Dachshunds are good-natured, adorable canines that shed a lot. They have a double coat that needs to be combed and brushed out every day to avoid tangles and matting. While they do not scrap as much as other breeds, they are still good at shedding.
Dachshunds are often assumed to be one of the other dog breeds prone to shed, but that is not always the case. The truth is that Dachshunds do shed, but they have silky fur that falls out instead of getting rid of hair via the usual ‘shedding’ process.
How To Reduce Shedding
Many people find that their wire-haired Dachshunds shed a lot, particularly in the changing seasons. If your Dachshund sheds excessively, you’ll be delighted to learn that there are several simple steps you can exert to prevent hair on your sofa!
Brushing is the most reliable way to reduce shedding. Many Dachshunds love being stroked because it gives them time alone with their owners, which they thoroughly enjoy. Brushing removes dead hair and stimulates body oils that help strengthen and condition the hair, making it less likely to fall out.
Brush your Dachshund regularly
If your Dachshund is shedding a lot, make sure you brush him regularly and regularly cut his nails. Both these things help reduce the amount of hair that the Dachshund sheds. If you are nervous about trimming your Dachshund’s nails, then perhaps it would be better to visit a professional groomer who will give him a thorough grooming session and will also be able to groom his nails.
The best way to reduce shedding from your Dachshund is by brushing him daily, regularly grooming him, and cutting his nails to avoid them getting too long. It might be an offer for you to make grooming part of your Dachshund’s routine so that he gets used to it and enjoys it because as soon as your Dachshund starts enjoying being groomed, then that is another way for you to reduce shedding.
It would be best if you bought a de-shedding tool designed for long-haired dogs to use on your Dachshund’s coat at least once or twice a week. That will help remove loose hairs and lessen the amount of shedding in your dog’s skin.
Dachshund Shedding Facts
Dachshunds are famous for their long, thick coats and shedding. It’s the sheer size of a Dachshund’s skin that makes them one of the most shedding dog breeds. Dachshunds will shed year-round and lose their undercoat.
They have two significant shedding periods each year in the spring and fall when they shed the outer layer of fur, alternating between light and heavy shedding depending on the temperature.
When it comes to grooming a Dachshund, you’ll spend more time brushing out dead hair than you will style their coat! If you’re interested in taking care of a long-haired dog, this is probably not the breed for you.
Two Types Of Shedding
- Seasonal shedding occurs when your dog’s coat is coming out in the spring and again in the fall. This shedding is due to changes in light and temperature.
- Constant shedding occurs when there is excessive fur falling out of your Dachshund’s coat with no seasonal pattern. Constant shedding may be caused by a medical condition, which means that you need to take your dog for a checkup as soon as possible.
Dachshunds shed hair all year round, but the amount of shedding varies throughout the year. You will find that Dachshunds lose lots of hair during the summer months because they try to shed their thicker winter coats. Between October and January, breeding usually occurs, and your Dachshund will be in heat for a few weeks. During this time, she will also shed a lot of hair. Shedding slows down in February and March as the weather starts getting warmer and the days start getting longer.
How Much Can Dachshunds Shed?
A dachshund is a wiener dog that historically developed to flush badgers out of their dens. This breed has a long body with short legs and is often seen with a brushy tail. This breed of dog is a curious one and will always find something to investigate, but the Dachshund has another feature that is just as well known as its curiosity: its ability to shed. Dachshunds have two layers of hair, a long-haired topcoat, and an undercoat. The undercoat grows thicker in colder weather, keeping the dog warm. This undercoat sheds from time to time, and the amount that it sheds can depend on the conditions of temperature that the Dachshund is experiencing.
In warmer weather, the long-haired dachshunds shed less because it does not need to release heat by shedding its coat in cold climates. Dachshunds with long, single-layered skin may show signs of shedding twice a year, while dachshunds with a double-layered coat will shed their undercoat seasonally. Dachshunds will shed their undercoat throughout the year, so even in warmer temperatures, they can still shed. The best way to keep a dachshund’s coat healthy and reduce shedding is to brush the dog daily when shedding and shaving the hair on those areas most prone to matting during times of non-shedding.
Is your Dachshund shedding excessively?
Excessively shedding can sign allergies, stress, or the onset of another medical condition. When your dog sheds too much, consider taking it to the vet. If your Dachshund isn’t shedding excessively, you can cut back on the amount of shedding your dog does by feeding him a healthy diet and grooming him regularly.
What are some causes of excessive dachshund shedding?
Sometimes the cause of excessive Doxie shedding is as simple as an allergy. Sometimes it may indicate there’s something else wrong with your pet.
