Types of Dachshunds: 3 Different Types of Doxie Dogs

Last Updated on April 27, 2023

Dachshunds are incredibly popular dogs and for good reason. These little dogs are full of personality on top of their good looks, with their iconic short legs.

But did you know that there is more than one type of Dachshund? 

These little hot dogs originally from Germany come in three sizes, three coat types, and a whole range of colors. Ready to learn more about the Dachs (badger) Hund (hound)?

Dachshund Types Based on Size

Dachshunds are adorable, feisty, sweet, and small dogs that turn heads wherever they go. While a dachshund’s coat can really make them stand out, it’s often their size that people notice first.

There are three different sizes of the Dachshund dog breed. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes one size, the standard, for any dog between 16 and 32 pounds.

That doesn’t mean doxies can’t be smaller. If they are, they’ll be considered to be in a miniature Dachshund class. 

The United Kennel Club (UKC), on the other hand, recognizes two different sizes. Standards weigh up to 25 pounds, while those under 11 pounds are considered miniature. 

While it isn’t an official classification, owners call dogs who weigh between 11 and 16 pounds “tweenies.”

Obviously, these dogs aren’t big enough to make guard dogs, no matter which size they fall under, but they all make great watchdogs! Let’s learn a bit more about their different sizes.

Standard Dachshund

It can all be a bit confusing, so let’s break it down. The standard Dachshund weighs between 16 and 32 pounds, according to the AKC.

The UKC says that a standard weighs over 11 pounds and tops out at 25 pounds. 

If you want to know more about the standard doxie, please read our full article about the “Dachshund.”

Tweenie Dachshund

A “Tweenie” Dachshund is any pup that falls in that range between the standard and the miniature size.

Remember, a standard can weigh as few as 16 pounds, while a miniature can weigh up to 11 pounds. So what happens if a dog weighs 13 pounds? 

Technically, these dogs would fall outside of the AKC breed standard, but their owners love them just the same. They call these little badger dogs “tweenies” because they are in-between. 

Miniature Dachshund 

Now let’s talk about miniature Dachshunds. These tiny pups are under 11 pounds. Some breeders even try to breed teeny tiny sausage dogs that some people call teacup dachshunds.

These are under eight pounds. The mini is the smallest size of this dog breed.

The only difference between a standard and a miniature is their size. They should look the same in all other ways and should have the same breed characteristics. 

If you want to know more about this petite pooch, read our guide on the Miniature Dachshund.

Fédération Cynologique Dachshund Classifications

The Fédération Cynologique recognizes the standard (normalgrossteckel) and miniature size. Standards weigh between 16 and 32 pounds and minis weigh under 11 pounds. 

Miniature doxies are then further subdivided. Dwarf doxies (zwergteckel) are between 7.7 and 11 pounds.

Rabbit Dachshunds (kaninchen) weigh under 7.7 pounds, and under 6.6 pounds for females. Rabbits must have a chest that measures under 11.8 inches.

What are the three types of Dachshund dogs based on Their Coat

Dachshunds aren’t just categorized by their size. They are also grouped by their coats. There are three coat varieties: the smooth-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired Dachshunds. 

Smooth-Haired or Coated Dachshunds

Smooth-haired Dachshunds make up the largest group of these wiener dogs. These dogs have short, soft, shiny coats. If you don’t like grooming, this is the type for you.

They can have some long hair on their bellies, but it isn’t too long. Their ears are long, leathery, and have short hair. 

These are sometimes called short-haired Dachshunds thanks to their smooth coat.

Long-Haired Dachshunds

Long-haired dachshunds, as you might imagine, have long, silky hair. This hair protects these dogs from sun, wind, snow, and rain.

Remember, dachshunds were originally bred as hunting dogs to hunt badgers, so they need to be able to handle the elements.

Their hair is the longest on their tail, ears, neck, and their belly, with slightly shorter hair on the rest of their body. It’s shortest on their muzzle. This dog needs lots of brushing to keep its hair tangle-free.

Check out this video to see more of the grooming process:

Wire-Haired Dachshunds

Finally, there are wire-haired dachshunds. These pups have medium-length hair that is coarse and somewhat wavy.

Think of the type of hair you see on terriers like border terriers and wire-haired fox terriers. 

