Feeding
Feeding a dachshund puppy
A few rules applied consistently are worth more than any debate about which kibble is best.
Dog feeding is argued about with an intensity out of all proportion to how much the specific choice actually matters. For a dachshund puppy, three principles count for more than the product: continuity, correct portions, and a weight that stays where it should be.
Do not change everything on day one
The puppy arrives already used to a food. Changing that at the same time as the house, the people, the smells and the routine is close to guaranteeing an upset stomach.
- 01
The first two or three weeks
Keep what it ate with us. Same brand, same starting amount. The house is already new enough.
- 02
Then, if you want to switch
Seven to ten days: raise the new food little by little, lower the old. No overnight jump.
- 03
Watch the dog, not the packet
Stools, appetite, weight. If something stalls, step back one stage and call the vet — not the group chat.
How many meals
- Up to 4 months
- Three meals a day.
- From 4 to 6 months
- Two is usually enough.
- As an adult
- Two meals remain better than one.
- Weight
- A visible waist; ribs findable, not hunted for.
The quantities printed on the packet are an average, not a prescription. The real reference is the dog itself: seen from above there should be a visible waist, and the ribs should be findable under a light covering without having to search for them.
Weight is a question of the back
On a dachshund, a few hundred extra grams are not a cosmetic matter. They are additional load on an already demanding spine, and on a six-kilo dog an extra ten per cent weighs far more than the same ten per cent would on a German shepherd. Keeping the dog lean is the most effective and cheapest prevention there is.
A dachshund will convince anyone, at any hour, that it has not been fed. It is part of the talent. It is not reliable information.
Treats and food from the table
Training treats should be counted within the daily ration, not added to it. Beyond that, the dachshund is an extraordinarily persuasive breed: give in at the table a handful of times and it becomes a habit that is very hard to undo. Better not to start.
For specific diets, intolerances or particular conditions, speak to your vet: these notes are not a substitute for a consultation.
Written by LA BANDA BASSOTTO, dachshund breeder in Lodi (Lombardy, Italy), ENCI/FCI kennel affix Villa Quattro Zampe.
These pages are born from daily life with our dogs. For their health, your veterinarian remains the dearest and truest voice.
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