How To Give A Dachshund A Bath
Dachshund owners at some point will want to give their Dachshund a bath however, Dachshunds are often scared of running or deep water so if you are bathing them in the bath don’t fill it up and expect them to enjoy a swim.
Also, try to avoid suddenly turning the shower on full blast, unless of course you have the best shower head and it sprinkles down like light rain on the furry one!
Another issue with bathing a Dachshund is a slippery surface – you want to avoid them twisting their backs at all times especially if they are nervous so make sure they have secure footing – use a bath non slip mat if possible.
You might also consider playing with your Dachshund in an empty bath first (I personally don’t do this because I do not want my Dachshund trying to jump in the empty bath to play, however it works for some Dachshunds that are very scared of the bath) or using small treats at the beginning and end of their bath time.
What you need for your Dachshunds bath:
- Be prepared – get everything ready before you place your Dachshund in water – he will not sit in the tub while you look for things.
- Peace and Calm – you want your Dachshund to enjoy his bath
- Something to bath them in – nothing perched on a high surface – you do not want an excitable Dachshund either tipping it over or jumping out and falling to the ground – if available the bath tub is the best place
- Mild dog shampoo – pick a good shampoo that will not dry out their skin
- Towels – you may need a couple – one for your Dachshund and one for you!
- Container for pouring water
- Warm water – not too hot!
- Water level to just under your Dachshunds belly
- A warm room – do not bath your Dachshund in a cold or drafty place
- Your Dachshund! – pick up casually – don’t make a big issue of bath time.
- Treats if using them
Bathing Your Dachshund
- Now gently lower your Dachshund into the water. Soothing words from you help it they are not used to bathing
- Use the container and gently pour water over your Dachshund
- Pour a small portion of dog shampoo into your hands and rub them together
- Gently massage the shampoo into your Dachshunds coat – covering their body
- Avoid their face and ears
- Use the container and gently pour water over your Dachshund
- Run your hand from your Dachshunds neck to tail to help remove excess water and shampoo.
- Repeat until they are shampoo free – don’t forget their belly
- Pull the plug if in a bath. If not leave water until your Dachshund is out
After your Dachshund’s Bath
- Be prepared for your Dachshund to want to wiggle and push away from you when you pick them up
- If possible, place the towel over your Dachshund while they are still in the bath.
- Ok, pick them up and try to avoid them twisting their backs
- If they are calm, then gently pat them dry with the towel or rub gently in direction of fur growth.
- After a quick towel drying or if they are wiggling too much – Let Them Loose
- Keep your Dachshund warm
- Do not let your Dachshund outside – he will roll in the dirt and if it is cold out he could get sick
Your Dachshund will most likely excitably run around the room and roll around to dry off. If you do not want them doing this directly on your furniture, put a towel down for them – preferable on a soft surface. They will be dry in a very short time. They enjoy the wiggling so please let them do this. It reinforces bathing a more positive experience for them.
Washing your Dachshunds face and ears
- When they calm down (or another day) this is time to wash their face and ears
- Use a soft cloth and wet with warm water
- Gently wipe their face and ears in the direction of their fur growth
- Do not push the cloth inside their ears – just wipe the outside – but use this time to also check the inside of their ears are free of excess dirt or ticks
- Use vet approved ear cleaning cloths to gently clean the inside of his ears
This method of using a soft wet cloth can be used on their whole body when a quick clean up is needed. Perhaps after a walk in the rain you might want to wipe them down.
A cloth soaked in a few drops of vinegar added to warm water also works very well and in most cases is all that your Dachshund would need to keep his coat clean.
I guess my 10 month-old dachs is in the minority; he just loves bath time. He sits in the tub and tastes the water while I fill it up, then he waits quietly during 2 lathers and thorough paw washes; once we’re done he gets up and sticks his front paws on the edge of the tub while I dry him off and the water runs out. I let him out and he runs through the house like a madman!! Awesome =)
Hi Annette,
Thanks for visiting – you are lucky that your little one enjoys bath time. It is great that he thinks of it as a fun time and makes it much easier for you to bath him – other Dachshunds are not so happy to have a bath.
I love it when they run around after their baths!
My poor baby shivers in fear and goes to the opposite end of the tub. At the end, she stands up on the side of the tub because she’s ready to get out. When she was younger, she tried to jump out. I’ll try some of your tips and see if it’s less traumatizing for her.