- Dachshund allergies: Like other dogs with allergies, if your Dachshund is itchy and uncomfortable, he could be causing a lot of hair loss. If your dog sheds a lot due to allergies, you should talk to your veterinarian about this. Your vet will devise a treatment plan to help slow hair loss.
- Hypothyroidism in Dachsunds: This is a big problem if left untreated. It makes the coat dull and comes from an underactive thyroid gland. This gland produces the T-4 hormone. Hypothyroidism can stem from an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its cells mistakenly. Dogs with hypothyroidism often have thick, dry coats and a lack of energy. They may also become overweight because their metabolism slows down. To diagnose this, your vet will need to conduct a physical examination, provide your dog with a blood test, and perhaps prescribe medication.
- Dachshunds in stressful situations: If your Doxie is going through a stressful situation—like being away from the house or being introduced to new people—he could be excessively shedding. You can help reduce stress levels by regularly spending time with your dog and ensuring that he is comfortable around strangers.
- Dachshund hair loss in pregnancy: This is a common occurrence in many dog breeds, including the Dachshund. During the first three weeks of pregnancy, some female dogs will completely shed the hair on their backs. It’s normal for them to grow their hair back after being shaved.
How does shedding happen?
A dog’s coat comprises two layers: the undercoat and the outercoat. The actual shedding occurs when the undercoat, made up of short, soft hairs, sheds out. It happens each year as part of the dog’s shed cycle. During this time, the outer strand, also called guard hair or topcoat, remains on your dog. When it is time to shed, the outer coat is shed in favor of a new undercoat, and new outercoat growth begins.
Do Doxies Shed?
Doxies are typically soft-coated; they don’t shed much. However, some Doxies have rough coats that may require regular grooming.
It is not necessary to brush a Doxie’s coat. However, it is recommended that you regularly comb your dog with a flea comb to help remove fleas and prevent the spread of flea eggs.
Do Weiner Dogs Shed: What can you do about it?
The answer is yes. If you have been considering adding a Dachshund or any other breed of dog to your family, make sure to follow these tips in mind to prevent Dachshund from shedding:
Get your dog a good brush
Brushing your Dachshund can help remove dead hairs and distribute oils from the skin needed for healthy hair growth. Among the several types of brushes on the market, a pin brush or curry comb is the easiest to use. Dachshunds have very thick coats, so using a slicker brush or de-shedding tool is not recommended since it will only pull out more hair.
Diet
Diet is another factor that plays into how much a dachshund sheds. A low diet may cause that fur to fall off your dog’s body faster than usual. Ensure your Dachshund eats a well-balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables to ensure healthy hair growth. Good food should also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for producing vitamins and oils in the coat to keep it shiny. If you have an older dog, try adding some supplements to the diet like fish oil or flaxseed oil. That will help with any dry skin or coat problems present with older dogs.
Grooming kit
Grooming kits are another thing you can purchase if you want to keep your dog from shedding too much. They typically include a good brush and some comb to help remove loose fur.
Shampoo
Using different shampoos will help keep your Dachshund from shedding. Dachshunds tend to have dry skin, so a shampoo that helps hydrate the coat will make your dog’s hair fall less. Some people have found great results with baby shampoos for this, but you may want to try a few various types before finding one that works for your dog.
Shaving
Some people have tried shaving their Dachshund with mixed results. Some dogs get used to it pretty quickly after they get used to having loose fur all over the area all of a sudden. Others are more uncomfortable with it and may not look or feel great. If you try shaving your Dachshund, be prepared for some shedding at first until the dog gets used to it.
Heating Undercoat Removers Bowl
You can use this bowl before shaving your dog to help pull out more hair. Soak the bowl in hot water and then place it on top of a wire grate. Put your Dachshund into the bowl and loosely cover your dog with a towel so it can get used to it.
The heat will help loosen up any undercoat present, making it easier to remove when you shave your dog later on. The bowl is also helpful if you plan to bathe your dog simultaneously.
Coconut oil
Another option is to rub coconut oil into your dog’s coat after brushing him. Coconut oil is a natural anti-itch and anti-bacterial agent, so it may help reduce itching for your Dachshund, which could mean less hair loss. If the coconut oil works as well for your dog as it does for humans, it could be just what both of you need.
Exercise
Exercise has been shown to help lessen shedding in some cases. That’s because if your dog is shedding more than expected, it could be because of overweight. An excellent regular exercise program could improve its health and reduce hair loss.
