Breed Dachshunds

Dachshunds are smaller-sized dogs who have long bodies and short legs, often referred to as wiener dogs! They were originally bred as hunting dogs who were small enough to go into fox or badger dens and chase the animal out. Breeding dachshunds, like breeding any type of dog, requires a long-term commitment and a dedication to the improvement of the breed. Breeding, in general, should not be done simply for fun and/or profit. If you love dogs, specifically the dachshund breed, and if you have the financial resources to take care of multiple dogs with potentially high medical costs, and you have the time to ensure the best possible homes for each puppy, you may be in a good place to begin dachshund breeding.

Steps

Preparing Yourself to be a Breeder

1. Talk to current dachshund breeders. Reputable breeders, of any kind, will be more than willing to talk about the ups and downs of breeding. Find at least a couple dachshund breeders in your geographic area and speak to them directly about the benefits and concerns they’ve had breeding dachshunds.
   • Note that this “geographic area” may be quite large since it is unusual for there to be multiple breeders of the same dog breed within a small area.
   • Ask breeders about the market for dachshund puppies in your general area.
   • The best case scenario would be to obtain a good mentor who can help guide you through the process for months or years. Keep in mind that this mentor doesn’t have to live close to you.
2. Conduct research about the breed and breeding. Spend the time researching everything you can find out about the breed itself, including heath issues, and everything you can find out about dog breeding in general. Take your time reviewing the specific breed characteristics of the dachshund.
   • Ask the breeders you speak with to recommend one or more books that might be good for your research. Also check out the books available on the American Kennel Club’s website for some good options.
   • Review the websites of other dachshund breeders and ask questions if you have any.
   • Review the websites of dog associations and kennel clubs.
   • Dachshunds are unfortunately known to have spine problems due to the length of their bodies. Jumping onto furniture or into the car can cause shock of the disks in their vertebrae. And when carrying a dachshund, it’s important to lift both their front and their back end so their spine isn’t stressed.
3. Join the Dachshund Club of America. The Dachshund Club of America is the national club for the dachshund breed. Membership is available to people who are serious about the dachshund breed and are in good standing with the American Kennel Club (AKC).
   • If you have never owned a dachshund before, or if you have not previously been a member of the AKC, you’ll need to do these things first.
   • The Club’s website has a lot of great resources to help you better understand everything you ever wanted to know about dachshunds.
4. Attend dog shows. Attending dog shows is a great way to gain a better understanding of the breeding business. You can also watch competitions between dachshunds to get a better understanding of the standards and characteristics judges look for in the breed for competition purposes.
   • Dog shows are a great place to network. You’ll not only meet other breeders, but trainers and owners and other folks in the business who may be able to provide you with good advice.
   • Dogs shows are also a great place to hear the gossip. You’ll learn who is big in the business and who isn’t; what things are appreciated by the industry, and what things are avoided.
5. Document your personal breeding standards and goals. Breeding dogs isn’t only about multiplying the number of dogs in existence, and then getting those dogs sold to the highest bidder. Breeding dogs is about earning a good reputation for producing healthy and problem-free dogs. In order to ensure you’re in it for the right reasons, document your own personal breeding goals and what standards you’ll aim for and/or improve upon.
   • These goals and standards should become your personal breeding philosophy. This philosophy should be something you look back on every time you have to make a decision to ensure that decision will meet your overall goals and build your long-term reputation.
6. Develop a budget and cost estimates. Breeding dogs is an expensive endeavour. There is no guarantee that every litter will be healthy enough to sell for a profit. And there’s no way to predict when severe health problems may occur that will cost you thousands of dollars in veterinarian bills. Therefore, part of your research should be into the costs you will need to cover for a breeding operation.
   • Ask other breeders about the costs they’ve invested in their business and any advice they have on where costs can be saved, if possible.
   • Make sure you determine your start-up costs as well as your ongoing costs. You may need to accumulate a significant amount of money to start your breeding operation, and you may find it could take years to make back those costs in profits (if ever).
   • Don’t start a breeding business until you’re sure you can cover all potential costs.
   • Understand that being a dachshund breeder is a full-time job and you need to take into account where your income will come from outside of your kennel business.
7. Research dachshund bloodlines. When the time comes, learn everything you can about the bloodlines of the dachshunds you plan to purchase for breeding purposes. Speak to the kennels, breeders, and owners of the dachshund bloodlines you're considering. Ask to personally see other members of the bloodline and ask about their awards, etc.
   • To be a successful breeder, you need to know everything about every dog in the bloodline for four generations.
   • Note that pedigrees only confirm that the specific dog has been registered with the American Kennel Club. A pedigree doesn’t have anything to do with quality or standards.