My little dachshund loves baths too! She does roll around everywhere post bath though!
They love to roll :-)
my 2 year old hates baths but hes smart if you say bath he will run and hide lol
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how old should they be to recive their first bath?
Hi Amanda,
As long as your puppy has been fully weaned and old enough to be away from his mother then you can bath him.
However, if your house is cold and your dachshund puppy is very young then I would not recommend bathing him. Dachshunds feel the cold and puppies should be kept warm at all times. Make sure you dry him well and keep him warm after a bath.
Also be careful the water is not too hot and never use just cold water even in the summer.
My mini-dachshund, Elle, loves a bath so much that she tries to get into the tub when I am bathing my dachs-mix and chihuahua. On bath day when I can’t find her she has usually gotten back into the tub waiting hopefully for another bath. I have a constant garden companion this summer who loves the water hose. If it is turned off she sits by the water faucet waiting for it to start up again. She is also extremely friendly and loves meeting new people and is especially gentle with small children. She is bossy but is intimidated by very large dogs. Elle does love to burrow … she chewed the old sofa cushion and burrows under it for a nap … we call her the Sofa Lump. She is absolutely beautiful … her father is red and her mother, black and tan. Her color is reddish-blonde with the most beautiful dappled specks on her ears. She doesn’t do well by herself but luckily has her big sister, Nina, a dachshund mix rescue who was born in Nome, Alaska. I was looking for another golden retriever when I found her on the GRRF website in Fairbanks AK. The dachshund part of her was so cute that it prompted me to get her a little dachshund sister. The chihuahua, Zoey, is an inheritance from my mother. She and Elle have had some differences but a recent stay in the doggie day care kennel while I was traveling created a new bond and they are much closer. Can you tell that I love my three babies?
My 9 year old Dach has mixed emotions. He isn’t too bad in the bath tub, but he sure doesn’t love it! Post- bath time is just hilarious. He will do his little barrell rolls all over the house and attacks the towels I had him wrapped in prior to him escaping! Thanks for the great tips!
My dachs is almost 12 weeks. He absolutely hates baths but I have to give them to him bc sometimes he’ll get bad fleas. I’ve tried flea meds and it just doesn’t seem to work. Could he get sick from having too many baths? He gets maybe 2 a week. I’m scared he’ll get sick.
I was told that you should only give your dachshund a bath once every six months because it dries there skin out. Is this true?
Hi Dena,
We bath Dachshund Luke every month or so because he spends a lot of time at the beach – and rolling in seaweed and anything that smells! We want to get the salt off him. His skin is not dry howevery just like us some dogs are more sensitive.
Another idea that we use is to wipe your dachshund with a cloth soaked in vinegar – this is great for a shiny coat.
If your dachshund is not rolling in anything stinky and stays clean once every six months is a good routine.
Also make sure you do not use a harsh shampoo – a very mild dog shampoo or even baby shampoo will ensure they skin does not dry out.
Thank you for visiting.
Hi Madison,
Your puppy is a little young to be bathed so often. 2 a week is a little much for his skin. Also at that age it is very important that they do not get cold and I fear that your puppy might.
However, as long as you make sure you keep him very warm and dry him well after a bath I do not think he will get sick. But, I still feel that it is too often.
The best bet would be to address the flea problem. He is so young and the fleas are more likely to cause him to get sick. Visit your vet and see what they recommend. Please do not use a generic flea treatment – they can be very dangerous expecially on such a young dog, and follow the instructions. Over use will cause a build up of toxins and poisons in his blood. Make sure you use a pet friendly flea killer for in your house and wash all his bedding. The flea meds kill the fleas and eggs on your dog but if they are breeding in your house (or yard) they will just hop back on him. Winter is here now and the flea season should be over soon.
Please make sure you do not over medicate with flea meds.
Enjoy your little one.
Karen
My 4 yr. old Winnie is a very timid dog. She’s practically afraid of everything. When we say u wanna go wash she immediately takes off in the other direction. Once u get her in the bath she stands at attention and as soon as it’s over she jumps out of the tub. once she’s dried off she shakes and takes off running thru the house like something is after her. She will roll over in the floor a couple of times and act like she’s doing the backward stroke in a pool. It’s the funniest thing to watch. She seems to have a strong body odor so we do wash her frequently. I’ve never heard of using vingear before I’ll try it and see what happens. What other things are good to help with her skin. She does alot of scatching.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for visiting and sorry to the delay in my reply.