Brushing
Brushing your Dachshund can help keep him from shedding too much. If you are very particular about how short you like to see your dog’s hair, stroking maybe even more essential for you. You can purchase a brush explicitly made for long-haired dogs or try out a pin brush or a de-shedding tool if you don’t want to buy something specifically for this purpose.
Bathing
If you are looking to minimize how much hair your Dachshund sheds, you should consider bathing him more frequently. Regular baths can assist with good grooming and help keep the coat shiny. Bath your dog once a week, even if it doesn’t appear that he needs one. The longer fur can work against you if it has too much dirt or grease on it. If you wait too long between baths, the oil or dirt will build-up, and the shedding will worsen after he gets clean.
High-Stress levels & Dachshund excessive shedding
Dachshund’s excessive shedding is not only caused by high-stress levels but sometimes it may be caused by the way you brush your Dachshund. If you brush too hard, it may cause baldness at the base of your Dachshund’s hair. When you brush too hard, you pull the hair out by the root. To avoid excessive Dachshund shedding caused by brushing too hard, I recommend that you use a rubber brush or a shedding rake. The rubber brush will get rid of your dog’s undercoat, and the shedding rake will remove loose hair that sticks to your dog and then falls off as they shake their body.
My Dachshund sheds too much because of an imbalanced diet.
Long-haired Dachshunds shed a lot because of their diet. Dachshunds experience frequent hair loss and shedding due to their lack of thick fur, which protects them from cold and wetness. Do you know that food can cause dachshunds to shed more than usual? Here’s how:
- Dry dog food – There are many reasons why dry dog food is bad for your Dachshund’s health, and they all boil down to one thing – it lacks the essential proteins that your Dachshund would get from eating fresh foods or raw homemade dog food. Dry dog food is prepared using low-quality ingredients that contain too many carbohydrates and fats.
- Dry dog treats – Dachshunds love and beg for treats. They would do anything to get one. These cute little dogs were bred to hunt badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals for two reasons – they are small enough to fit into small spaces, and they have an insatiable appetite. Dachshunds love treats. Treats are an excellent way to manage your Dachshund’s weight loss program. Still, you should be careful because he becomes obese and becomes susceptible to diabetes mellitus, arthritis, and other health problems if you give too much.
- Dry dog biscuits: Like with dry dog food, dry dog biscuits are not suitable for your Dachshund’s health. Just like with dry dog food, the problem lies in carbs. The main ingredients of dry dog biscuits are wheat flour and cornmeal. Just as with any high carbohydrate food, it can cause your Dachshund to become obese because it can’t digest them properly.
Infection by mites, fleas, or lice can also lead to a dog losing its hair.
A dog can lose its hair if its mites, fleas, or lice infect it. If your pet seems to be losing too much hair and the skin doesn’t look normal, call a veterinarian. Mites cause constant hair loss, especially around the tail and hind end. Fleas and lice cause intermittent hair loss, especially at the hair’s base. It can take a while to tell if your dog has fleas – it can be covered with them for months before you notice. If your dog is losing hair from bacterial skin infections or mange, it will generally lick or bite at its paws, legs, belly, or other areas of skin that have lost hair.
Medications for abnormal shedding
Several medications can help with excessive shedding.
- Selenium-based shampoo – this shampoo contains selenium sulfide, which binds to the sebum and hair shaft plugs, and causes them to detach from the underlying skin and shed out in your dog’s hair coat. Some of the common brand names of Selenium-based shampoos are Selsun Blue, Head & Shoulders Pet, Dog-Shampoo with selenium sulfide, Pet MD with selenium sulfide, Selsun Blue Rapid Action Shampoo for Dogs and Puppies (with selenium sulfide), and Pet Head Medicated Anti-Dandruff Shampoo (with coal tar).
- Coal tar is another medication that has been used for a long time to help reduce dander production. Not all dogs respond to it, but it is worth trying.
- Cleaning your pet bedding regularly – Many pet owners find bedding such as pillows, blankets, or comforters that they use for their dogs are covered in shedding hair by the following day. Although this hair is annoying to owners, it usually does not cause any problems for dogs if it becomes part of their regular grooming routine.
Maintenance And Supplements for a dachshund to avoid abnormal shedding
You can also do for your pet when experiencing excessive shedding to supplement it. Many supplements on the market can help reduce shedding in dogs. Some of these supplements for your dog include the following:-
- Tardiflora: This is a natural supplement that you feed to your dog to decrease shedding. It gives essential fatty acids, which aid in skin and coat production.
- Lysine: Lysine is an amino acid that helps form collagen and keratin. Proteins like collagen and keratin protect your pet’s cartilage, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Keratin also protects their hair during times of stress and abrasion.
