Doxie’s are said to be exempted from having to crouch too low to get food in its mouth. But I strongly beg to disagree, Doxie’s are like most dogs: prone to bloat, esophagus swelling and indigestion or any muscle strain problems.

Not all Doxies are of average height, give or take an inch or two this makes a whole lot a difference. Just like Goldilocks, choosing elevated pet feeders is an exact science. Too high a feeder discourages the pet, while a far smaller one gets a pet frustrated not being able to reach the food.
Here’s how to measure…

You’ll need a tape measure to the height of your pet at it’s ’shoulder’ while the distance between the both. Make sure your pet’s ears and face doesn’t dip into the bowl, it looks like fun at first yet could let the pet be used to wreaking havoc all the time.

Notice eating habits that will clue you in on the type of feeder your pet is like. A finicky eater needs a bowl of water to alternate with the taste of dog food. A sloppy pet dog can be fed with a pet elevated dish, theses come in table top designs which act as a tray for pet’s bowls to handles spills and scatter of food. Doxies may be amusing and a bundle of energy, keeping them properly nourished is part of our promise to love and serve them forever.

Doxies are a dog breed that have special needs. Their spine’s length pose an eventual risk especially when taking a nasty fall or slipping on tile. Install dog gates at the top of stairs to   prevent falling. It is rather “cute” getting your Doxie jumping on your bed or off the bed with a thud,  well you have not gone far enough to research that this hurts their bones and causes damage to joints. A dog owner is on constant research for their pet’s sake. Doxie’s do need commitment from their owners since their odd length and splayed legs call for precautions.
Temperament-wise Doxies are prone to chew on furniture, they have a special radar that gets them to pick your most prized antique Mahogany desk (lol!). Keep furniture safe by having wooden dog gates, some are discouraged with metal one since it clashes with the interior design. Containment gates come in nice designs so they wont destroy any motif, and considering the damage it prevents to priced pieces of furniture it turns out cheaper.

Having Doxies are like having additional furry children to rule your life, each dog is unique and has it’s own quirk or temperament. They all do share Doxie traits yet there are things that they define as theirs in the long run. Just like when it comes to dog beds, dog crates or designer pet carriers , thinking one style would be a general preference by a dog breed is common to pet owners who are just starting or just plain clueless. For dog crates, any style may not be the problem unless you’ve got one that’s just too small for your dog. There are doxies that take to the crate training faster than others, just one “rest crate” or any other mark command and they’d just obey right off the bat. And then there are some that just make like deaf or cock their head to the side as if to ask what the mark means! What I’ve learned so far is…
A. Crates can have a dog bed in them if preferred by a pet that doesn’t want to part with their movable snoozing space.
B. The joy of discovering crate toys that make the mark command the nicest words they’ll hear. Putting their favorite toys work, its like having their best buddy in the same class with them. Or just like bird cages that have play things in them, arm your pet’s crate with a treat or two, a chew toy or an interesting piece of thingie that is non-toxic, not easily swallowed and fit for dog use. Words of caution though, a child’s toy is best a child’s toy, get your pet a doggie toy to be sure it doesn’t have stuff that can harm your pet.
C. Some Doxies out grow the toy or the need of one and never was I able to wean any out of not having their regular dog bed in-crate.
As convenient as it would be for pet dogs to have a factory-like commonality, all dogs just aren’t their lovable selves if it were. And besides I just love them being their quirky furry selves.

As a favor to a neighbor, I volunteered caring for their pet pooch for several hours. It was great therapy for me since I just lost the Best Dog I’ve ever had…The neighbors pet is named “Boogie” but to me he would always be a goofy-lookin’ dog. My nose was kind of clogged when I greeted my ward with a praise and a rub down when Boogie greeted me with a well behaved sit/stay. When I put my hand up to flick away hair from my eyes, the odor of a dog that needs a bath attacked my senses…
I’ve given away my pet’s things so I either had to drive out to the grocery or just look for immediate solution. As far as I can remember the family cupboards never run out of baking soda, which is good for neutralizing overwhelming odors, specially the pet kind. Straight from the box, I sprinkled Boogie’s fur with baking soda, then started to give it  a body rub. In a matter of seconds the smell is undetectable. Past and future the Baking soda revolves into  a whole line of these Baking Soda variations. The variety has gone from pet clumping bi-carb rocks to one that changes color (-it marks where odor is strongest for litter boxes) or another that acts as an effective cleanser when mixed with water.
From my pet cupboard to yours, this is one compound a forever home can’t do without.

Dachshunds are portly and very much prone to being overweight. Like most Doxie owners, at first spoiling our fur-kids seem to make sense, its when the scales indicate well over the permissible weight that gets us thinking. Too much protective love and attention can cause weight gain and slow metabolism in pet dogs.
I have met lots of dog owners and most of the first-timers (some old timers too) don’t know that their pets do not sweat. If they do know, the information just fails to register as an important fact. As a saying goes, its all relative…Overweight and obese dogs have more fat stored in their bodies. Since they have more fat to burn, their bodies double the effort to get rid of unwanted fat. Limiting your pet dog to staying indoors doing no activity whatsoever or just snoozing by your feet all day is the worst way to show your fur-kid love.
If your pet i on the weighty side, include lots of exercise and activity for shedding off fat and eventually toning your pets body.
Agility sports and Dock Diving are great dog activities where pet parents can meet up and enjoy. For home activities, having a pool helps or a pet treadmill, both are good for exercise.
Simple activities such as distance walking  or hiking in the forest may not be as rigid as a work out yet it can also keep off shed pounds.
Keep in mind: a fit dog is a loved dog while a fat dog is a sick one. Doxies rule!!!

