surface of the water, it may panic and not know what to do to get back on the surface. You should be close by to help if the dog does slip underwater.
- Put a kiddie pool in your yard and fill it with toys and treats so your dog can swim.
- Start your dog off slowly with just a few minutes first, and then gradually work up to more extended periods.
There are many reasons to take your Dachshund swimming: for fun, to exercise, or just because it looks so darn cute! But if your Doxie isn’t used to swimming due to their body shape, it can be difficult for even the most well-behaved doxie dogs to trust and enjoy being around water.
Training The Dachshund To Swim
The Dachshund is an adorable, stubby little dog and a lot of people think it loves to swim. It hates water and doesn’t like the feel of wet fur. You can train your Dachshund to go into the water, but it’s challenging because they don’t have the proper body structure to swim.
Dachshunds are short-legged dogs with long bodies. Their spine is curved, making it hard for them to keep their head above water, and their back legs sink into the water quickly. They are also heavier than other dogs, so when they get their head above the water’s surface, they often don’t want to lift it again because of how heavy it feels on top of their neck.
How To Train Your Dachshund To Swim
It’s essential to keep these training sessions short so that your Dachshund doesn’t get tired of them. Start with a towel and let your pet get used to walking on it. Once the dog does this for twenty minutes, you will be ready to start putting it in the water.
Step 1.
Ensure you’re at a shallow puddle and have all of the supplies you need. You will need to start with a small pool, tub, or even an adult-sized bathtub. Put 1-2 inches of water in the tub so that it isn’t too deep for your Dachshund to stand-in. You should bring his dog bowl so that he can drink from it while he’s in the water.
Step 2.
Make sure you have some goodies with you and that your Dachshund is wearing a collar or harness so that you can hold him. If he likes to jump into cold water, make sure he has something warm like a sweater on top!
Step 3.
Get your Dachshund to lie down on the floor, then lift one of his legs and put it in the water. If he is wiggling to get away or scooting away from you, take that as a sign that you should take him out of the water. Try this again when he’s more comfortable and let him sniff around the tub.
Step 4.
Praise your Dachshund heavily for putting one forefoot in the water. Let your dog walk around for a few minutes, so it can get used to the feel of its paws being wet, then praise it again!
Step 5.
Try lifting a second leg into the water and let him get used to the feeling again.
Step 6.
Next, lift his whole body to stand on all fours in the water! Keep his head above water and if he starts shaking or acting nervous, take him out of the water. Please repeat this step until he gets used to it and doesn’t mind being in the water anymore!
Step 7.
Put your dog’s bowl of drinking water in the pool so that he can have access to it quickly if he needs it while you’re training him. You can also use a spray bottle full of drinking water on his nose or paws if he seems like he’s getting too anxious or overstimulated.
Step 8.
Try lifting dogs out of the water and into the water a few times each training session. It will train your dog to step on and off the towel. It can eventually step into and out of the bathtub or pool!
Try to do this every day for at least 5-10 minutes at a time for a few weeks, if you can. You will want to stay away from really deep tubs until your Dachshund is comfortable in the shallow end. If you’re not sure what is too deep, try sticking your hand in and see if it’s up to your wrist.
Always provides plenty of fresh drinking water for your Dachshund when you take a break from swimming. You can also give a food treat or a snack to help your pet be more relaxed if it feels stressed out. As long as you are holding your Dachshund with a harness and keeping an eye on him, water training should be a positive experience for your dog.
Exposing The Dachshund To Water
It is essential to expose the Dachshund to water before it is allowed near a swimming pool. That will allow the dog to become used to being wet for it not to be too scared of being in water or exposed to the idea of swimming.
The owners or instructors should hold the dogs first and then gradually let them float if they know this activity. That will help them get accustomed to being on the water. Doggies allowed to play and swim at a young age are usually more at ease around water than those, and the owners waited till it was older.
Some dogs, like dachshunds, have coats that may not dry up quickly. That means the dog might feel uncomfortable for hours after swimming, which is not suitable for your pet. Their wet coats may also pose health problems when they lick their fur afterward. As such, dachshund owners should take precautionary measures to ensure that their pets are comfortable after getting out of the pool.
