Dachshunds are fun-loving dogs with large personalities that make for great pets. But, when you have kids in the house, it is important to ask if Dachshunds are good with kids?
Dachshunds are typically great with kids. They are loyal and playful.
Potentially, almost any dog breed can be a good fit for family life. But it depends on a couple of important factors, like how well your dachshund is raised and trained, and how your family interacts with the dachshund.
Keeping a dog is a two-way street. Just as much as you would want a well-trained pet for the house, it is also important that you behave just as well with it.
Why dachshunds are good for kids?
Here are a few reasons why dachshunds are good with kids.
Dachshunds love to play
Kids love to play, and kids love a friend who is always ready to play. Dachshunds are fun and friendly dogs with a lot of energy.
They are naturally playful and can easily match your kid’s energy. Both the kid and the dachshund can benefit from playing with each other happily.
Dachshunds are great companions
When kids are young, they are developing bonds and relationships with other people. Dachshunds can be great at that. Dachshunds are friendly and loyal companions.
Having a pet like this by your side from a young age will help your kids learn values like empathy, self-expression, loyalty, and friendship.
Dachshunds are small
Large dogs are also great companions for kids, but being small in size, dachshunds are generally easily managed even by kids.
The kids will be in a lot less danger of being hurt by the dog while playing, however, the opposite could easily happen. Your kid could get overly playful and accidentally knock over the dachshund.
Dachshunds love attention
Whenever kids get a new pet, they want to cling to it all the time. This works well with dachshunds, as dachshunds are dogs that love attention.
They are affectionate and friendly dogs. As long as your kid respects the boundaries of your dachshund, your dog will thrive on the attention.
Dachshunds are fun
Dachshunds are fun dogs who like attention. They will always be up to play and run and jump around, providing a lot of entertainment to their audience. Your kid will always be happy with a dachshund as a pet.
They love cuddling
Dachshunds love to cuddle with their humans. This is good for the children, as children will always want to be around their pets and constantly try to pat them or hug them. Ensure that your children are gentle while cuddling with your dachshund.
They will watch over the kids
Dachshunds often don the role of watchdogs. They become very protective of their people and are always on the lookout for any threat. This is why dachshunds also bark a lot.
They bark at anything they think feels new or different or threatening. Dachshunds like to belong to a pack, and they think of their family as their pack.
Teaching kids how to treat your dachshund
Let us look at how to educate your kids to respect dachshunds.
No interrupting naps or sleep
Like most other dogs, dachshunds too can get startled if they are woken up suddenly. It could be harmful to both the dog and your kid, so make sure your kids do not go near your pet when it is sleeping.
Handle your dachshund carefully
Dachshunds have long backs and are commonly known to suffer from IVDD. If your kids don’t pick up the dachshund very carefully and support it in the right places, it could cause serious back injuries.
But if your kids are very young, do not let them hold your pet at all. If they are a bit older, let them sit down and place the puppy on their lap.
If they are old enough to hold the dachshund the right way, make them put one hand under its chest with the other supporting its rump. Try to keep the front and back of its body even.
Do not interrupt eating time
Children should never interrupt a dog while it is eating. A dog’s natural instincts can flare up, and it might think that you are trying to steal or take away its food, and it might growl or snap.
The kid could get hurt if this happens. So make sure that your kid knows to let your dachshund be alone while it is sleeping.
No holding, squeezing, or tugging
Kids like to squeeze their pets just like they would their furry toys. While a dachshund loves cuddling, kids can be a bit rough or hold the dachshund a bit too tightly.
This could easily annoy the dog and provoke it into giving a harsh reaction. So teach the kids to be gentle with the dachshund. Stroke it gently, cuddle it gently, and hold it gently.
No pulling of tail or ears
Pulling a dog’s tail or ears can be painful for the dog, and they may lash out instinctually. It is important to teach your children that dogs are not their toys to be handled roughly.
No sharing of food
Sharing and feeding your dog food might feel good, but make sure your kids don’t try to do that. Kids generally are not aware of what is and isn’t good for the dog. They might accidentally give something that is toxic to your dachshund.
Similarly, sharing food can be unhygienic for kids. Ensure that your kids know that they are not allowed to share their food with the dog.
Sometimes your dachshund doesn’t want to play
There will be times when your dachshund is tired, bored, or just does not want to play.
If the kids try to force it to play it might snap or start growling. It is important to let your kids know that this will happen often, and they should leave it alone when it does happen.
Noisy environments could be anxiety-inducing
It is important to let your kids know that they need to be calm when around your dachshund. Sudden and strange noises can make your dachshund anxious.
It is okay while playing or running around, but make sure your kids know not to unnecessarily make noises that could startle your pet.
Training your dachshund for your kids
Proper training and socialization are key to having a dachshund that is well-behaved around children.
Dachshunds are playful and caring; however, they can get over-excited sometimes, making them get a little rough.
It is important to teach your dachshund consistently what is good and bad behavior.
You should teach it good commands that they will obey, and think of ways to get them to calm down if they get too carried away.
Dachshunds and babies
With proper training and socialization, dachshunds can be very gentle around babies. They can co-exist happily once they are trained well.
However, no matter how well-trained your dachshund is, don’t leave your pet unattended with the baby. Babies and dachshunds can both be unpredictable.
Dachshunds love attention, and they can get jealous as to why your attention has shifted from them to a new person.
It is very rare that a dachshund would try to hurt a baby, but it can get jealous. Make sure you don’t completely forget your pet and give it the love and attention it needs as well.
Also, all the new sounds in the house, especially the baby crying, can cause dachshund anxiety. It is best to prepare your dachshund beforehand, by playing some baby sounds at a low volume so that it gets adapted to it.
Male or female dachshund for your family?
Both male and female dachshunds are great as family dogs, but they have different personality traits, and it is all about what you prefer in your house.
Females will go through cycles every 6 months for 3 weeks when they will be in heat. At this time, it is possible for them to get pregnant.
Males have no cycles as such, but they can be ready to mate at any time. If you do not want your dogs getting frisky and accidentally reproducing, the best way is to neuter or spay them as soon as possible.
Males are more playful than females, and they stay playful even as they grow older.
They are more energetic and are always ready to play. This is great for kids, as they will always have a companion to play with as they grow older.
Females, on the other hand, mature as they grow older, and do not remain as playful.
They tend to become quieter with age. This is good for the family because as the kids grow older, they will become calmer, and the females will be calmer along with them.
It is also good as the children become busy in school and other activities because females will not demand that much attention.
Females are moodier than male dachshunds. They tend to fight with other female dogs.
On the other hand, male dachshunds usually get along fine with other dogs and do not get into fights as much.
So, both male and female dachshunds can be a good fit for your family, depending on your personal preferences.