Dachshunds come in three main coat types: long-haired, wire-haired, and smooth-coated. Each variety has unique grooming needs, and understanding how to groom your Dachshund properly is essential to keep them looking their best while maintaining their health and comfort. In this comprehensive guide, we will focus on Dachshund grooming practices, specifically for the long-haired, wire-haired, and smooth-coated varieties.

Long-Haired Dachshund Breed Facts and Characteristics

Country of Origin: Europe

Height at Shoulder: 7" to 11"

Coat Length/Type: Combination/Silky

Color: Common colors are red, black, and tan. Other acceptable colors include brown, fawn, gray, and all with tan points. Additionally, they can have a mixture of black, brown, and gray hair, known as wild boar, and various shades of red or blue dapples and brindled patterns.

The Best Grooming Process for Long-haired Dachshunds

For long-haired Dachshunds, the primary goal is maintaining a mat-free, shiny coat that lies flat against the skin. The longer feathering should bounce gracefully as the dog moves. Follow these grooming steps:

• Frequency: Bathe your long-haired Dachshund once a week to once every 12 weeks, depending on their specific needs and activity level.
• Pre-Work: Trim or grind their nails every four to six weeks to maintain healthy foot structure. Clean their ears by swabbing with a mild ear-cleaning solution. To prepare the coat for grooming, use a rubber curry, shedding blade, undercoat rake, pumice stone, carding tool, fine stripping knife, or a natural bristle brush. A high-velocity dryer can help lift dirt and debris from the skin while loosening the coat.
• Brushing: Line brush your Dachshund's coat, working in sections until the fur is tangle-free and all loose hair is removed. Afterward, use a comb and your hands to double-check the entire body for any inconsistencies in coat density.
• Carding: If your Dachshund has an abundance of loose undercoat, use a carding tool to remove it. Standard tools for this process include a fine stripping knife, an undercoat rake, a pumice stone, or a #40 blade held between your fingers. Carding will help the guard coat conform to the body's natural outline and remove loose, shedding hair.
• Feet & Hocks: Trim the pads with a close blade, ranging from #15 to #40. Carefully clean the long hair between the toes. Tidy the outside edge of the foot with small detailing shears. If the hocks have longer coat, trim lightly with thinning shears to ensure a neat and clean appearance. For some dogs, a #4F blade, used carefully in reverse, can effectively trim the tops of the feet and the hocks.
• Detail Finish: Lightly edge the ears with thinning shears for a neat, natural look. Hand pluck any long, wispy, flyaway hair from around the ears. Removing whiskers on the muzzle is optional and can be based on client preference. Finish the grooming session with a fine mist of coat polish on the body for added shine. The application of bows and mild cologne is also optional.

Suggested Tools & Equipment for Grooming Long-haired Dachshunds

To groom a long-haired Dachshund effectively, you'll need the following tools and equipment:

• Nail Trimmers
• Styptic Powder
• Ear Cleaning Solution
• Cotton Balls
• Clippers with #40 and #15 Blades for Pads
• #4F Blade for Feet & Hocks (optional)
• Slicker Brush
• Greyhound Comb
• Rubber Curry
• Carding Tool
• De-Shedding Tools
• Small Detailing Shears
• Thinning Shears

Wire-Haired Dachshund Breed Facts and Characteristics

Country of Origin: Europe

Height at Shoulder: 7" to 11"

Coat Length/Type: Combination/Wiry

Color: Wire-haired Dachshunds share common colors with their long-haired counterparts, including red, black, and tan. They can also have brown, fawn, gray, all with tan points, or a mixture of black, brown, and gray hair known as wild boar. They can also have shades of red or blue dapples and brindled patterns.

The Best Grooming Process for Wire-haired Dachshunds

The distinctive feature of wire-haired Dachshunds is their harsh, wiry coat. Hand-stripping is the key to maintaining this unique texture:

• Frequency: Bathe your wire-haired Dachshund once a week to once every 12 weeks, based on their specific needs and activity level.
• Pre-Work: Trim or grind their nails every four to six weeks to maintain a healthy foot structure. Clean their ears with a mild ear-cleaning solution. Before bathing, use a high-velocity dryer to remove dirt and dander and help loosen any shedding coat.
• Brushing: To remove any remaining loose hair and tangles, use a rubber curry, shedding blade, undercoat rake, pumice stone, carding tool, fine stripping knife, slicker brush, or a natural bristled brush. Be cautious when using tools with metal teeth or bristles, as a heavy hand or overuse in an area can lead to cuts or brush burns. Your brushing session should continue until all loose fur is removed or when it becomes challenging to remove more than half a brush full after repeated brushing.
• Carding: Carding involves pulling the soft, downy undercoat from your Dachshund's body. This step can be done before or after bathing and drying to help the topcoat lie closer to the natural outline of the dog, accentuate their structure, and promote the profuse harsh outer coat. Typical tools used for carding include a pumice stone, a fine-toothed stripping knife, an undercoat rake, or a fine blade like a #40 held between your fingers.
• Hand-Stripping: Hand-stripping is where you pluck the outer guard coat from the dog's skin. This process helps maintain the breed's proper coat texture and rich color. The coat should be pulled out a few hairs at a time using your fingers, a carding tool, or a stripping knife. Always work in the direction of the coat growth, maintaining a gentle momentum and rhythm rather than brute force, which could be uncomfortable for both the groomer and the pet. Keep the wrist locked in a neutral position, and the rhythmic movement should come from the shoulder rather than the wrist or elbow. It's essential to note that most pets do not mind the plucking process; however, certain areas like the cheeks, throat, and private areas may be more sensitive, requiring the use of thinning shears or clippers. Leave enough coat to be between ¼ to 1 inch long, always ensuring a natural look. Applying light chalk or powder before the bath for some coats can provide a better grip and make plucking and stripping easier.
• Head: Leave the coat longer on the muzzle, hand-strip, or pluck the top skull, throat, and cheeks. Also, leave triangles of fur above each eye to create moderate eyebrows that accentuate the eye area. The ears should be stripped of longer hair. If the coat on the ear leather doesn't strip easily, you can use clippers with blades ranging from a #10 to a #15 on the outside of the ear leather. For the inside of the ear, use blades ranging from a #40 to a #10. Finish by edging the ear with detailing shears, keeping the tips of the shears toward the end of the ear. 

