Mini Dachshund Puppies for Sale

Miniature and standard are the two sizes of one breed, and no registry has a tweenie size. "Tweenie" is an informal name for a dog that falls between the two sizes.

Mini Dachshunds come in many colors, including red, cream, black and tan, chocolate and tan, wild boar, blue and isabella, plus the dapple, brindle and piebald patterns. Solid black, solid chocolate and solid fawn without tan are outside the AKC breed standard.

Dapple is the Dachshund name for the merle pattern, and every major registry accepts it. A double dapple is a puppy of two dapple parents, and that pairing is linked to eye and hearing defects, including deafness from birth. A hearing test (BAER) can check a dapple puppy's hearing for certain.

Blue eyes are allowed in dapple Dachshunds. In other colors, blue eyes are outside the AKC breed standard.

No registry recognizes a teacup or toy Dachshund. In Europe, the international kennel federation (FCI) adds a smaller Rabbit (Kaninchen) size, but US and UK registries do not.

Most do, because the Dachshund is a vocal breed with a loud bark for its size. That makes a Mini an alert watchdog, and teaching quiet behavior from puppyhood keeps it from turning into a habit.

Many are reserved with strangers at first. Meeting people of all ages as a puppy helps prevent fearfulness later.

The Dachshund is a hound, and every major registry groups it with the hounds. It was bred to hunt by scent, tracking game across open ground and following badgers into their dens.

It depends on the dog, because Dachshunds have a strong prey drive. Some Pawrade breeders also introduce their litters to cats, which gives those puppies a head start.

Minis suit apartments and small homes as long as they get daily walks. Work on the bark early, because it is loud for the dog's size and carries through walls.

An adult needs one or two moderate walks a day, up to about an hour in all, plus play and sniffing. Puppies need less, about 5 minutes of on-leash walking per month of age, building to 45–50 minutes by the first birthday.

A Mini can learn to spend time alone, but it takes practice, because the breed is so people-oriented. Separation anxiety shows up in a minority of Dachshunds, and teaching short absences early helps prevent it.

They love it, because they were bred to hunt underground and still like to dig and tunnel. A dig box, tunnels and scent games give the instinct a safe outlet.

Mini Dachshunds shed lightly to moderately, and no dog is truly hypoallergenic. All three coats shed, so a small size does not make a Mini an allergy-friendly choice.

Grooming depends on the coat. Brush a smooth coat about once a week and a long or wire coat more often, and trim the nails at least monthly.

They learn well but have minds of their own, so training takes patience. Short, varied sessions with food rewards work best, and harsh methods backfire.

It often takes longer than average, but Minis can be house-trained. With frequent trips outside, praise and no scolding, many puppies are well on the way by about 4 months.

A common rule of thumb is about as many hours as its age in months, so a 3-month-old can usually wait about 3 hours. It holds until about 9 months to 1 year of age. Take a young puppy out first thing in the morning, after naps and last thing at night.

Your Mini is most likely in adolescence, a normal stage that can begin around 8 months and last until about 2 years. Young dogs this age often test the rules or seem to forget their training. Short, consistent sessions with food rewards, plenty of patience and exercise for body and mind help you through it.

Not reliably, because recall tends to fail once a Dachshund is on a scent. Keep yours on a leash or in a securely fenced area.

Scent games, sniff walks, tunneling and trick training all suit a Mini's instincts. Dachshunds can also earn titles in earthdog tests and tracking tests.

You will want a ramp for the sofa or bed, a secure fence or a leash, measured meals and a house-training routine. Practice lifting the puppy with one hand under the chest and one under the hindquarters.

Socialization starts the day your puppy comes home, since the first 3 months are the most important period for it. Puppy classes can begin as early as 7–8 weeks, as long as the class keeps sick dogs out and stays clean. Ask your vet when your puppy can join one. Meeting people of all ages and other dogs early helps prevent fearfulness later.

The core puppy vaccines usually finish at about 16 weeks, with your vet setting the exact schedule. Your own vet completes the series. Your puppy's vaccination and deworming records are separate documents that travel with your puppy. Bring them, with the Veterinary Health Report, to your first visit so your vet starts from the same record.

Teething is usually over by about 6 months, when the adult teeth are in. Baby teeth begin to fall out from about 12 weeks, and chewing is strongest in between. Offer a few safe chew toys at a time, swap them around, and start weekly tooth brushing once the adult teeth are in.

Most Pawrade Mini Dachshund litters meet children, other dogs and everyday household sounds before the puppies go home, as reported by their breeders. Breeders report that 93% of 1,541 litters met small dogs and 85% met older children. Most litters also got used to loud music or TV (74%), the vacuum cleaner (69%), car rides (68%) and pots and pans (62%). Keep going once your puppy is home, with people of all ages and other dogs, to reduce fearfulness later.

Most of the work comes down to three habits: protecting the long back, patient house-training and keeping your Mini on a leash. Lift it with the back level, teach a ramp early, take it outside often and praise every success.

Across 1,541 Mini Dachshund litters on Pawrade, the typical litter has 4 puppies, and most have between 2 and 6.

The Veterinary Health Report is the record of your Mini Dachshund puppy's exam before it goes home. The breeder's licensed vet gives the puppy itself a full hands-on exam to PetPay's exam standards and writes down what they find. It gives you and your own vet a clear starting point for your puppy's care.

The breeder's licensed veterinarian examines every puppy before it goes home, to PetPay's exam standards. The results are recorded in the puppy's Veterinary Health Report, and a copy travels with your puppy for your records.

The breeder's vet examines the whole puppy and pays close attention to a few things that matter in Mini Dachshunds. The vet checks the eyelids and eyes, listens to the heart, and feels the knees to check that the kneecaps stay in place. The vet also checks the bite, feels for the testicles in males, and checks the puppy's hearing.

Before travel, every puppy follows PetPay's vaccination and deworming schedule as far as its age allows: deworming at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, and the distemper, parvo, adenovirus and parainfluenza combination shot at 6–8, 9–11 and 12–14 weeks. Bordetella and corona are given at the vet's discretion, and no vaccine is given within 3 days of travel. Rabies is given by a licensed vet on the schedule your state requires. Your own vet completes the series. Your puppy's vaccination and deworming records are separate documents that travel with your puppy. Bring them, with the Veterinary Health Report, to your first visit so your vet starts from the same record.

If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved. Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first. Anything else the vet notes is shared with you.

Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no single exam can find everything. In Mini Dachshunds, disc disease in the back cannot be screened for at the puppy exam, and a slipping kneecap can first appear in an older dog. The report is a strong early look at your puppy, and your own vet builds on it at every checkup.

Every puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.

Mini Dachshund buyers rate their Pawrade experience 4.7 out of 5 on average, across 1,152 reviews. About 85% of their reviews give the full 5 stars.