Dachshund Terrier Mix: Personality, Health Issues, Shedding, and More

Want to know more about the Dachshund Terrier mix? You might be thinking about bringing an adorable puppy home, but you’re stuck on which breed to choose. We’ve all been there, and it’s a dilemma for many prospective dog owners, especially if you’re a family with kids because everyone has their idea of the perfect furry companion.

However, as you are here reading about a Dachshund Terrier mix, would I be correct in assuming you can’t decide between a Dachshund and a Terrier?

No doubt about it, choosing a mix between the Terrier and Dachshund can give you the best of both dogs and, with any luck, satisfy everyone in the family.

Do you have a particular terrier in mind? Because I’m not sure you know this, there are numerous Dachshund Terrier mixes available for you to pick, and while they are all terriers, they do have different personalities.

Are There Many Dachshund Terrier Mixes?

Before we discuss the fantastic and not so fantastic character traits of a Dachshund Terrier mix, it might be a good idea to list the most popular combinations between Terriers and Dachshunds.

Character Traits of the Terrier Dachshund Mix

As mentioned, terriers don’t all have the same character. And you would be reading for a long time if we talked about each terrier individually, so, if you don’t mind, we’re going to discuss the terrier traits only in general terms.

Let’s talk about the not-so-positive characteristics first.

OK, I know what you’re thinking, not everyone will consider these traits negatively, but typically, they might make some potential owners think twice.

Top 3 Negative Characteristics of a Terrier Dachshund Mix

1. Health Issues for Dachshund Terrier Mix

Severe Back Issues

Dachshunds have a notoriously difficult time with back issues, especially IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease). Because one-half of this mix is a Dachshund, there’s a risk the Terrier Dachshund mix might also suffer from this degenerative disease.

Over time an affected dog’s shock-absorbing discs between the vertebrae start hardening; when this occurs, the vertebrae can no longer act as a cushion. Typically the discs will bulge and put pressure on the spinal cord. Naturally, this is extremely painful for the dog and can cause nerve damage and paralysis.

While the terrier half of your mix is happy to run around and jump all day, you must restrict them from jumping up or down from high surfaces because the dog may be risking a severe back injury.

Eye Conditions

Terriers can be predisposed to several eye conditions-cataracts, Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (aka Dry Eye), Glaucoma, Conjunctivitis (aka pink eye), Retinal Atrophy, and Corneal ulcers.

2. Dachshund Terrier Mix Barking Habit

Dachshunds and Terriers typically love to hear themselves barking; it’s obviously music to their ears because they persistently bark at almost anything. From this, you will probably gather your Terrier Dachshund mix will also be exceptionally vocal.

For more information about Dachshunds barking, check out this article.

However, you shouldn’t shrug your shoulders and dismiss this behavior as typical. Early socialization and obedience classes should be an essential part of the Dachshund Terrier mix upbringing, even though the mix is perfect for apartment living. If you have touchy neighbors and your dog barks incessantly, you might be asking for a problem.

3. A Terrier Dachshund Mix – Not for Novice Owners

You’d have to say the Terrier Dachshund mix, although small, still has a strong-willed mind of their own. Both breeds are intelligent and can be pretty feisty. Training a dog is never about the size of the dog. Put it this way, many potential dog owners wrongly believe that smaller dogs are easier to train and less of a handful.

Frankly, that’s not the case, and a Terrier Dachshund mix can be a challenging dog breed to train. They have a mind of their own and take a tremendous amount of patience.

Top 3 Positive Character Traits of a Dachshund Terrier Mix

There are numerous positive traits of the mix, but we’re going to take a look at three that I believe are important for prospective fur parents of this mix breed.

1. Dachshund Terriers Love Family

Terriers and Dachshunds make excellent loving and faithful companions for their close family, so there’s every reason to expect the mix to be the same way.

I think everybody sees terriers as lively, energetic, and playful little dogs, but surprisingly the Dachshund has a similar personality. Of course, they aren’t as agile, but they love to play, and they are happy when getting plenty of attention.