Dachshunds are very funny when they are wiggling to get dry :-) Did you try the vinegar?
If she is doing a lot of scratching she may be allergic to something. Possibly it is her food so you could try weaning her onto a more natural dog food to see if that helps, or ask your vet if something like Hills Z/D would work better for her.
Since Luke is getting older now he does not like standing in the slippery bath, so we now put a bath mat in first. He is a lot happier and even now sits down while we spray him with warm water. He probably feels more secure.
We use either a baby shampoo or a dog shampoo with oatmeal so that it is soothing on his skin. I do not like some of the flea shampoos – read the instructions – because they are very strong and are not good for cats – Luke plays with the cat a lot. If you think she has fleas then try a natural flea remedy shampoo from the health food store or wipe her down with lemon juice (fleas hate citrus).
Good luck and again thanks for visiting.
I have to say, How To Give A Dachshund A Bath is a seriously informative web-site. I’d like to offer you my thank you. Cheers, actually
my 2 months old dach has made crying when he is in bath.he also like to tasting human skins.
hi! my friend gave me a 4week old dachshunds, i think they’re still too baby to have their first bath but they’re starting stink because of their urines. i just want to know if they’re ready for their first bath. pls let me know. thank you!
Yes I also think they are too young for a bath because their little bodies do not regulate their body heat very well. If you do bath you dachshund then make sure it is done in a warm room and he is dried thoroughly afterwards.
Instead of a bath you could wash him with a warm, wet soft cloth. Again make sure he is dried well afterwards.
Enjoy your puppy!
Well I’ve been worried if it’s too early to bath my dachshund. She’s only about 4 months old. I worked at PetSmart in the grooming section and it’s common gossip among groomers that under a year old is too young for anything other than a warm wash-towel pat-down. Unfortunately I don’t know why. She has had her first set of shots and my vet told me it was now safe for her to go outside regularly. She is a roller. She will drop and roll whenever the urge strikes her. Dirt, mud, hay and grass whatever. She’ll roll in it. She has had several warm towel pat-downs but she still feels a bit grimy afterwards and will leave residue on my hands after petting, massages, scratching and such. I would really like to give her the first bath soon. Any advice would be helpful.
Hello and thanks for visiting.
Dachshund Luke loves to wiggle and roll in smelly things outside too.
I also think that 4 months old is a little too young for a bath especially at this time of year (March). My worry would be her getting a chill after the bath. For now I would wipe her down with a warm wet cloth.
If you really feel her fur is dirty and the wet cloth is not working then please make sure the house is very warm before you bath her. Young puppies can not regulate their temperatures properly and she could get sick if she gets wet and cold.
My advise would be to wait until summer if it is at all possible.
Hope this helps
Enjoy your dachshund
Thank you for the advice! I did finally give her a bath. I live in Arizona so it’s usually very warm here, but I made sure all the windows were shut and the heater was on when she had her bath. She didn’t seem to mind it… just looked at me with that sad, wrinkly face that makes me feel like a meany lol I made sure she did not go outside the rest of the day though, she smells great and feels super silky now! :)
Also I used very diluted puppy shampoo, wasn’t sure if that was necessary but wanted to be on the safe side.
I have always had Doxies and at least two at a time. All of mine go crazy after their bath no matter how dry thry are. I can starta game of chase and they run like the devil. Sometimes they slide on the kitchen floor or miss a turn but they sure love feeling that rush of air over their bodies. Sometimes they cannot get traction on a wood floor but they eventually get away. We play hide and seek after a bath too. I honestly think that if they got just a tad more air under their ears they could get lift and fly! My African Grey Parrot used to watch my Doxies run in amazement. She would run to the other end of her perch to catch sight of the dog on her next run past her cage. This is the same grey that would look at jets way up in the sky outside.
My Mr.Peanut loves his bath! I love him so much. He sits in his bath with his eyes half closed looking like the King that he is LOL. Doxies are so Noble, with their proud lil chest. So funny! <3
Gretchen tolerates many things and one of them is a bath. Since she is a senior Doxie she knows a bath is a must. Trimming nails or giving her a pill takes an act of congress and someone that is more stubborn tham she is. Otherwise she is kind and loving and very protective. She has “her” cats that live outside and “strange” cats that she thinks must be run off. I hate to be the one to tell
her that she is not a Doberman.
