Dachshund puppies for sale from verified breeders

Look into the alert eyes of a Dachshund – the breed's official name; in Germany it's usually called the Dackel, and among hunters mostly the Teckel – and you won't see a simple lapdog, but a fully fledged working dog in a compact format. Originally bred in Germany for the uncompromising job of hunting fierce badgers underground, this dog, with a shoulder height of 20 to 27 centimeters and a weight of 7 to 9 kilograms, has enormous self-confidence. Underground, in the dark of the burrow, the Dachshund had to make its own split-second decisions without waiting for its human's commands. That heritage still shapes its nature today: it's friendly, curious and spirited, but has a marked independent streak. If you want to buy a Dachshund puppy, you're bringing home a highly intelligent, devoted and brave character who, with a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years, will be a loyal – and wonderfully headstrong – companion at your side.

For a Dachshund puppy from a health-focused breeder, the realistic price range is 1,200 to 2,500 euros. That price reflects what committed breeders invest in keeping the parent dogs healthy, clinical screening, DNA tests and rearing that socializes the puppies well. Be wary of apparent bargains online: puppy mills cut corners on exactly these medical checks, which can cost you many times more at the vet later on.

Beyond the purchase price, think above all about the ongoing budget. Because of the Dachshund's particular anatomy, we strongly recommend taking out comprehensive health or surgery insurance as soon as your puppy moves in – one that doesn't exclude spinal surgery – and planning realistically for a higher vet budget for preventive care.

Dachshunds have clearly increased health risks because of their unique anatomy with its long back and short legs. Above all, the discs and back (intervertebral disc disease, often known in German as "Dackellähme" – Dachshund paralysis), plus the joints, the eyes and a clear risk of obesity, remain issues throughout life. Even though the breed's fundamental anatomical risks can never be eliminated entirely, responsible breeders work deliberately to lower the likelihood of serious diseases.

The Deutscher Teckelklub 1888 e.V. (DTK, Germany's Dachshund breed club) requires exams for intervertebral disc disease and the DNA test for chondrodystrophy (CDDY), and rules out mating two merle dogs. The breed's recommended health standard also covers the bone disease osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) and the skin disease acanthosis nigricans. For osteogenesis imperfecta there's a DNA test that shows whether a parent dog is clear, a carrier or affected; a reputable breeder pairs carriers only with clear partners. Good breeders also have the parents' back, eyes and heart checked clinically and, when selecting breeding dogs, look for balanced anatomy rather than extreme body length.

There are also other breed-typical health issues you should ask about specifically when you talk to the breeder. In the eyes, these include cataracts, corneal dystrophy, dermoids, microphthalmia, and optic nerve hypoplasia and micropapilla. For the heart, mitral valve disease (endocardiosis) is relevant; on the skin, demodicosis (demodectic mange), cutaneous asthenia (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) or a histiocytoma can occur. Cleft palate, cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and congenital deafness also occur in the breed. Because uncontrolled pairing of dogs carrying the dapple factor (merle) massively increases the risk of severe eye malformations and congenital deafness, color pairings must be strictly controlled.