Will Your Dachshund Swim?
To test whether your dog likes water, try throwing a ball or stick into a large puddle. If he goes after the object, you have the right candidate for aquatic adventure. If he stays away from water or does not appear interested, you will have to think of another way to help him play.
Dachshunds tend to shy away from water, so owners and guardians should assess whether or not they want their Dachshunds to be able to swim. Only you can make this life-altering decision for your pup.
Dachshund dogs breed dogs that are well-known as excellent swimmers for having webbed feet. What is less well-known is that they also have another condition called “hanging” or “suspensory” patellas. The patella is the knee cap of a dog, which usually moves up and down in sync with the leg’s motion as it walks. However, in dogs with hanging patellas, the knee cap will be located more towards the leg inside than it should be.
How Often Should You Bathe a Dachshund?
The answer depends on the dog’s age, size, and lifestyle. But it’s essential always to make sure that your fluffy friend is comfortable before bathing them. That usually entails observing your dog’s reaction to bath time. If they act distressed, there is a possibility that things are being taken too far.
Bathing boosts the cleanliness of your dog’s coat and skin. It also helps remove dirt that has accumulated on it throughout the day. It includes all the nooks and crannies that you might not be able to get to as often as you’d like.
How Long Should You Let Your Doxie Pup Soak?
Soaking for an average of 5 minutes is recommended (unless your dog is filthy, then they should soak for a bit longer). That should be plenty of time for dirt to loosen up and wash off.
Make sure to rinse your dog well after their bath. That will ensure that there is no soap residue left in their coat. Any residue left behind can cause skin irritation or issues with the hair follicle (if it’s not precisely rinsed out).
When and How to Bathe Your Dachshund?
How often you bathe your Dachshund depends on the dog’s size, dirt, and how oily their coat gets. If your Dachshund comes in contact with a lot of muck during the day, you can bathe them more frequently than others that stay confined inside all day long.
It’s also good to have a plan in place in case of an emergency. If you have to bathe your dog at the last minute due to having guests over for dinner, you will want to be sure they are not too dirty beforehand. That is typically only a problem with older, heavy shedders or working dogs that get dirty outside all day long.
Bathing Tips for Dachshunds (Doxies)
If you have never bathed a dachshund before, it can be a little tricky at first because they are built so strangely.
1. Be prepared for a battle. They will fight you until the end to avoid getting bathed.
2. Keep your Dachshund in a bathtub with waist-high sides to prevent her from jumping out. If the sides are too tall, she can get hurt when she falls and hits her head on the sides of the tub.
3. Wrap your dog in a large bath towel or blanket so you can have a “handle” on her during the whole ordeal.
4. Thoroughly wet your dog all over, including her head, but avoiding getting water in her ears and eyes.
5. Apply doxie-safe shampoo and use a dog wash mitt (see below for which product we recommend). Work the lather in vigorously, but avoid getting water in her eyes and ears. Rinse completely. More on why avoiding getting shampoo in her eyes and ears is important later.
6. Use a hairdryer with a “cool” or setting to dry her off as best you can, working from the inside out, in case she’s still excited from the bath experience.
7. On your way to the sink, stop and pick up a doggie dryer. It will spare you loads of time and hassle because it contains an attachment that will eliminate any water that your hairdryer missed. You can buy it both in pet stores and online.
8. Work quickly and carefully to dry the rest of her body before she has the chance to shake off excess water when she steps out of the tub.
9. Use a blow dryer to finish drying her if she is still too damp or squeaky clean from the shampoo for your tastes (i.e., doesn’t smell like a dog).
Water Safety Tips For Dachshunds
Dachshunds may look cute and dainty, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe around water. They can’t swim well, and many don’t like it. And even those who have the skills might not be able to save themselves if they fall into the water.
1. Never leave your Dachshund unattended around water, and supervise any time you’re with them near a pool, lake, or other suspected water source.
2. If they’re in the backyard, keep them in a safe, gated area.
3. Always carry an emergency leash with you when you walk your Dachshund on a leash so you can quickly grab him if he falls in the water.