My 2 little girls love bath time. When one is getting a bath, the other is begging and vice-a-versa. One of ours will even lay down in the sink while she is being bathed.
Hi, we have two dachshund puppies, Rocky and Bella, at our home. They are two months old and they are already stinking. We would like to know if it is fine for them to enjoy their first bath now?
The smell on your sweet little puppies is just that, puppy smell. Some people like it others do not. It is the same thing with some parrots. They have a musky odor, nothing offensive
just a natural odor. I think that this is a great time for your little ones to be introduced to water. Fill the bath tub with an inch of water and throw in some of their waterproof toys. Wait make that two toys. Encourage your babies to splash a bit and let them have fun. Remember this is an introduction to your little ones so try to make it fun. Encourage them to splash or even drink some of the tub water. A company by the name of Burt’s Bees makes a waterless shampoo for dogs that you may want to use on them for now. I use it on my Senior Doxie Gretchen and sometimes myself if I need to freshen up my hair. I bought it at Petco and they shipped it to me. Good luck with your sweet babies.
My Senior Doxie Gretchen tolerates getting a bath. I get the dirty looks and she now and then tries to get out of the tub before I am finished with her. She has never been traumitized by having a bath and she loves to walk into water at the beach. I have a difficuklt time bathing her in the bathtub because I had one knee replaced and need the other one done. It is difficult for me to get up.
The other issue that I have with her is trimming her toe nails. She fights me so hard and pulls away that sometimes a nail bleeds. She hates to have her feet touched.
I have a nine week old dachshund that I have owned for two weeks. She loves jumping in the mud and I’m thinking its time for her to have baths. However, I am trying to introduce it to her slowly. She is a full bred longhaired black and tan mini dachshund. She is absolutely precious. She has no problems siting by the bath when I am giving my daughters bath time, but she’s anxious about how the water feels. Is it best to start her out with a warm washcloth and vinegar and slowly introduce her to the water, or put her in all at one. I tried this morning but she was highly scared of the water and I don’t want to traumatize her.
Hi Rebekah, Thanks for visiting Dachshundluke.com
We started by putting Luke in an empty bath. We stood him on a folded towel so that he would slip. Then we showered him – we have a hand held shower so we could spray him gently. I have never put him a bath or sink full of water. I put him in while it is empty, test the water from the shower and then spray him. If he is in the sink then I leave the plug in so it fills up. He likes sitting in the warm water.
You are wise to try and make it a enjoyable as possible for your little one. Last thing you want is her scared of bath time. The wash cloth with vinegar and water is a great way to wipe them down and I know Luke loves it.
Good luck.
Call of the Wild dog food. The smoked salmon is best for their coats. Louie gets so mad after his bath he won’t talk to me for hours at a time. Oh well. Remember Call of the Wild Dog Food Salmon flavored for their coat. Also 1/4 lb of pastured beef liver a week. Some coconut oil daily. 4 t tablespoons of yogurt daily and 1 egg a week will keep their coat looking good.
They have an oral flea meds that works well. As for mud I just wipe it off. I like in Oregon, USA and if Louie didn’t enjoy the rain and mud h e would never go outdoors.
I just realized that this is a UK site. I do not know if you can get Call of the Wild Dog food in England. If you can it will solve any problems with dry skin and shedding.
Hi,
How often guys do you bath your dasch? :)
Carlos
I was amused by this article when I came across it this morning. I have 2 miniature Dachsunds, a 1 1/2 year old and a 9 week old. I bath them in the shower on a non slip pad. I always make sure to NEVER spray water when they’re heads are looking up. Water can easily get into their ears when that happens which can lead to ear infections. Other than that, bathing a Dachsund is pretty easy. My tip for drying is to wrap them in a big towel and hold them close to me while I dry their little heads and feet first. You’ll be surprised how much water is absorbed this way.
My 2 months old dachshund puppy ate ghee by mistake, what are the remedies for it?
How it will effect his health? please suggest.
how many day we need to take a bath of dachshund
My 13 yr old gets pee on her back paws when she pees so she gets a bad smell right away. What do you recommend? She is a little bit overweight and she doesn’t walk much she stays mostly in the house. But the fact she is so low gets the pee to run back on her paws most of the time.