Dachsund Puppy

Nole · June 23, 2010, 08:40:00 AM

About a month ago we had to put our 14 year old Yellow Lab to sleep which has really been tough on my wife and I.

Yesterday I was on my way home from seeing clients and stopped at one of my favorite hunting stores just north of our town and a lady was there putting a sign up on their bulletin board that she had 3 - 6 week old short haired Dachsund puppies for sale. It just so happened that she had all three with her so I took pictures on my phone and sent them to my wife. We now have a new addition to our family named Levi.

We have always had labs but with two daughters who are 4 and 2 we thought a smaller dog would be best and maybe a another lab down the road. I have always heard that Dachsunds make great blood trailing dogs and I thought that I would train him. I ordered John Jeanneney's book "Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer" last night as a starting point. Any other suggestions that you all might have? Do many of you use Dachsunds for blood trailing?

Thanks,

Brian

Whip · June 23, 2010, 08:48:00 AM

That book will get you off on the right "track". The wirehaired dachsunds make great tracking dogs. Some of those come with short hair, but are a different breed than a regular dachsund. Either way, with good training you can hopefully bring out some natural instincts. I haven't owned one myself, but they sure seem to be smart, fun dogs to be around.
I do know the pain of losing a good lab though, and sorry to hear about yours. The puppy will no doubt help to ease that.

RonD · June 23, 2010, 09:00:00 AM

Nole, I have two dachsunds. One is black and tan and the other is a red. By far the red is a tracking dog while the black and tan is a couch potato. For the black and tan chasing a squirrel two feet is an imposition and would rather stay in the house. My little red is a real hunter, but I don't use him for that even though I believe he could be easily trained for that based on his natural desire to hunt. Your family will enjoy the dachsund. What color dachsund did you get?

Ryan Rothhaar · June 23, 2010, 09:15:00 AM

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! Joe, NO!...There are 3 varieties of Dachshund coat - smooth haired, wirehaired, and long haired. They are all REAL dachshunds - saying the short or smooth is not really a dachshund is like saying your recurve isn't really a recurve because it is brown instead of gray.

The wirecoat dachshunds are more "known" as tracking dogs in the US because of the Jeanneaney bloodline and the book. In Europe all are used for hunting - versatile hunting, not only bloodtracking - and the coat is IRRELEVANT to whether the dog will hunt.

To answer the original question - you MAY be able to develop a hunting/tracking dog from a pet type dachshund, it depends on the pup. If the dog has a strong prey drive and hunting insticts it is possible.

Hunting/tracking dacshunds in the US and Europe are bred from specific bloodlines with strong prey drive specifically for hunting dogs. Dogs without the proper attributes are not bred. The US pet/show market does not breed for hunting or prey drive (except, to some extent, field trial dogs) so getting a pet that will hunt is hit or miss.

For some good background on dachshunds see this website: http://www.true-teckels.com/

There are several guys on this site that blood track with dachshunds, as do I.

If you search for "Oskar" in the PowWow you'll get several posts I've made about our dog over the past year.

Good luck! John's book will give you the basics - take it slow at first and try to assess the level of prey drive in the pup.

Ryan

Nole · June 23, 2010, 09:22:00 AM

Ron, He is black with some tan on him. They also had a red and a dapple colored one and we decided on the black. He was the one that kept coming back to me and seemed to be the most confident dog. Of course my wife liked him the best from the pictures.

Thanks Whip!

Brian

Ben Maher · June 23, 2010, 09:23:00 AM

Levi will go a long way to ease the pain of losing your lab...
congrats on a new family member...

as a side note , my dog is bred from great hunting lines and the rabbits try and avoid him as he runs past them oblivious because he's chasing butterflies !

but dogs are like bows...we need pics mate !

best

Ben

RonD · June 23, 2010, 09:26:00 AM

Ryan, my little red dachsund, which is smooth haired, has killed a number of squirrels and other animals in the yard. He constantly wants to be outside and chasing something, even if its birds or chipmunks. I think he has that prey drive you are speaking of. I just haven't done anything with him in the way of training. I don't deer hunt, but I suppose he could be trained to track hogs.

Ryan Rothhaar · June 23, 2010, 09:48:00 AM

Nole

At this point you're best bet is to drag a piece of raw meat on a string - I used deer round steak pieces maybe 3 inches across but beef or cow liver or whatever is fine - wet it occasionaly with the bloody water that comes off of it in the package. Make the track in short grass (yard) or something easy and just watch the pups reaction - try to get him to use his nose. May take putting small bits of meat along the dragline (treats). Don't worry about making turns or bends until he confidently follows a short (say 20-30 ft) straight line. Then start introducing bends, turns or other obstacles. This will get you ready for early training in John's book.

The dog isn't animal specific - blood is blood to him. Tracking a wounded deer or hog or whatever wounded animal you put him on will be OK by him.

In Germany they BAY wild boar with Dachshunds...that 20 pound weiner dog is TOUGHER than he looks!

