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My beautiful 9-month-old working line boy has been practicing his place command, training and running around like crazy, and maturing every day. And finally after months of 24/7 puppy chaos with breaks for crating, he is slowly but surely learning to sit the fuck down for like five minutes. It’s a miracle.

If you and your dachshund haven’t checked out Earthdog, I can’t recommend it more highly. It is my dachshund’s favorite activity in the whole world and the best thing I’ve ever done for her.

Earthdog is a super fun AKC sport where your dog gets to go down an underground tunnel and bark, dig, and chew their little heart out trying to attack some safely caged rats. You don’t need to do any prep work or training or even sign up in advance. Just find an event on the AKC calendar, bring your dog on leash and the entry fee, and they will tell you everything you need to get started. All dachshunds and many small terrier breeds are eligible and even if they’re not AKC registered, you can register them through PAL online in advance. Your dog doesn’t need to be from any special hunting background to do it—mine certainly isn’t—just a love for barking and a little prey drive.

As awesome as Earthdog is for doxies, it’s definitely a struggling sport that can use all the support it can get. If you have a dog that loves to chase squirrels or dig in your garden and are interested, give it a try! You won’t regret it.

Feel free to ask me any questions about Earthdog, registering through PAL, or anything else down below! Big thank you to West Penn club for hosting us this weekend!!

Who knows where you heard it first—a Buzzfeed article about how dogs have become genetic monstrosities, a PETA post about banning dog shows, or an off-handed comment from someone at the dog park. Whatever the source, you’ve probably heard it before: dachshunds used to be healthy working dogs but we have been making them shorter in stature and longer in torso for so long that we have ruined the breed. I see this faux breed history parroted way too often even in this very subreddit and wanted to address it as concisely as I know how (not very concisely).

Dachshund-type go-to-ground dogs have been recorded as early as the Middle Ages but these dogs were larger, came in multiple varieties, and were not even genetically related, they shared only a common purpose. As the DCA states “Etchings from the late 1500s depict images of dogs referred to as ‘badger dogs’, but in no way do these resemble the Dachshund today.” While often mentioned as part of the breed history, these dogs aren’t actually part of the breed, they are more often just being misused to portray historical dachshunds as different from modern dachshunds.

These precursor dogs were altered and mixed over the next 200 or so years to create a smaller dog with bent legs and a long back, that began to be known as a dachshund in the mid-1700s to late 1800s. The defining traits of this budding breed were first described in 1879 and the first club was established in Germany in 1888. This very first dachshund standard included specific proportions for the dog: the height of the dog at the withers had to be precisely half the length of the body and the space from between the body and the ground needs to be 1/3 of the total body height at the withers. These key 1:2 ratios have been in every standard of every dachshund club ever since, whether UKC, AKC, FCI. The FCI standard has altered this ratio in recent years to be more precise 1:1.7-1.8, but maintains the same general ideal. Clubs have often been split over whether the standard should promote ability over conformation and whether showing or hunt tests should be the basis for proving a dog worthy of breeding, but one thing they never disagreed upon were these important ratios.

The consistency of the dachshund standard is relatively unmatched among other dog breeds. Some breeds, like pugs, have standards that encourage extreme measures by suggesting certain traits be as exaggerated as possible, but from the very first description of dachshunds, exaggeration for the sake of aesthetics was never encouraged or rewarded. The results of this “form follows function mentality” speak for themselves. While I regularly see people insist that dachshunds are now just companions bred to be cute, this isn’t the case. In many places, dachshunds still fulfill their role as hunting dogs tracking game large and small and participate in sports and trials that prove their ability to do the work they were intended for. My own little dog has earned her Master Earthdog title, tunneling for rats at AKC events. Unlike many popular working breeds like GSDs and Golden Retrievers that have completely split into working lines that do not have the “look” described in the standard and showlines that can’t do the work they were bred for, good dachshund breeders regularly turn out dual champions—the most dual champions per year of any hound or sporting breed by a wide margin. These amazing dachshunds have become champions in the show ring and in field tests of their rabbit tracking ability, proving that that 1:2 ratio is just as workable now as it was in 1879.

