Can Dachshunds Live & Sleep Outside? 6 Risks + 6 Tips

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Dachshunds love to be outside, there’s no question. But, can a dachshund be an outside dog? Will they enjoy living and sleeping outside or is this dangerous for a dachshund?

Can Dachshunds Be Outside Dogs:

It’s possible for a dachshund to be an outside dog, but it’s not recommended. Dachshunds were bred to hunt which means they lived with their human and accompanied them while on the hunt. Their body’s aren’t well equipped to survive environmental elements on their own.

Continue reading to learn all about dachshunds and them being an outside dog.

We dive deep on if dachshunds can live & sleep outside, what the risks are as well as some helpful tips to keep them healthy and safe while outside.

Let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

Can Dachshunds Live Outside?

Dachshunds can live outside, but it’s not recommended.

A dachshund can live outside only if they’ve been trained to do so, are the right age and have the right equipment available to them.

Puppies and senior dogs shouldn’t live outside because their body is either underdeveloped or not equipped to handle outside conditions for very long anymore.

Also dachshunds were bred to hunt burrowing animals, so without proper training a dachshund could dig underneath a fence and escape your backyard.

Can Dachshunds Sleep Outside?

Dachshunds can sleep outside, but really should sleep inside.

Temperatures at night can get quite cold and your little dachshund might not have the body heat available to keep them warm.

Also, forcing a dachshund to sleep outside when it’s not what they’re used to will probably make them bark, and bark a lot.

Dachshunds are known to be a noisy breed if not trained to keep quiet.

So by having your dachshund sleep outside, they will likely excessively bark and be irritating for both you and your neighbors.

If it’s important that your dachshund sleep outside you should make sure they have everything they need to be comfortable.

For example, a dog house to block any wind, rain, or snow, food and water bowls, as well as training to not bark & howl through the night.

6 Risks Of a Dachshund Being An Outside Dog

1) Emotional Trauma

Dogs are very social animals. They’re pack animals that prefer to be around and sleep with their pack or else they’ll feel like they’ve been casted out of the pack.

Dachshunds, especially, grow attached to one of their owners because of their hunting background.

Because of this, being isolated outside could cause them a great deal of emotional trauma.

The isolation and feeling of being abandoned, in the most severe cases, can create separation anxiety in a dog.

Which they’ll show through excessive barking, digging or destroying the yard, attempting to escape, excessive pacing or even eating their own poop.

Any of these signs could indicate that your dachshund is beginning to slip into an unhealthy mental state.

If you want your dachshund to be an outside dog, be sure to not deprive them of social interaction that dog’s so badly need and want.

2) Weather

The weather can get quite extreme in either hot or cold temperatures during the day.

Without proper coverage or shelter from the weather, your dachshund will be at risk.

If they don’t have proper shade when it’s in the midst of summer, or if they don’t have a place to keep them warm during the winter, they won’t do well.

A dachshund’s body hovers very close to the ground which means they will be naturally more exposed to the cold than taller dogs and people.

Aside from this, if it rains heavily or a snowstorm happens, if they don’t have a proper place to take cover, they could get hypothermia.

The weather will be your dachshund’s biggest enemy if they’re an outside dog. They will need a proper environment outside to shelter themselves from the weather in order for it not to be dangerous to their health.

3) Neighbors Might Not Be Happy

If your dachshund isn’t happy about being an outside dog, they’ll make it well known.

This could be in the form of barking, howling, whining, or digging at the fence, all of which would impact a close neighbor.

Unfortunately the choice of having your dog be an outside dog, unless your property is isolated, will be a pain for the neighboring houses.

This can hurt the relationship you have with your neighbors if they feel your actions aren’t being considerate of their living conditions.

Or, if they feel you aren’t doing anything to stop your dachshund from continuing to be loud or destructive.

Your relationship could be at stake with your neighbors and you could even be considered an irritating neighbor if your pup isn’t trained to be an outside dog.

4) How Much Noise Is Too Much Noise?

Some nice peaceful background noise can be rather helpful when it comes to calming down a dog or helping them fall asleep.

Many people will leave their T.V. on while at work or the radio because they think their dog likes it while they’re gone.

However, when outdoors, all kinds of noises can happen.

And most are louder than a dog would like when it comes to sleeping or attempting to nap.

Various noises like thunderstorms, sirens or loud music can be quite stressful for a dog.

