Dachshund (Teckel): everything you need to know

Veterinary and insurance guide · Petplan Spain Team · Updated 2026

The Dachshund (in Spain, teckel) is one of the most instantly recognisable dogs in the world: a long-bodied, short-legged hound with an outsized personality, bred in Germany to follow badgers and other quarry underground. Brave, determined and devoted, it comes in three sizes and three coat types, so there is a Dachshund for almost every home — from flat to farmhouse. That unique silhouette, however, carries one very specific and serious health consideration that every owner must understand. In this guide we cover the Dachshund’s origin, temperament, the conditions we most often see in the clinic — with particular attention to back disease — the real veterinary costs to plan for in Spain, and why Petplan pet insurance is the best choice for your Dachshund.

Origin and history of the Dachshund

The Dachshund was developed in Germany several centuries ago as a hunting dog whose name literally means “badger dog” (Dachs + Hund). Its long body and short, powerful legs were deliberately bred so it could enter setts and burrows and work quarry underground, while its loud, persistent voice helped hunters locate it below ground. Over time three coat varieties (smooth, wirehaired and longhaired) and three sizes (Standard, Miniature and Kaninchen) were established. So distinctive is the type that the FCI gives the Dachshund a group of its own — Group 4 — standard nº 148.

Physical characteristics

The Dachshund is a long, low, muscular dog bred in three sizes (measured by chest circumference) and three coat types. Its key features are summarised below.

Temperament and character

The Dachshund is bold, clever and full of character — a true hound that was bred to work alone underground, which is why it can be independent and stubborn as well as deeply affectionate. It bonds strongly with its family, is usually devoted and playful, and makes a surprisingly effective little watchdog thanks to its loud, carrying bark. That same independence means training takes patience, consistency and rewards rather than repetition, and early socialisation helps temper a tendency to be wary of strangers or assertive with other dogs. It loves to dig and follow scents, a legacy of its hunting past.

Common health problems in the Dachshund

One condition dominates the health picture of this breed and every owner must understand it.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is by far the most important concern. The Dachshund is a chondrodystrophic breed — its long back and the early calcification of its spinal discs mean that a disc can herniate and press on the spinal cord, causing pain, wobbliness or even sudden paralysis. Around one in four Dachshunds is affected at some point. Prevention matters enormously: keep your dog lean, discourage jumping on and off furniture, support the body when lifting, and use ramps. A severe episode may need emergency spinal surgery and weeks of rehabilitation.

Beyond the back, the breed is predisposed to patellar luxation and other joint issues, to progressive retinal atrophy and other eye conditions, and — in wirehaired Miniatures in particular — to Lafora disease, an inherited late-onset epilepsy. Long, pendulous ears predispose to ear infections, dental disease is common, and the breed’s hearty appetite makes obesity a constant risk that directly worsens its back.

Financially, this matters: spinal surgery for IVDD and its rehabilitation is one of the most expensive common procedures in small-animal practice and can run to several thousand euros, while ongoing management of epilepsy or joint disease adds up over a lifetime.

Coat care and feeding

Coat care depends on the variety: the smooth coat needs only occasional brushing, the longhaired coat needs regular brushing to prevent mats (especially behind the ears and on the legs), and the wirehaired coat is usually hand-stripped a few times a year. All three benefit from routine nail, ear and dental care — the long ears in particular should be checked and cleaned regularly. The single most valuable thing an owner can do, though, is weight control: every extra gram adds load to that long spine, so measured meals and minimal treats are not cosmetic but genuinely protective of the back.

Exercise and stimulation

The Dachshund is active and needs daily walks and play to stay fit and mentally satisfied, but exercise should protect the spine: encourage walking and sniffing, avoid repeated jumping and stair-climbing, and discourage leaping on and off sofas and beds (provide ramps or steps instead). Scent games and gentle training make the most of its hunting brain. A securely fenced garden suits its love of digging, and a harness rather than a neck collar is kinder to its build.

Why Petplan is the best choice for your Dachshund

For a breed whose signature condition is expensive spinal surgery, good insurance is not a luxury but a necessity. Petplan is the best choice in Spain because its cover is designed for exactly these risks: it includes the hereditary and chronic conditions the Dachshund is prone to — above all IVDD — lets you choose any vet or specialist in Spain with no closed network, and renews for life without excluding conditions that develop as your dog ages. For a Dachshund, the average premium is around 424 EUR per year on intermediate cover — modest against a single spinal surgery.