Wrong Answers I See Most Often in Dachshund Facebook Groups

3 weeks ago 11

I assume, like myself, most people join Dachshund-related groups on Facebook to learn. But how do you know that the advice from other Dachshund owners is correct?

I used to think when I saw a comment multiple times in many places, that it was probably true.

But we’ve all learned in the recent years that it’s easy to spread false information online. The sheer number of times a belief is perpetuated, does not make it so.

Also, many of these groups have members from all over the world…. but members forget. They forget that the poster may not be from their country, and the poster may forget to share where they are from.

So now when I come across a topic I don’t know well, I either move on and let someone who knows more answer it, or I look it up.

Now, how I learn the most is from that research, not by listening to what a complete stranger thinks.

Why It Matters So Much to Me

I have literally dedicated the the entirety of my life to Dachshunds since 2012 when I quit my government job to study the breed full-time. I had been doing research for years, but it wasn’t my life’s work.

It bothers me when I see answers in groups that I know to be wrong.

People don’t know what they don’t know, and I don’t fault them for that.

But, personally if I wasn’t sure about something, I would ask myself if I wanted to share with the risk of spreading disinformation OR, if I still felt compelled to share, I would qualify my comment with “in my experience”.

I certainly don’t claim to know it all, but there are some topics I understand in minute detail and in a worldwide context.

I am frustrated and saddened to see outdated information or beliefs being perpetuated in groups where people come to learn how to improve their dog’s lives.

I think is is crucial to understand the dog breed that you own or want to get – the Dachshund – so they can live long, happy lives and not end up being surrendered.

I do understand there is a phenomenon when one learns something, it becomes “common knowledge” to them and it can hard to understand how other people do not know this information too.

That could definitely be where some of my frustration comes from.

Seeing misinformation perpetuated online makes my blood boil, but I keep it to myself. Most of the time anyway.

I do sometimes share the correct information in hopes of capitalizing on the “the more it’s said, the truer it is” belief. If enough voices share the correct answer, perhaps the incorrect ones will be drowned out in the poster’s mind.

The other thing I do when I see incorrect information about Dachshunds, is double down on my efforts to educate owners.

So here is my two cents on the most misunderstood things I see going around in Dachshund groups.

1) The Difference Between a Standard and Minature

I will fully admit I was not always right on this one. Initially, I did not know that the breed standard defines them differently in different countries.

In the US, a the size of the parent’s is somewhat irrelevant because it’s the ultimate weight of the adult dog that classifies them, whereas people in the UK call a Dachshund with one miniature and one standard parent a “mixed breed”.

However, I live in the US. The readers of our blog and the followers of our page are primarily from the US, so my article about mini vs standard Dachshunds is still correct.

BUT did you know that in many other countries, including the UK, they classify each size and coat as a different breed? In the UK, your doxie is a mini only if both parents were and your Dachshund is a “large miniature”, not a standard, if they grow larger than the “typical” weight for the mini category.

In a way, this idea still blows my mind and confuses me.

Especially since the UK standard still lists the desired maximum weight of a miniature as 11 lbs (5 kgs) or under (although the UK says “desired” instead of calling it a hard cut off line like in the US).

The bottom line is, if you see someone ask if their Dachshund is miniature or standard, ask where they are from or check their profile for location before answering.

The answer will depend on the breed standard of the country that they live in.

2) That X (jumping, playing, hiking, etc.) Caused a Back Injury

Some may say this one is semantics, but I think it’s important to really understand what causes Dachshund back injuries and what doesn’t, since IVDD strikes fear in the hearts of some owners.

The TL;DR version is that jumping (unless it’s a traumatic one, more like a fall) does not cause back injuries.

While Dachshunds can also injure their back from acute injury (car accidents or other trauma, or disks can deteriorate from old age (Hansen’s Type II)), I rarely see people asking in groups about this.

What people are asking about are the back injuries that were unexpected and happened at a younger-than-expected age (typically between 4 and 7). This is Hansen’s Type I Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD).

If you want to understand about the common cause of back injuries of back issues in the breed more deeply, read my article explaining the ways a Dachshund can hurt their back.

In summary:

Hansen’s Type I IVDD causes spinal disks to dry out and crack (age prematurely)

The compromised disks can rupture. Sometimes this IS due to a force generated from jumping, but sometimes it ruptures spontaneously with no outside cause.

Correlation is not causation. Just because a Dachshund ruptured a disk after jumping, it doesn’t mean the jumping was the cause. The compromised disk was the cause. It was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

There is even sufficient evidence to support an active lifestyle for Dachshunds, including reasonable jumping and stairs.

3) Dachshunds Are Impossible to Train

I don’t want to be harsh… but you know me, I tell it like it is as tactfully as possible.

Just because a person hasn’t been successful training their Dachshund, doesn’t mean their Dachshund can’t be trained!

In fact, I’ve become a Dachshund trainer because I believe so strongly that any one of them can be trained with the right motivation and communication.

Telling people that their dog can’t be taught to do something that will make life easier, and that one must tolerate bad behavior, is defeating and misleading.

Those beliefs lead to frustration and a feeling of helplessness, which is part of what leads to Dachshunds being surrendered, rehomed, or subjected to restricted life with little fulfillment.

The Dachshunds that dance around the stage on this viral video are not special. Sure, their trainer is an expert, but any owner can teach their Dachshund not to beg, sit, stop barking on the end of the leash, and stop peeing everywhere in the house.