This is because their hearing is far better than ours and what we consider loud can be simply unbearable for a dog.

So if a dog is exposed to too much loud noise this could cause them anxiety, make them unable to sleep or make them want to excessively bark & howl.

All of which aren’t good for your dog.

5) Digging

Dachshunds were bred to hunt tunneling animals. So to say it’s instinctive for them to dig would be an understatement.

If your dog smells something that’s outside the confinement of your backyard, an untrained dachshund will surely attempt to dig their way toward the scent.

Not only could this compromise your wonderful garden, it might leave your entire yard in quite poor condition.

In an attempt to escape, deal with their boredom, or deal with their isolation a dachshund might dig many holes in your yard.

6) Catch Injuries Too Late

Given that they’re outside the majority of the time, you might not be able to notice minor differences that should be looked at.

Also, since they won’t be monitored most of the time, they might do things that could cause them long term harm.

For example, if they spend hours jumping on the fence, this could cause them to get IVDD which is a common back injury for dachshunds.

Or it could cause them to get hip dysplasia.

Dachshunds are more likely to get IVDD from putting too much weight & pressure on two of their legs, too often.

So things like jumping on people, getting off and on the couch, climbing stairs too often, or in this case, jumping on a fence.

If this behavior goes unnoticed for too long, IVDD could be inevitable for your pup.

So if you want to have your dachshund be an outside dog, it’s still important to do daily maintenance on them as well as keep an eye on what they’re doing.

Pats and rub downs can help you determine if anything is wrong, find any unwanted bumps or cuts, and if they need to have a vet look at them.

Top 6 Tips To Help Your Dachshund Be An Outside Dog

1) Get Them a Dog House

If you want your dachshund to be an outside dog, a dog house is an essential purchase.

They will need something to block the chilling wind, give them shade when it’s too warm out and keep them from getting wet if it rains.

There are also many ways to help heat a dog house to ensure it’s warm enough at night and during the winter.

It’s important for a dog to have a place that they know is their own when living outside as opposed to sleeping on the bare ground.

2) Address Your Decision With Your Neighbors

If you want your dachshund to be an outside dog, it would be a good idea to let your neighbors know about your decision.

This type of courtesy lets them know, you know, they will likely be impacted as well if your dog is noisy and that you’re working to train them to be an outside dog.

If you’re upfront about what you’re doing your neighbors will likely be much more lenient with the noise.

The last thing you want is for there to be awkward tension between you and your neighbors because your dog is bothering them.

3) Get Advice From a Trainer/Vet

It never hurts to get advice from a professional!

If training your dog to be an outside dog is something completely new for you, consulting with a trainer or vet could help make the process much easier.

If you’re not sure what the best practices are you could unknowingly harm your pup, which is the last thing you’d want.

A vet or trainer can help make sure you know your dog’s limits and the best way to make sure they stay happy and healthy while being an outside dog.

4) Give Them Lots Of Exercise

The best way to ensure your dachshund isn’t destructive or excessively noisy is to give them lots of exercise.

A dog with a lot of excess energy will dig, bark, or look for things to destroy simply because they don’t know what to do with all their energy.

Whether it’s taking them for a long walk (or a few long walks), playing fetch, or getting them some toys that keep them moving and entertained, exercise is important.

5) Try Clothes

If it gets noticeably colder at night where you live, you may want to try getting your dachshund a sweater.

In addition to them having an insulated dog house, a sweater may be just what they need in order to remain comfortable on those colder nights.

Never put clothing on your dog without monitoring them wearing it for a few hours. Make sure there’s no way for them to be choked by it or isn’t rubbing them causing skin irritations.

The last thing you’d want is for their clothes to be more of a pain than a help.

6) Install Cameras

In order to ensure they aren’t doing or getting into anything they shouldn’t install one or a few cameras on your property.

This will help you find out if they’re doing something that’s harmful to themselves (jumping on the fence for long periods of time) or harmful to your property, and then taking action to stop them from continuing.

If you don’t know what they’re doing then you can’t take the necessary steps to fixing the issue(s)!

Cameras can be really helpful in making sure your pup is behaving while outside.

Other posts you might find interesting:

12 Best Dog Beds for Dachshunds

8 Ways Dachshunds Make Great Apartment Dogs + Tips

Can Dachshunds Be Left Alone? (Quick Answers + Tips!)

Do Dachshunds Like To Cuddle? 11 Things You Should Know