- Antioxidant– These supplements help avert cellular damage in our pets, such as destroying cells like hair and skin. These supplements are essential for the repair of healthy skin and hair.
- Probiotics: Probiotics are found in certain foods such as yogurt, and they help reduce shedding by boosting your pet’s immune system to fight off any foreign invaders.
- Zinc: Zinc helps with cell division which helps to grow new cells. It is essential for growing healthy hair, skin, and nails in animals.
How do you achieve this? There are several important rules:
1. Never let your dog loose in the living room. That’s something you shouldn’t even consider for a stressed short-haired dog (like the Dachshund) or an active, long-haired one (like the Husky). If possible, only take your excitable, funny, intelligent, friendly but messy dog out when it is on a leash. Controlling your Dachshund and regularly picking up his hairs will ensure that you spend more time with him and have less work to do at home.
2. Regularly clean your Dachshund’s fur. That is the most obvious rule, but it is nevertheless one of the most important. A clean dog without hair clogged in its pores won’t shed as much and will be less likely to leave something behind on your floor. However, do not forget that not all Dachshunds like to have their fur combed or bathed.
3. Always have a good vacuum cleaner. The Dachshund’s coat is long and smooth, and its fur can get everywhere – on the carpets, furniture, upholstery, etc. If you are using a cheap vacuum cleaner with low suction power, you cannot expect that it will thoroughly suck up every hair after each walk.
4. Get a dog brush. You can use it on the whole body, not just the coat’s insides. It will help get rid of loose hair. It is vital in this way to care for your Dachshund’s undercoat along the back, as that’s where 90% of loose hairs are hiding.
5. Put down carpets or rugs. If there are still some particularly persistent hairs left on the floor, think about putting down carpets or rugs (or buying them). If they are made from natural materials (wool, sisal, jute), they will absorb some of the remaining dog hairs and leave your home looking neat and tidy.
6. Brush your dog regularly. If you don’t do it yourself, find a friend who loves dogs to do it for you. Regular brushing is the best and cheapest way to ensure that loose hairs are removed from your dog’s body and its coat stays in good condition.
7. Don’t forget about the hair on your Dachshund’s paws. Before going into your house, take a few minutes to cut the hair on your dog’s paws – that will make it much easier to remove.
8. Take care of your Dachshund’s paws. Do not neglect their well-being: if you don’t see any damage or signs of inflammation, do not stick any ointments or salves onto them (that makes them unpleasantly sticky and smells bad). If necessary, treat them with a few drops of lavender oil – that will do the trick.
Nourish your Dachshund! They need a lot of food and care. The best way to show them you love them is by feeding them. Dachshunds are prone to weight problems because they eat a lot and burn off the calories quickly. Ensure that you provide them with smaller portions of food and more frequently throughout the day to prevent them from gaining weight. They will be less likely to overeat if they eat smaller meals throughout the day. As for playing with your dogs, you didn’t know that dachshunds love to play!
Are miniature Dachshunds Hypoallergenic?
Usually, miniature Dachshund shedding is considered to be hypoallergenic. However, the word “hypoallergenic” implies a level of effectiveness beyond what is possible in reality.
The word “hypoallergenic” is a blatant misuse of terminology. Dachshunds do not shed less than other dogs. They shed the same amount. It is just that their fur is so short, it does not seem like much. The word “hypoallergenic” was invented for marketing purposes by the mattress industry to describe products like memory foam and silk that supposedly reduce allergic reactions in humans. Both human and dog dander are so tiny. Only an allergist can see them under a microscope.
Are Dachshunds Hypoallergenic?
No. Dachshunds are dogs, and all dog hair will cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to pet dander and dog hair. However, since they do not shed much, long-haired dachshunds often pose fewer problems for allergy sufferers than other breeds.
The Miniature Short-haired Dachshund is considered (by some) the most hypoallergenic of the three varieties of dachshunds. The reason is that they are the least recognizable as dachshunds, and therefore elicit fewer allergic reactions.
Here is a breakdown of the hair thicknesses and shedding levels of the three coat varieties:
- The Short-haired Dachshund coat is the thinnest. It sheds lesser than the Wirehaired and works up into fewer tangles, partly because it rarely mats.
- Long-haired Dachshunds have a medium-thick coat that usually does not mat, with occasional shedding. They are groomed several times a year to keep them mat-free.
- Wire-haired Dachshunds have the thickest coat of dachshunds, a medium-length undercoat with longer overcoat hairs that work into tangles quickly.
The average Dachshund will shed about 8 pounds of hair per year. Long-haired Dachshunds will shed much more, up to 18 pounds per year.