Dogs with this hair have a softer undercoat and a cute little beard on their face. These dogs need less grooming than their long-haired counterparts, but they still need a good brushing now and then. 

Dachshund types based on coat color

You can also categorize Dachshunds by their coat color. All sizes can come in any of these colors. Doxies can be a single color, bi-color, and multi-colored. 

Single-colored dogs come in solid cream, red, black, chocolate, fawn, and albino (or white). Black, chocolate, fawn, and albino are non-standard colors.

White is the rarest doxie color, while red is the most popular color. 

You may have heard of Isabella Dachshunds. This isn’t some unusual color, it’s just another name for a fawn coat. 

Bicolor Dachshunds can be black and cream or black and tan, or blue and cream or blue and tan. There are also chocolate and tan or chocolate and cream, or fawn and cream or fawn and tan. 

You might also see Wheaton Doxies, which are a golden color with some white and blond hairs. There are also “wild boar” coats, normally seen in wirehaired dogs.

It’s a mix of gray, brown, and black, with dark banding on the individual hairs. 

Wheaton, boar, and blue Dachshunds are fairly rare.

Blue dogs come from a recessive gene, which is a dilution of black and tan, which is why you don’t see them often. They are perfectly healthy, just harder to find.

There are lots to know about all the doxie colors, so feel free to read more in our guide to “Dachshund Colors.”

Dachshund types based on standard coat patterns

On top of coming in solid or bi-colors, there are also some standard (and not-so-standard) coats out there. Some include an overlay of color, while others involve multi-colored hairs. 

Brindle Dachshund

Brindle dachshunds are rare, but you’ll come across them from time to time. These dogs look like they have a solid red or tan body with dark stripes all over in a sort of zebra-like pattern. 

Dapple / Merle or Dapple Dachshund

Dapple doxies are dogs with a merle pattern all over their bodies. These dogs will usually have two or three colors, with patches, spots, and swirls of color all over their bodies.

If they have dappling on their faces, they may also have blue eyes. 

Unfortunately, dapple dachshunds tend to have more health problems than some of the other colors.

You might want to read up on Dapple Dachshunds in our guide if you’re thinking about getting one of these unique pups. You can also read about Dachshund’s health in our other guide.

You may hear the term “double dapple” or “double merle.” That’s when two dogs that carry the merle gene are bred together. This can cause serious health issues.

A double merle Dachshund puppy may suffer from deafness, blindness, or both. They are usually white or light with a few merle patches and the eyes are often blue. 

Two merle gene carriers should never be bred together.

Sable Dachshund

The sable Dachshund has a red base coat with hairs that have a dark band at the end.

Usually, this translates into a dog with a red face and legs and a darker appearance over its back. They will also usually have some dark hair on their ears. 

If you examine the hairs closely, you’ll see that they are lighter where they are closer to the skin. You’ll only see this coloring on doxies with long hair. 

Other Dachshund types based on non-standard coat patterns

There are a few other less common coat combinations that you might come across, though not all are recognized as standard by the AKC.

Piebald Dachshunds have big white spots over a base of dark fur. Some people assume that the base color is white because it is so prevalent, but the base is actually dark, like brown or red.

Piebald can be combined with any other coat combination, like brindle or dapple. 

These dogs look just like any other doxie in every other way. They’re the same size, they just have a different color of the coat.

So what’s the difference between dapple and piebald? Piebald simply means the dog is covered in several different colors or patches of colors.

You may see a BrindlePiebald Dachshund. That just means that some of the color patches or the base color is brindle, along with the rest of the white on their coat.

Conclusion: Which type of Dachshund is best?

The dachshund breed is delightfully varied, as you can see. Between the different sizes, coat colors, and coat type, there’s bound to be one that calls your name.

If you do end up bringing a little sausage dog home, be sure to let us know what type you chose!

You may also want to consider some sort of doxie mix, like a Chiweenie. For more information, head on over to our guide on Dachshund mixes. 

Further reading: Learn about some other striking dogs

• Types of Golden Retrievers
• Types of German Shepherds
• Types of Terrier Breeds
• Types of Yorkies
• Types of Poodles
• Types of Pitbulls
• Types of Spaniels
• Types of Bulldogs