Grooming and Bathing Your Dachshund
“My Long Haired Dachshund seems uncomfortable and tends to scratch and lick various parts of her body. Is there something wrong with her?” A lady asked me this question a long time ago when Charlie and I were out for a walk. The dog was antsy and itchy and did look uncomfortable! After asking some questions of the owner, I suspected there was something going on with how the Dachshund was being bathed and groomed. We had a nice discussion and I did give the owner some gentle opinions and advice regarding her doxie’s behavior.
How proper grooming should be performed is an issue of debate. It is important however because incorrect grooming can affect your Dachshund’s health. Any grooming mistake needs to be corrected as soon as possible in order to make your dog look and feel their best.
There is not much to worry about when it comes to brushing and hair care of Short Haired Dachshunds. They require less grooming because only a few hairs cling to their coats. Regular brushing with soft bristle is enough to maintain a Short Haired Dachshund. This breed is also easy to bathe.
My Dachshund, Charlie, is a breeze when it comes to bathing and grooming. He is however on a special prescription shampoo. I use to use ChlorhexiDerm shampoo which was ok but it left his coat with a residual texture I was not crazy about—a texture which I cannot put into words. I switched to Malaseb shampoo a few years ago which is I like much more. The over the counter shampoos left Charlie with too much dry and flaky skin afterwards. He has used prescription shampoo for years now and has had no skin problems since. This is one suggestion I gave to the lady mentioned above–that she should try a different shampoo for her doxie.
While bathing helps make the coat smoother and softer, frequent bathing may not be good for Dachshunds. Dachshunds are known to produce a special hair fat that serves as an insulating layer of protection. The coat is not the only thing to consider when bathing a Dachshund. The ears are equally important. During a bath, try to keep water and/or soap from getting into the ears as this can lead to infection. After the bath, the ears can be gently cleaned with a soft cloth. Q tips work great also as long as you do not go too deep into the ear.
Unlike the Short Haired Dachshund, Wire Haired and Long Haired Dachshunds need frequent brushing to remove dead hair and to prevent matting and tangles. In Long Haired Dachshunds, mats often develop behind the ears and in areas where the hair grows longest. These mats need to be untangled by hand and/or cut off. It is also important to blow dry the hair instead of allowing it to dry naturally. Regularly trimming the underside of these Dachshunds is recommended also as long hair in this area can quickly pick up dirt and debris from the ground. Dachshunds do not stand that far off the ground anyway…
A pin brush is good for Wire and Long Haired Dachshunds. An excellent brushing tip is to brush according to the direction of the hair growth. Start from the head and work down. Negligence in brushing your Dachshund’s hair may lead to serious tangle problems.
These practices may seem insignificant to some but nobody gets hurt from doing these things. No more uncomfortable dogs! Instead, what you will have is a feeling good, looking good, Dachshund!
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