Unlike training pet dogs to sense, smell and avoid a snake, there is not a safe way to train your pet against porcupine quills. It is only through experience that they would learn to leave the little porky alone. Hearing your pet bark as if agitated must get your attention specially when you live near porcupines. Ignoring the curious agitated barks would have you hear a shriek and whimper, expect your pet to have several or a lot of toothpick like quills hanging from your pet. Doxies are very small breeds and at times when not cautious enough end up having the tops of their heads imitate Don King’s hair. Fortunately, on record most Doxie porcupine battles do not involve more than one porky-unlike the worst cases where the pets face was lost in row upon rows of quills.
Removing the quills can be done at home or at the Veterinarian’s clinic depending on how much of your pet’s face you can see and if the eyes are unharmed. Quill removing needs you to have a long nose pliers or regular pliers handy and eye cover for your pet, not to mention nerves of steel and an empty stomach.
Position yourself near your pet where you can move freely once you yank those quills out. Having someone else to soothe your pet or hold him still makes it easier.
Start from the top, picking on quills that are embedded superficially. Those your can yank off, do it swiftly. If it doesn’t budge, leave it.
For deep quills and stuck barbs, you’d really have to bring your pet to the Vet since the pain of having a quill 2 inches in bone needs anesthesia.
Check if there are some barbs left in, then apply antiseptic. Have a nice meal ready for your pet, some would want to while others would just like to rest because of the pain.
Call your veterinarian for antibiotic prescription.

Rarely do dogs break their spirit after a quill attack, though sulking is common. Never heard of a Doxie suffering the same fate twice, they’re just too smart for that.

For those who haven’t owned Doxies or are not into researching about other dog breeds, seeing a Doxie have wire or long hair is a mix breed. In reality the Wire-haired, Long haired and Smooth-haired doxies are all dogs bred to hunt. The Daschhund has been around for around 300 years as hunting side kicks, among the small dog breeds it is all-around. Doxies of old tracked, hunted , flushed and retrieved fur and fowl from the thorniest bushes and the densest covers. The Smooth hair is a common sight and very much a home companion and great baby sitters. The Long hair have long smooth hair around th ears, hind legs and tail until now these are used as flushers and relentless trackers-they  even go beyond thorn and thistle. Wire haired Doxies have slightly curly hair which is coarse and dry to the touch all over its body even at the muzzle. These Doxies were known to dig relentlessly for hidden game like Badgers, the hair on the muzzle allowing it to enhance tracking scent.

Doxies no matter the hair texture are the cutest remnants of hunting dogs of old. Their small stature and shape is from other hunting dog breeds. As small as they can get, Doxies are specially engineered breed from 300 years back.

Whatever hair texture a Doxie is a Doxie is a Doxie.

Dog breeding is a calling and skill that needs stability and foresight. People who are planning to go into dog breeding as a hobbyist are advised to read up and research mostly about Doxie breeding and matching a dam to a sire. Besides this, a running knowledge of breeding combinations and findings from experts to enlighten you on breeding prevents mistakes of those green to breeding.

My concern is for some Double Dapple defects that may have the dog appear to not have any  or proper vision. These adorable dogs are born without eyes or with significantly poor vision resulting to a handicapped dog. In some cases, the defect may also involve deafness. Double Dapple Doxies have coats that is also identified as Merle colored, beautifully blended in grey, cream and brown.

Diagnosis of blindness and deafness are done during a Doxie’s early puppyhood. This being so, Double Dappled’s are either culled or sent out as pet companions and not for show. Though Double Dapple Syndrome is not contagious and will not be transferred from dam to pup. Risking a litter because of  profit and selling to a prospective buyer is outright selfish and  callous. Keep in mind…
Double Dapple+Double Dapple may = a blind or deaf dog

Single Dapple+Double Dapple =  free from the defect.

True breeders give more weight to improving and continuing the quality of their breeding stock. A dog breed corrupted with a defective trait can lead to the decline of a dog breed.

There are 12 variations of colors in Doxies…This dog breed has 6 different patterns which are listed as a standard Doxie pattern. These Dachshunds also come in 3 coat textures: long, smooth and wire.Being a newbie in canine genetics, my interest has gone to the Isabella-Tan Doxie (besides its on my wish list…)

The Isabella-Tan have a faded coat of chocolate and disqualification means it is vividly chocolate. The Isabella-Tan is the result of mixing both blue/tan and chocolate/tan . This Doxie breed comes in this coat color and pattern when both parents carry or show these traits. A true full bred Isabella Doxie will always have gray eyes, nose and nails. Any other markings that mix with the gray make its pedigree questionable. To make sure, trust only legitimate Doxie breeders.

While playing with our cat and dog, my eldest stated that cats were better than dogs. When asked why, she gave the reason that cats may be put out and survive because they have not forgotten to hunt while dogs can’t really fend for themselves. Just then my youngest (our brave one, he can handle a dog twice his size), said dogs are dependent and at times ‘dopey’ looking but they have more at stake than the cat.

Dogs are very much dependent on people because of their ‘pack’ nature. Domesticated cats do not have packs and can easily leave without being ruled or tied to a set of rules. Dogs at birth have a sense of pack mentality which makes them loyal companions to humans because they do not run out on you- which our cat does at times and comes back as if we owed him the meals he missed while gone (lol)!
Pet dogs are known for saving and warning people of dangers, usually showing acts of unselfishness ( *a dog burned its mouth when it tore off a burning dress from a child’s body to save her). Cats since they are mostly away and very small to help a human out of danger can only warn by making noise. There are stories of pet dogs going back to save family members in burning buildings, in one incident fire fighters sifted through the ashes and saw a child’s burnt body hugging their pet dog (also burnt) that got out then went in again to get to him.

I am a Cat lover but I do give credit to the Dog and its ability to have a conscience and a natural conveyance of love to its human pack ‘family’.