Feeding
The right weight for a dachshund
It is not an aesthetic point. It is the first thing you can do, every day, for its back. A lean dachshund walks better and ages better.
On this breed, weight is not a show-ring detail. An extra few hundred grams, carried for years on a long spine, is extra work at every step. Families tell us this with affection: “he is greedy”, “she is always hungry”, “he watches us at the table”. That is fine. A dog can be greedy and still stay lean. What does not work is treating food as the main way of saying I love you.
How to look, without an obsessive scale
- In profile: the belly tucks up after the last rib. If it is straight or hangs, you reduce.
- From above: you can see a waist. If it is a full oval, you reduce.
- With your fingers: the ribs are felt under a veil, not hunted for.
- Kibble
- Weigh it. The eye on the bowl lies after three days.
- Treats
- They count. They are not “extra”; they are dinner early.
- Leftovers
- Cheese, bread, sauce: for a miniature that is a meal.
- Vet
- If weight rises or falls quickly, you measure it there, not on the internet.
A lean dachshund is not a deprived dog. It is a dog from whose back you have taken a load.
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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