While there are certainly health issues in the breed and ethical breeding is more important than ever to reverse some of this damage, the commonly spread idea that dachshunds were once healthy and capable and that their long bodies and short legs are the result of exaggeration for the sake of aesthetics or dog show prizes simply isn’t true.

I am not an expert in the breed, just someone who enjoys reading breed history and obviously this is not a complete history of the breed or a deep dive into how the dachshunds shape relates to their risk for IVDD (though I’m happy to talk further on that in the comments and how I think the standard could be altered to encourage better health). This is just a counter point to the often repeated myth that dachshunds have suffered from exaggeration as a breed in recent history that that is what has led to their health issues.

My lovely 9-month-old boy recently started limping a bit on one his front legs. It isn’t slowing him down—he wants to run, jump, and play just as usual—and there was no inciting injury or strain that I know of. My breeder thinks it may be panosteitis—similar to growing pains in large breed puppies. For now, I’m attempting to give him a few days of crate rest (which he doesn’t appreciate) and then I will go for a vet visit and x-rays to confirm if it doesn’t resolve.

Have any of you had issues with pano in your dobies? What steps did you take to identify and treat? How were you able to keep your intense energetic puppies from going crazy in confinement while resting?

I’ve read a bit online and will get a vet involved if necessary, but I feel terrible watching him limp and would love to hear any stories, positive or negative about your pup growing pains.

(Pic of him trying to chew the bark off of a tree…it’s a phase…I hope)

This service dog handler posts about how his dog doesn’t need a vest or other marking for public access and even cites the ADA website. He is right that legally he does not need a vest.

Meanwhile, it also states on the same webpage he screenshotted for this video: “under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of tasks.”

So wtf? Why is the medical alert dog for this man’s autoimmune disorder constantly off leash, including in confined spaces, grocery stores, and—in the last shot here—on an airplane (without even a collar on)?

Yes, the dog is under control, but that’s not the entire extent of ADA guidance on whether a dog can be off-leash. The law only applies to this guy and his dog when it’s convenient for him I guess.

This video came up in my Facebook feed of a disabled handler and SD trainer working a Chinese Red Dog who is fairly new to public access. In addition to the very unusual breed choice (they are a highly protective rare breed), I was struck by how unfocused the dog is—sniffing food, checking out other pedestrians, sort of half heeling—and that she is openly steering him with his handle.

Now, she says in the video that he is “still getting used to a handle” but I was under the impression that rigid handles like this were intended to be used primarily for guide work so that the dog could steer you, not the other way around. I thought that so called “countersteering” aka guiding your dog with the handle or using it to support your weight or balance yourself was damaging to your dog over time. Is this the way a handle is normally introduced? Are they used to steer the dog, or as she calls it “giving him directional cues” that he doesn’t know yet?

It’s possible this is a normal practice that I’m just unfamiliar with so I’m not necessarily criticizing, but I know there are some more experienced handlers/trainers here so I’d love for others to weigh in.

Dilute dachshunds are those with coats that are either blue or isabella (fawn). They can have piebald markings, tan points, dappling, but if the base color is blue or isabella, they are a dilute. Both colors are officially part of the AKC standard for dachshunds and can appear in all coat types. Both are occasionally bred by breeders that are largely considered ethical (breeding titled and health tested dogs). So what’s the problem?

Dilute dachshunds have two recessive alleles for dilution that modify their coat to be a lovely soft color. However, this trait also impacts the shape of their hair follicles. While typically born with a normal coat, over the course of their life the overwhelming majority blue and isabella dachshunds will experience some level of Color Dilution Alopecia (CDA). Sometimes this just means thinning hair on the back and ears, other times it can result in almost total hairlessness along with painful skin irritation, rashes, sunburn, scaly skin, and lifelong discomfort. While poorly studied, there is evidence of an increased risk of dangerous skin cancers in alopecic dogs such as squamous cell carcinoma. There is no known cure or even effective treatment, though some owners report oatmeal baths and fish oil can help temporarily soothe their dogs and special sunscreen can help prevent skin cancer.