4. Don’t force your Dachshund to get into the water, but do encourage him to play in puddles if he seems interested. He might like to find things underwater that he’ll be rewarded for bringing back up.
5. Don’t force your Dachshund to swim, and don’t let him wear a life jacket or any other type of flotation device. If he falls in, the chances of him being able to rescue himself are slim.
6. Make sure the pool is fenced in so your Dachshund can’t climb over it. Even if your dog doesn’t know how to swim, instincts will guide it away from a pool if it finds itself near the edge.
7. Don’t put a Dachshund who knows how to swim in water that’s too deep for him.
8. You should not let your Dachshund dive into the water from a higher point, e.g., from a dock or rock.
9. Use a life jacket for your Dachshund when you take him on a boat. It will protect him if he falls in the water. It will also provide him with flotation if he has trouble staying afloat and can’t use his legs to swim.
10. If you suspect that your Dachshund can’t swim well or doesn’t like the water, don’t let him run freely around the beach or near any other body of water that he might be tempted to jump into — even if it’s shallow.
Doxie Tips You NEED to Know
1. Dachshunds are excellent swimmers, coming from a long ancestry of swimmers. The German Dachshund is said to have been bred while herding Muskrat (a type of water rodent) into traps.
2. Dachshunds like to swim as its instinctive behavior from their ancestors, but they can’t swim for very long without tiring.
3. Most Doxie owners insist on buying life vests for their dogs so that it stays afloat and doesn’t drown.
4. You can teach your Doxie how to swim though it will not be able to swim for extended periods (unless you own a particularly athletic dog).
5. Most Dachshunds do not know how to swim when they’re puppies. But
6. If you raise your Dachshund with water from a puppy, then it will be comfortable swimming in the water as it grows.
7. You cannot teach an older dog to swim, but you may still want to get a life vest just in case.
8. Starting your Doxie to the water under supervision and gradually allowing it to become more comfortable with deeper water pools is the best way to introduce it to water. Never push or force your dog into deep water.
9. In addition to teaching your Dachshund how to swim under supervision, you also need
10. Since Dachshunds can’t swim for long periods, you should limit your swimming lessons to 10 minutes at a time, so it does not become fatigued.
11. Signs that your Dachshund is becoming tired are: · Its “breast” or “belly” becomes horizontal rather than facing up · They begin to take on water and dip down · They begin shaking uncontrollably
12. Once your dog shows these signs, you should immediately bring it back to shore.
13. You will also have to train your doxie to get back into the boat after its swim, just like an infant-toddler.
14. Most owners teach their doxies to jump into the boat, then they reach down to pick them up.
15. It’s also crucial to know how to handle your dog after the swim since it will be wet and may shake wildly for a while.
16. Your Dachshund should be thoroughly dried after the swim is over so that it won’t catch a cold or become sick from all the water on its fur.
17. Make sure that you’re always with your Dachshund when you go swimming with it so that you can ensure its safety!
18. You might want to invest in a life jacket for your Dachshund just in case it falls into deep shallow water.
19. Most Dachshunds are not fond of water because of their history as burrowers. But if your Doxie takes to the water, then you should encourage it to swim as much as possible!
20. One of the most reliable ways to have your Doxie safe and sound is by investing in life jackets for them (if you don’t have one already).
Summary:
The Dachshunds
The Dachshund is a long-haired breed of dog developed to hunt badgers and have a distinctive sausage body shape, short legs, and compact, stubby tails. Dachshunds have four different coat types: Wirehaired, Smooth Haired, Longhaired, and Wirehaired Longhaired. Dachshunds have double coats that are both attractive and protective. Although all the colored Dachshunds share the same temperament and basic care requirements, each color has its specific personality traits.
Do they like water?
The short answer is yes. Dachshunds enjoy water and love to be around, and It doesn’t have to be a pool or lake. Just a bathtub will do. Some Dachshund breeds have short coats and can tolerate being sprayed with water from a garden hose or in the tub. They’re not the best swimmers, but you should let them in the water anyway.