• Feet & Hocks: Trim the pads with a close cutting blade ranging from a #15 to a #40. Clean the pads of any long hair with a light touch. Tidy the outside edge of the foot, if needed, using small detailing shears. For hocks with longer coat, trim lightly with thinning shears to maintain a neat and clean look. On some dogs, a #4F blade can be used carefully in reverse to trim the tops of the feet and the hocks.
• Detail Finish: Application of bows and mild cologne is optional.

Special Note

Clipping a wire-haired Dachshund will significantly change the texture and color of the coat. Plucking the blown coat when it is ready to be removed is crucial to maintaining the proper harsh wire coat. This process stimulates hair follicles to produce a new guard coat. Without hand-stripping, the guard coat isn't stimulated correctly, which can lead to a loss of brilliant color and texture, with only the undercoat growing.

Suggested Tools & Equipment for Grooming Wire-haired Dachshunds

To groom a wire-haired Dachshund effectively, you'll need the following tools and equipment:

• Nail Trimmers
• Styptic Powder
• Ear Powder
• Ear Cleaning Solution
• Cotton Balls
• Hemostat
• Clippers
• Slicker Brush
• Greyhound Comb
• Pumice Stone
• Carding Tools
• Stripping Knives
• Straight Shears
• Curved Shears
• Small Detailing Shears
• Thinning Shears
• Dematting Tools

Common Blade Options:

• #40, #15, #10
• #7F, #5F, #4F
• Variety of Guard Combs

Smooth-Coated Dachshund Breed Facts and Characteristics

Before diving into the grooming process, it's essential to understand the characteristics of a smooth-haired Dachshund. 

Country of Origin: Europe

Height at Shoulder: 7" to 11"

Coat Length/Type: Short/Smooth

Color: Common colors for smooth-coated Dachshunds include red or black and tan. Other acceptable colors encompass brown, fawn, gray, and all with tan points. They can also have a mixture of black, brown, and gray hair, known as wild boar.

The Best Grooming Process for Dachshunds with Smooth Coats

For smooth-haired Dachshunds, the main objective is to maintain a clean and fresh-smelling coat that lays flat against the body with no shedding hair:

• Frequency: The grooming frequency depends on your smooth-coated Dachshund's specific needs and activity level.
• Pre-Work: Trim or grind the dog's nails regularly to keep their foot structure healthy. Clean their ears with an appropriate ear-cleaning solution. To prepare the coat for grooming, use a high-velocity dryer to remove dirt and dander effectively.
• Brushing: Utilize a rubber curry brush and a carding tool to remove any remaining loose coat or tangles. Be cautious when using tools with metal teeth or bristles, ensuring a gentle touch to prevent cuts or brush burns.
• Feet & Hocks: Trim the pads with a close cutting blade, typically ranging from a #15 to a #40. Clean the pads of any long hair with a light touch. If there is long fur between the toes, back brush the fur so it stands up on top of and away from the foot. Trim the excess with thinning shears to create a neat and natural-looking foot. Tidy the outside edge of the foot if needed, using small detailing shears. For hocks with longer coat, trim lightly with thinning shears to maintain a neat, clean area.
• Detail Finish: Optionally, you can apply bows and mild cologne to complete the grooming session.

Suggested Tools & Equipment for Grooming Dachshunds with Smooth Coats

To groom a smooth-coated Dachshund effectively, you'll need the following tools and equipment:

• Nail Trimmers
• Styptic Powder
• Ear Cleaning Solution
• Cotton Balls
• Clippers with #4U or #15 Blade
• Rubber Curry
• Carding Tool
• Small Detailing Shears
• Thinning Shears

Wrapping Up

Grooming your Dachshund is essential to keeping them healthy and looking their best. Whether your Dachshund has a long, wire, or smooth coat, following the appropriate grooming procedures will help them maintain their distinctive charm. Remember to customize the grooming routine to your dog's specific needs, preferences, and activity levels. With the right tools and techniques, you can keep your Dachshund looking elegant and feeling comfortable year-round.