So why are these dogs still bred? Simple: most people don’t know. Many of these dogs are intentionally bred and sold to oblivious dachshund owners who see these lovely colored puppies and don’t know the coat and skin issues that are probably in their future or think they will be one of the exceptions. Breeders rarely offer these dogs with warnings of the issues that are to come. Some breeders claim their blue and fawn dogs don’t have CDA, but there’s no evidence that actually prevents their offspring from having the condition.

Sure, it’s not the biggest form of suffering possible, but we shouldn’t be encouraging the breeding of exotic colors with an increased chance of suffering even a little. There is a growing movement among Doberman owners and breeders to reject the breeding of dilute Dobermans (blues and fawns) for this reason and I would love to see the same in dachshunds. If you already own a blue or fawn dog, congratulations on your wonderful doxie, enjoy them! But if you’re considering a dachshund, please do not buy a blue or fawn dachshund or buy from a breeder who breeds these dogs. Yes, they are in-standard, but sometimes the standard conflicts with what we know if the best for breeding healthy happy doxies. There are plenty of other lovely colors of doxies.

Feel free to add questions and experiences below. If you think your dog may be a dilute and aren’t sure, I’m happy to take a look at a photo, though a genetic test can better confirm.

Disclaimer: this is my own non-expert opinion on dilute breeding based on my personal interactions with dilute dogs and all current scientific evidence. This photo is not of my dog but of a blue piebald with moderate CDA. The linked studies have more severe case photos which I opted not to include here.

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I’m sure anyone active in this sub has noticed the influx of puppy pics of dapple dachshunds in the last few months (and even more concerning, the influx of double dapples). They’re having a moment of popularity, which is never a good thing for a living breathing creature.

I notice them especially because I have a dapple. A beautiful longhaired three-year-old whom I love deeply. But like the many dapples posted here every day, she is not well bred. She came from a nice experienced lady who raised her puppies in her house, who did Embark testing, and who bred AKC registered dogs. At the time, I thought that was all a good breeder needed to do.

With what I know now about health testing and titling dogs to produce healthy dachshunds that won’t suffer from debilitating back problems and serious behavioral issues, I only know of one ethical breeder in the U.S. who breeds miniature dapples. There’s probably a few more out there that I’m not aware of, but suffice to say the numbers are low. As unfortunate as it is, while totally in-standard for the breed, dapples are almost entirely bred by puppy mills and backyard breeders.

So while I love my little dapple and have my fingers crossed she will remain healthy and happy for her whole life, if I were to offer one piece of advice to help a new dachshund owner avoid buying a unethically bred unhealthy puppy mill or backyard bred dog it would be: don’t get a dapple and don’t go to a breeder who breeds them. Duck the trend and choose a breeder producing lovely shaded reds or black and tans and other in-standard classic colors. They’re less likely to be motivated by profit and you’ll know they’re not breeding for color over more important qualities like health and temperament. You and your future dog will be happier and healthier for it.

Just another fun post from the handler of protection-trained and chronically ill service dog Magic the GSD. In this one she’s allowing her two uncrated and overstimulated German Shepherds to bark out of the back windows of her car until eventually they inevitably begin fighting in the small space.

Despite the text saying that the reality of having multiple GSDs is “lots of management” she has opted not to use any management to prevent her two large powerful dogs from going after each other in a small space, a situation that could easily escalate into a genuinely dangerous fight. Instead she is just filming the situation for content, ofc.

She has started referring to Magic as her “protection dog” now so who knows if she’s still in service work, but I thought I’d share anyway.

Hi all! I have a seven month old puppy who I would really like to teach to swim. He will get in up to his chest but is too scared to go wheels up in the water even after watching other dogs and when chasing a ball. I would like to take him somewhere where I can get in the water and go away from him to encourage him to swim as well, but there aren't a lot of places where both dogs and humans are allowed to swim.

Does anyone know of a lake or reservoir where I could take a large dog to swim and also get in the water myself? Doesn't have to be a gorgeous beach or anything, just clean enough to be safe for humans. If necessary I have a 30ft longline so areas where dogs needs to be leashed are an option. I'm happy to drive anywhere within an hour or so of the Akron-Cleveland area.

Pic of my puppy for dog tax