A dachshund is a short-legged breed of dog. These dogs are very energetic and playful. They are usually friendly and loyal to their owners.
Bathing your Dachshund regularly helps prevent skin problems and keeps them clean, though doing so too frequently can create more issues. This means that you will need to strike a balance between weekly grooming and bathing your dog.
With this in mind, let us take a look at how often you should bathe a Dachshund, and what problems may arise if you do it too much.
Should You Be Bathing a Dachshund Every Week?
Do you want a short answer? No.
It does not matter if your Dachshund is short-haired, long-haired, or even wired-haired, you do not want to be bathing your dog every week. Keeping the bathing to around every 3 months is the best way to look after your Dachshund’s fur.
If a Dachshund is bathed too often, then there is a risk that it will have a few skin problems. This happens because the natural oils are stripped away, leaving their skin to compensate by releasing extra oil, yet their skin becomes flaky, dry, and itchy.
Their fur may become quite oily too, and not look as healthy as it should be.
The only exception is if your Dachshund has been rolling around in the mud or some other grime, and needs to be fully cleaned. Otherwise, general dirt and debris can be removed with a brush.
How To Bathe A Dachshund
The following tips can help you to bathe your Dachshund:
Tip 1 – Prepare
Prepare the area where you plan to bathe your dog. Make sure it is free from any sharp objects. Also, make sure there is enough room for you to move around freely.
Tip 2 – Warm Water
Use warm water when bathing your dog. It will be easier for you to handle your dog if the temperature is not too cold.
Tip 3 – Clean Hands
Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your dog. This will prevent bacteria from spreading to your dog.
Step 4 – Shampoo
Start with a shampoo that contains natural ingredients. Avoid using products that contain chemicals because these may cause harm to your dog and strip the natural oils.
Step 5 – Brush
You can use a comb to brush through their hair but make sure that you have also pre-brushed their hair to remove the worst of the tangles.
Step 6 – Dry
Once you have finished washing your dog, rinse him well. Dry your dog completely after rinsing.
How to Dry a Dachshund After it Has Bathed?
Once your Dachshund has taken a bath, he is going to need to be dried before he can go off and relax or chew on his favorite toy. Once he is out of his bath, wrap him up in an absorbent towel and take him to the room where you are going to use a blow dryer – if necessary.
If you find that one towel does not dry your Dachshund, then think about using two. The longer the hair, the more it will take to fully dry a Dachshund. Also, do not let him stay in the towel as it will become wet and cold, and could cause your Dachshund to become ill.
If your Dachshund has never had the hair blower used on them, introduce it to him gradually by letting him hear the noise and perhaps feel the hot air. Be patient, as some dogs may not like it at first.
When you blow-dry your dog, make sure you keep the nozzle a few inches away to avoid any burning or your Dachshund feeling uncomfortable. Also, make sure you do not have it in the hottest setting. You will want it to be either cool or warm.
Also, never concentrate on one area, like you would not with your own hair. Keep it moving around his coat so it can dry evenly. Letting the hair blower stay in one place makes the risk higher that you may burn your Dachshund.
Lastly, do not overdo the hair blowing. It may still feel slightly damp which is absolutely fine. You are not looking for the hair to be bone dry. Just make sure he stays in the house until it is dry to avoid him catching a cold.
Should You Groom a Dachshund?
Just like with the majority of dogs, a Dachshund does need to be groomed. They are generally bred with different coat variations: smooth-haired, long-haired and also wire-haired. Each of these coat types needs grooming, but the maintenance will differ.
Even so, each type does need attention and care, so keeping on top of the grooming will make your Dachshund healthier, and your life easier!
Grooming a Dachshund
Because there are three types of Dachshund coats, here are the different ways to groom:
Smooth-haired
This type of Dachshund requires you to groom him little but quite often. They do not have much grip on their coat, so dirt cannot attach to it as easily as longer hair.
A smooth-haired Dachshund will only need you to groom his fur once or twice a week with a soft-bristled brush. This will be gentle enough on the Dachshund, as well as only remove what it needs to, keeping the coat healthy.
Long-haired
A long-haired Dachshund needs daily brushing to keep the coat maintained. This is so you can remove all the tangles and knots, as well as to remove the grime and dirt that has attached itself to it.
The brushing will make sure the wavy hair stays looking lovely and well-kept. Make sure to pay attention to areas such as behind the ears and feet where the hair is more likely to become matted.
Wire-haired
This type of Dachshund has a really dense undercoat compared to the other two. This needs to be stripped around twice a year.
You will need to make sure you are brushing the fur a number of times a week to avoid tangling and knotting the fur and to keep it looking healthy and well-kept.
Final Words
There are three hair types when it comes to a Dachshund, so you might think that they all need different care. Whilst grooming might be slightly different, bathing your Dachshund is exactly the same.
Every three months is sufficient, as bathing your Dachshund too much can cause skin issues. This could be by having dry, itchy, and flaky skin, or by producing too much oil which can cause their coat to become greasy.
So long as you stick to a weekly, if not daily, brushing routine, you can easily remove all the unwanted debris. Unless your Dachshund decides to roll about in some mud, or accidentally walks in another dog’s feces, then sticking to the 3-month rule should keep your dog happy and healthy.