Operating Your Breeding Kennel

1. Understand the zoning bylaws for the location of your kennel. Most municipal zoning bylaws have limits as to how many dogs or cats are allowed on the premises at one time. If you are operating an official breeding kennel, you won’t be able to bend those rules. Make sure you conduct research within your municipal or city government to ensure you are allowed to have a breeding kennel on your property, and/or what other permits or licenses you require.
2. Make arrangements with a veterinarian. Dachshund breeders will have special veterinarian requirements that other dog owners will not have. You may need to conduct research within your area in order to find a vet who is not only experienced with dog breeding operations, but possibly even experienced with the dachshund breed.
   • You may want to meet with your vet before you start your kennel, as they may also be able to give you some good advice.
3. Purchase a show-quality female dachshund. The first and most important dachshund you’ll need to obtain is a female of absolute top quality. This female should be of a quality that could be put in a show, or has already been in and won a show. It is likely that to purchase this female, you will need to spend a significant amount of money.
   • Note that a female dog being bred is called a “dam” or “bitch.” A male dog being bred is called a “sire” or “dog.”
4. Arrange for an intact male dachshund to be bred with your female. There are many ways you can breed your female dachshund. You can purchase an intact male who is also of high-quality to be bred with the female you purchased. Or, you can arrange to a stud contract with another breeder. Regardless of which method you choose, select a male dachshund that complements your female dachshund.
   • Two important factors to consider when picking both male and female dachshunds are: temperament and health. Both factors are mainly genetic, so the temperament and health of the parents will predict the temperament and health of the puppies.
   • A stud contract is a deal made with a breeder who has an intact male dachshund who is ready to be bred. You and the other breeder make a deal as to when and where the two dogs will get together to be bred, and arrange for payment either in cash and/or in kind (e.g. puppies).
   • Female dogs are usually brought to where the male dog is located for breeding. As a breeder with a female dachshund, this could be an added expense you will need to consider.
5. Perform health checks on your female dachshund before breeding. Both the male and female dachshund need to be in excellent physical and mental health before being bred. This means that they should both have regular vet check-ups, blood tests, exercise, and excellent nutrition. Approximately one month before you plan to breed your female, you should take her for a complete vet exam.
   • During the exam, your vet should make sure your female dachshund has all her vaccines up-to-date. Your female dachshund should also be checked for parasites and treated for those parasites if they’re present.
6. Know when your female dachshund is ready to be bred. Female dogs experience something called estrus, also known as being in heat, when they are ready to reproduce. Dogs can be ready to reproduce as early as six months of age, and they normally have two estrus cycles every year. However, it is very unusual to breed a female dog on her first estrus. It is also unusual to breed a female dog during consecutive estruses.
   • A typical six month cycle includes proestrus (which last 4 to 9 days), estrus (which lasts 4 to 13 days), and metestrus and anestrus (which together last the rest of the six months).
   • For estimating purposes, your female dachshund will probably be in season for 21 days — 7 days to come into heat, 7 days actually in heat, and another 7 days going out of heat.
   • Conception should happen within the “in heat” or “estrus” period of the cycle. But to be safe, the female should be considered ready for the full 21 days (or 3 weeks) she's in season.
   • Note that the American Kennel Club (AKC) will not allow puppies to be registered if the female dog is less than 8 months old or more than 12 years old. Or if the male dog is less than 7 months old or more than 12 years old.
7. Take the pregnant dachshund to the vet for a check-up. Within two weeks of her getting pregnant, a dachshund will start to develop larger nipples. When this is noticed, she should be taken to the vet for a check-up. At this time, the vet will be able to confirm that she is pregnant and make sure she’s healthy.
   • During this first check-up, discuss with your vet an exam schedule for your female dachshund for the rest of her pregnancy.
8. Feed your pregnant dachshund more food. A dachshund’s pregnancy will last (on average) between 63 to 65 days (or about 9 weeks). Around the 6th week of pregnancy, pregnant dachshunds should start being fed 50% more food than normal.
   • A pregnant dachshund’s nutrition needs to be balanced throughout her pregnancy. In order to ensure the best possible nutrition, develop a diet for your pregnant dachshund with your veterinarian.
   • Note that some dogs won’t start to look like they’re pregnant until the last week of pregnancy.
9. Care for your female dachshund while she’s in labour. Approximately 24 hours before the puppies are born, the pregnant dachshund may lose an interest in food. Eventually she’ll have contractions 30 minutes apart and she’ll push out a ‘water sac’ that’s filled with clear liquid. Once this sac has come out, puppies should be born within an hour.
   • Once your dachshund goes into labour, let your vet know.
   • The first puppy will always be the hardest for her to push out. Don’t panic if she’s pushing hard and moaning a little.
   • If the first puppy isn’t born within an hour of the sac coming out, ask your vet for advice on next steps. Your vet may recommend bringing the dog into the clinic for a c-section.
   • Female dachshunds, like most other animals, instinctively know what to do when their young are born. Most of the time, you’ll be able to let her take care of things. If, however, she doesn’t clean off a newly born puppy fairly quickly (within a few seconds), you’ll need to do this for her so the puppy can breathe.
   • If you need to cut the umbilical cord, cut it 1 inch (or 2.5 cm) from the puppy. Use a sharp and clean pair of scissors to make the cut, preferably medical scissors if you have them.
   • Female dachshunds don’t have to eat the afterbirth of each puppy, so you can remove and discard that when needed.
   • It is not unusual for anywhere between minutes and hours to pass before another puppy is born. As long as the female dachshund isn’t in distress, there’s no need to worry.
   • Make sure the dachshund has both food and water available throughout labour so she doesn’t have to go far to reenergize.
   • Record the time each puppy is born, and try to weigh each puppy immediately after birth and record the weight as well.
10. Register your puppies with the American Kennel Club (AKC). Once the puppies are born, you can register the litter with the AKC. The AKC offers online registration via their website, or you can submit a paper application via mail. Once registered, you will receive a litter kit from the AKC shortly thereafter.
    • As a breeder, it is vital that you register your puppies with the AKC. This registration demonstrates you are a responsible and caring breeder.