Ryan

Whip · June 23, 2010, 09:56:00 AM

My bad Ryan

I obviously should have gotten out of my booth and attended the seminar!

I had thought the wirehair actually just sometimes ended up with different coats, but thought that the typical "pet" dachshund was a different version altogether. Oscar sure seems like a stockier dog than most I have seen.

I know there are miniature dachshunds that are obviously different, but the rest are all really the same breed with different coats, huh?

Sorry for adding confusion to a topic I obviously know nothing about.

June 23, 2010, 09:58:00 AM

I don't know too much about "weiner dogs", but I put my 2-weeks-short-of 15 Yellow Lab to sleep on April 2nd. She was a great dog --a great hunter and friend, and I miss her like crazy. So does my 3-year-old Chocolate Lab, and we're thinking about a pup in the next few months. Heartfelt sympathy to both of us for our losses.

Shaun · June 23, 2010, 09:59:00 AM

I had a pet breeding short haired Dachshund that happened to be of good hunting line - pure luck compared to going to a reputable hunting stock breeder. They are great companions and serious good tracking dogs if they have the nose and desire.

My next dog is going to be another short hair Teckle.

Gil Verwey · June 23, 2010, 10:00:00 AM

My hunting buddy has a smooth haired Dachshund. He has a acre of ground. His Dachshund is relentless in regard to playing fetch. It would fetch a ball to death if we would let it. At night we would throw a tennis ball in the dark and his dog would follow it by scent. I had english setters and a lab, and I have never seen a dog with a nose like these little dogs. I never knew they were used as trackers until I saw the posts on this site. I am thinking of getting a wirehair to give one a whirl.

RonD · June 23, 2010, 10:09:00 AM

Huntryx, sorry for your loss. Don't dwell on the loss to long. Get back into life by getting another dog. There are many dogs out there that you could give a good home. I have had a variety of dogs throughout my 67 years and can't imagine being without one.

Nole, my dachsunds are wonderful little dogs and great companions. The black and tan is more social and likes attention, whereas my red prefers to be outside and is more independent than the other one. They are anatomically different. My red is much larger and built different from the black and tan. Enjoy them, they are special little dogs.

Ryan, I am going to try the blood trail training you mentioned to see if he will track. Hogs are very easy to lose when first shot and difficult to find once they have exited the area. Hogs are my favorite hunting activity.

Ragnarok Forge · June 23, 2010, 10:30:00 AM

We had a red dachsund that we taught to pheasant hunt. He loved it and flushed hundreds of birds for us until he just got to old to go anymore. We did have to pick him up and stick him in our coats every once in a while in super cold weather to keep him warm enough to hunt. If they have the drive they will happily learn to hunt it is up to you to train them right.

Nole · June 23, 2010, 10:43:00 AM

I asked the lady that I purchased him from if the parents had been used for hunting or bloodtrailing as I mentioned to her that I may try to train him for tracking. They live in the country and said that they do not use them for tracking but the father has a real desire to hunt. Thanks for the tip Ryan, I will get him started and see where it goes from there. I will get some pictures of Levi up to show him to you guys.

Thanks, Brian

pronghorn23 · June 23, 2010, 10:51:00 AM

6 Week old dachsund pup but no picture? You can't tease us like that!

Sorry for your loss and good luck with the tracking/trailing...

rabbit_buster · June 23, 2010, 12:04:00 PM

I just recently purchased a long hair weiner her name is millie, i dont think my kids will let me spend enough time with her to train her. Plus shes usually to busy wrestling with the kitten....

coaster500 · June 23, 2010, 12:24:00 PM

When my daughter was 7 we decided to let her have a dog...

This is Nicole and Danny (She named him). I don't recall how old he was (maybe 2 or 3 pounds) but one day Nicole and I were walking in the pasture and Danny saw a ground squirrel. He took off instantly and went down a hole after him. Nicole and I stared down the hole for what seem forever and we could not see the little guy. I panicked and ran up to the barn to get a shovel to dig the pup out. When I got back to a tearful Nicole and the subterranean puppy, I could see the tip of his tail down the hole. I got a good grip on the little maniac and pulled him out....

I guess you could say he had the instincts

Hess · June 23, 2010, 12:39:00 PM

Brian,

Bummer on your old dog, we too just put down our old family friend. He was an old Drathaar that was a great dog. But we (my three little ones and wife) just got a yellow lab for just blood tracking. She's out of Kansas of all things (nothing against Kansas but we have a million labs here in MT), and is as smart as a whip. She's only 2.5 months old and I've done a couple of easy rainbow shaped drags with her and she's doing great.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

Erik

highpoint forge · June 23, 2010, 02:01:00 PM

Get ready Nole. Dachshunds are a riot, and are very attached to their owners. They are great little dogs. My in-laws have a mini dachshund that is a fat little log of a dog who is always cracking us up. He cries when he is left at home with the other two rat terriers they have.

Again, lots of spunk and energy and they're super affectionate little dogs. You'll miss your Lab but this will help.