Dachshund (Long-Haired) Dog Breed Information

The Standard Long-Haired Dachshund is the calmest, softest-looking and arguably most weather-appropriate of the three NZKC-recognised Dachshund coat varieties for the cooler half of New Zealand. The breed shares the same long-bodied, short-legged frame as its Smooth and Wire-Haired cousins, with a silky feathered coat acquired through 19th-century spaniel crosses that brought slightly more coat and a slightly steadier temperament along with it.

NZKC recognises three Dachshund coat types (smooth, long, wire) and two sizes (standard, miniature), giving six recognised varieties in total. The Standard sits at 7 to 14 kg, the Miniature Smooth at 4 to 5 kg. All six share the same body shape, IVDD risk profile and base temperament. Coat care, climate fit and minor temperament differences are where they part ways.

Adults stand 20 to 23 cm at the shoulder and weigh 7 to 14 kg. The long coat is silky, lies flat on the body with feathering on the ears, chest, belly, legs and tail, and comes in red, black-and-tan, chocolate-and-tan, cream, dapple, brindle and shaded red.

The trade-off, as with every Dachshund, is the back. The same long-bodied shape that defines the breed gives it the highest rate of intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) of any breed. Roughly one in four Dachshunds across all coats and sizes will have a clinically significant disc episode in their lifetime. NZ vet costs for a single IVDD surgery commonly run NZ$8,000 to NZ$15,000. Weight management plus furniture ramps cut the risk meaningfully but do not eliminate it.

Personality and behaviour

The Long-Haired is generally the calmest of the three Dachshund coats. The spaniel influence in the founding crosses is visible in the temperament: a Long-Haired tends to look at the handler more readily than a Smooth, settle on the couch sooner after a walk, and bark less than a Wire. The differences are real but small; this is still a Dachshund, still loud at the door, still stubborn when bored.

Long-Haireds bond tightly to one or two people. They are affectionate, follow their person from room to room, and consider themselves the household’s primary security system. They are friendly with familiar people, more reserved with strangers, and tolerate alone time better than many small breeds without leaving the bond loose.

The defining vocal habit is the bark. Quieter than the Wire on average, louder than most non-hound small breeds. They alert to the door, the postie, a passing cat and most things that move. Apartment owners in NZ buildings need a plan, although the Long-Haired sits in the easier half of the Dachshund spectrum on this trait.

The bite tolerance is lower than a Lab’s. Households with toddlers should think carefully and supervise rigorously; the long back is genuinely fragile during rough handling.

Care and exercise

Plan on around 45 to 60 minutes of activity a day, split across two walks. The shape of the dog matters here: long, fast, repeated up-and-down stairs and jumps are the worst exercise pattern for the back. Steady walking on flat ground, sniff time and short play sessions are ideal.

Things to avoid for back health:

• Jumping on and off the couch and bed. Use a soft ramp or steps. Most NZ pet stores stock them; expect NZ$80 to NZ$200.
• Stairs in volume. A few flights a day is fine; a Wellington hill-suburb townhouse with three storeys is harder on the back over years.
• Rough wrestling with bigger dogs that pin them.
• Toddlers picking the dog up incorrectly. Teach kids to support both ends.

The grooming is where the Long-Haired departs from the Smooth. The long, silky coat needs a thorough brush twice a week to prevent mats, more often during spring shed. Pay attention to the ears, chest, belly and back of the legs where feathering tangles fastest. Most NZ owners book a tidy-trim every three to four months at a groomer (NZ$60 to NZ$100), and many do a hygiene trim around the rear at home between visits. Wet bush walks pick up burrs and grass seeds quickly; check the coat after every walk through long grass.

Nails grow faster than they wear; check fortnightly. Ears are dropped and need a weekly check, especially after wet walks. Teeth are the second-easiest thing to neglect: small jaw, crowded teeth, regular brushing matters.

Watch the weight, hard. A Dachshund 1 kg overweight is roughly equivalent to a Lab 6 kg overweight in terms of skeletal load. Most adult Long-Haireds need 100 to 180 g of quality dry food a day depending on activity.

Training a Long-Haired Dachshund in New Zealand

Long-Haireds are stubborn but generally the easiest of the three Dachshund coat varieties to train. The spaniel ancestry shows up in handler focus: the Long-Haired looks up more readily than the Smooth or the Wire, takes food rewards more reliably, and bonds in a way that makes recall progress slightly faster.

That said, this is still a Dachshund.

• Reinforcement-based methods only. The breed shuts down on harsh corrections.
• Sessions three to five minutes, food-led.
• House-training is slow. Plan three to six months for a reliable adult, longer through cold or wet NZ winters when the dog refuses to step outside. Crate training plus a regular schedule is the path of least resistance.
• Recall is the hardest skill. The breed was bred to follow scent and ignore the handler. Off-leash work is realistic only in fully fenced areas for most dogs.
• Puppy classes through SPCA, K9 and NZKC-affiliated clubs run NZ$150 to NZ$300 for a six-week course. The Dachshund Club of NZ runs occasional breed-specific socialisation events.

Where to find a Long-Haired Dachshund in New Zealand

Three reasonable paths.

1. Registered NZKC breeders. The Dogs NZ breeders directory lists registered Dachshund breeders by region; the Dachshund Club of New Zealand maintains a member-breeder list. Long-Haired litters are less common than Smooth litters in NZ, with most breeders concentrated in Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury. Expect a 9 to 15 month wait and NZ$1,800 to NZ$3,800 per puppy. Ask for cord1-PRA DNA results for both parents, the parents’ weights and back-care history, and any IVDD events in the line.
2. Breed rescue. Dachshund Rescue New Zealand handles surrendered adults across all coat types, although Long-Haireds come up less often than Smooths simply because there are fewer of them. Adoption fees run NZ$400 to NZ$800.
3. SPCA NZ. Pure Long-Haired Dachshunds are rare in SPCA listings. Long-Haired crosses (often Long-Haired x Smooth, or Dachshund x Spaniel) appear occasionally. Adoption fees typically NZ$300 to NZ$600.

Avoid backyard breeders, “rare colour” double-dapple sellers, and anyone breeding a Long-Haired without health screening. Double-dapple breeding is associated with serious eye and hearing defects and is discouraged by NZKC and the Dachshund Club.