Taking Care of Your Dogs and Puppies

1. Wean the puppies from the mother. Puppies will normally start to be weaned from their mother’s milk around 2 to 4 weeks of age. It is best to develop a weaning plan with your veterinarian, especially if this is one of your first litters. In general, puppies are normally given puppy formula, sometimes mixed with puppy food or rice cereal, to get them interested in something other than feeding from their mother. The amount and type of puppy food given is slowly increased over time until they’re no longer feeding from mom.
   • The weaning process needs to be slow in order to ensure the puppies don’t experience any stomach upset or digestive problems.
2. Advertise your puppies for sale. Chances are you will not be able to sell the majority of your puppies in your local area. The market for pure-bred dogs of any one kind will be limited in most areas, which means you’ll have to look for buyers from across the country, and possibly even in other countries.
   • In order for people to know you have one or more puppies for sale, you’ll need to actively advertise in such a way as to cover a large area.
   • In addition to advertising widely, you’ll also need to be prepared to go through the process of finding the best home for your puppies while you’re at a distance. This might mean lots of long-distance phone bills or even going to visit potential buyers.
   • One of the best ways to advertise near and far is to create and maintain a good website. Unless you’re very experienced as website maintenance, you may need to hire someone to create and maintain the website for you.
3. Screen potential buyers for your puppies. A responsible breeder does not just sell a puppy to a new owner because the owner has the money to buy the puppy. A responsible breeder will make sure the new owner is aware of all the pros and cons of owning a dachshund and is prepared for the long-term responsibility of a dog. The screening process should consist of an interview with the owners, a possible home visit, and reference checks. Some potential screening questions may include:
   • Why do you want a dog? Why do you want a dachshund?
   • Who will hold the primary responsibility for the dog? What type of experience does this person have with dogs?
   • How much time to you plan to spend with the dog? How much training (and what type of training) do you plan to give the dog? How often do you plan to exercise the dog?
   • Does the home have children or other pets? Will the children be participating in the care of the dog?
   • Do you understand the financial responsibilities associated with dog ownership? Are you comfortable being able to commit the financial resources needed?
   • Will you promise to call me (the breeder) immediately if you have any questions or concerns, especially if you are considering removing the dog from your household?
4. Be prepared to remove certain dogs from your breeding stock. Your breeding stock are the dachshunds who display excellent qualities and meet the breed standards that you will continue to breed. Ideally, this stock should not consist of any dachshunds that are below the standards or have problems or issues. When you identify a dachshund in your stock that has a problem or an issue, you need to be prepared to remove it from the breeding stock.
   • This usually means you’ll have the specific dachshund spayed or neutered so it cannot reproduce.
   • You may decide to keep the spayed or neutered dachshund as a pet, or you may decide to sell it to someone who isn’t concerned about breed standards and who does not want to breed dogs.
5. Allow only top-quality puppies to be breeders. Most breeders have very strict rules about which of their puppies can be bred in the future, and which puppies must be spayed or neutered when adopted. These rules are in place to help ensure the continuing quality of the breed. If you sell any puppies that are not good enough to be considered breeders, make sure you have a contract with the new owners that specifically states the dog must be spayed or neutered within a certain period of time.