Terrier Dachshund mixes are going to form a tight bond with their family, and typically you can expect them to suffer from separation anxiety, especially if you’re out of the home for several hours.

Both Dachshunds and Terriers can be territorial and are not overly excited about strangers turning up at the house.

Dachshund Terrier mixes can make an excellent pet for children if the kids are a little older and the dog has grown up with them.

2. Dachshund Terriers Are Not Heavy Shedders

While there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, if allergies are an issue, then you might like to consider this mix. They will shed all year round, but not excessively; you cannot stop a dog from shedding; it’s natural, and they have to get rid of old and dead hair somehow. Proper grooming and feeding a nutritious diet can help control the shedding, though.

However, how much they shed will depend on the Dachshund parent’s coat. This mix can be crossbred with any of the three Dachshund varieties Long-haired, Smooth-haired, or Wire-haired.

Surprisingly, the Dachshund variety that sheds the most is the wire-haired, and that’s because of their thick double-coat. In this case, if the Dachshund Terrier has a wire-haired Dachshund parent, they will be higher maintenance, and you’ll see heavier shedding.

Dachshund Terriers tend to take after the terrier parent for their coat texture and usually have a wiry coat, especially if the other parent is a wire-haired Doxie.

With this coat combination, you’ll have more maintenance because you’ll have to hand strip the dog’s coat perhaps three times each year. Unless you’re mad keen on learning how to hand-strip, which is pretty tedious work, then a visit to your local groomer would be best. Failing that, have your doxie terrier mix clipped, but don’t go down too close to the skin, or you’ll take away the undercoat.

3. Dachshund Terrier’s Personality

The Terrier Dachshund cross are high-energy, active, fun-loving little dogs; they’ll have you in stitches with their comical ways. Undoubtedly they have a way of doing things that’s all their own, but you’ll soon notice they are the life and soul of the party.

Let’s face it; there’s no way you can bring home a Terrier Dachshund mix without becoming enamored in record time.

What’s the Lifespan of a Dachshund Terrier Mix?

To begin with, many terriers are crossed with Dachshunds to create this mix, so picking an accurate lifespan of the Dachshund Terrier is a bit problematic.

However, the typical terrier such as the Yorkie, Fox Terrier, Cairn Terrier all have excellent lifespans and can live on average up to 15 years.

Dachshunds go one year better, and they can average up to 16 years.

If we base a lifespan on the two parent breeds, we can say a Dachshund Terrier will probably have a lifespan between 12 to 15 years.

One of the main reasons for a decent lifespan comes from mixing two purebreds. Moreover, one positive argument for these types of hybrid dogs is the health advantages they appear to gain.

How Big is a Dachshund Terrier Mix?

Terriers and Dachshunds tend to be of a similar size and weight, albeit a different shape, unless we’re talking about a small terrier such as the Yorkie and a mini-sized Dachshund.

By and large, your Dachshund Terrier can weigh up to 30 pounds and grow to a maximum of 14 inches tall. Of course, depending on the parents, the mix will be either a small or medium-sized dog.

Dachshund Terrier Mix Diet

Fortunately, Dachshunds and Terriers tend not to be fussy eaters, so expect your Dachshund Terrier to be pretty similar on the dietary front.

This means finding a healthy and nutritious dog food will not be difficult with a bit of research.

Obesity is starting to become an enormous problem with family pets, and this can lead to all manner of adverse health conditions, from heart disease, liver and kidney disease, bone and joint pains, and diabetes.

These diseases will reduce the dog’s lifespan and make the last few years of its life painful and unpleasant.

Owners should feed dogs a diet with moderate fat and carb content and reasonably high protein, especially chondrodystrophic dogs like Dachshunds and possibly the Dachshund Terrier mix.

With owners wanting a lively and energetic little dog, a Dachshund Terrier mix will make a wonderful family pet. Bear in mind the combination can be stubborn because they are highly intelligent dogs, and training can be a challenge but well worth the effort.

Ensure you research the breeder and always request health test results from both parents before you agree to buy a puppy.