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MediumHound Group

Dachshund

The Dachshund was developed in Germany from the 16th century onward as a badger and fox hunter, with the long-and-low skeletal form selected for burrowing.

Calculate Dachshund age
Lifespan13.2 yrrange 13–14
SizeMediumHound Group
Weight11–32 lb5–14.5 kg
Senior at7 yrgeriatric at 11

Gallery (3)

About

About the Dachshund

The Dachshund was developed in Germany from the 16th century onward as a badger and fox hunter, with the long-and-low skeletal form selected for burrowing. Three coat varieties (smooth, wirehaired, longhaired) and two sizes (standard, miniature) exist under one AKC breed entry.

Aging

How Dachshunds age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 14.0 years (n=8,997). Intervertebral disc disease is the defining breed concern — lifetime incidence approaches 25% — with obesity dramatically compounding spinal load in mid-life.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.2 yr · range 13–14Senior careSenior at 7 · geriatric at 11Common health issues10 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
11–32 lb(5–14.5 kg)
Height
5–9 in(12.7–22.9 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
Black & TanChocolate & TanCreamWheatenWild BoarRedBlue & TanFawn (Isabella) & TanBlack & CreamBlackChocolateFawn (Isabella) & Cream
Temperament

Temperament

How Dachshunds tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

spunkyclevercourageousloyal
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Intervertebral Disc Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Intervertebral Disc Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Dachshunds are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.