   • Ideally, you could get the puppy spayed or neutered before you sell it, but this may add to your personal expenses.
   • Alternatively, you should also have contracts for owners who purchase breeding puppies to ensure they follow your rules with regards to when and if the puppy can be bred. For example, if the puppy becomes unhealthy or develops an issue as it ages, the contract should forbid the dog from being used for breeding.
6. Keep track of your puppies. Every puppy you produce through your breeding operation should be kept track of in the long run. This is especially important if any of those puppies eventually become show dogs. Being able to say that you had one or more offspring win certain awards and shows will help with your reputation as a quality breeder.
   • You can even make it part of the adoption contract that the new owners must provide updates every so often so you can keep track of what each dog is doing or has done.
7. Participate in dachshund rescue organizations. You don’t need to run a rescue yourself, although that is certainly not out of the realm of possibilities. At the very least, you should be involved with dachshund rescues in some way. Remember, you’re in the breeding business because you love the dachshund breed and you are dedicated to its continued improvement. This includes making sure dachshunds that come from less reputable breeders or puppy mills are taken care of and found good homes where they will be spayed or neutered.
8. Prepare yourself for returns. Whether the new owner wants to return the puppy, or the new owner does something not agreed upon within the contract, you need to be prepared to take back any puppy you’ve sold. Once you breed dachshunds, they are your responsibility forever. You do not get to remove yourself from responsibility just because you sold a puppy to another person.
   • Taking back a puppy due to the violation of contract terms may be as simple as calling the new owner and telling them you’re taking the puppy back. But it can also be difficult enough that you may need to involve a lawyer.

Tips

• In the United States, dachshunds can be Standard (greater than 16 pounds or 7.3 kilograms) or Miniature (less than 11 pounds or 5 kilograms). In Germany, where the dachshund originated, they can be Standard, Miniature (up to 14 inch or 35.5 cm round chest), or Rabbit (up to 12 inch or 30.5 cm round chest).
• Dachshunds can have coats that are smooth or shorthaired, wire-haired, or longhaired.
• Puppies should begin official training when they’re 3 to 4 weeks old. The most important thing to watch for at this time is anything that may startle or upset your puppy. These types of events may have long-term impacts on your puppy’s ability to handle certain sounds or movements.
• The Dachshund Club of America provides a breeder directory for the public at http://www.dachshundclubofamerica.org/dca-breeders/. This is a great place to start research into finding other breeders and contacting them for questions.

Warnings

• Dachshunds can be suspicious of strange people and strange dogs. They’re also known to pick fights with other dogs. These characteristics can be avoided through extensive training.
• Dachshunds can be hard to housebreak, will probably kill other animals or birds in your backyard, like to dig holes, and are not afraid to bark at anything that moves.
• If dachshund puppies are not born by day 65 of pregnancy, contact your veterinarian as there is likely a problem.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Hold a Dachshund Properly
• Groom a Longhair Dachshund
• Breed Dogs
• Determine the Sex of Puppies
• Potty Train a Dachshund
• Take Care of a Dachshund
• Breed English Bulldogs
• Get Dogs to Mate

What links here

• Take Care of a Dachshund