Pawscessories is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.
Learn more.
You might give your dachshund lots of love and attention, yet they still appear to always look sad. What gives? Is there something wrong with them or is this just how they look?
Why Do Dachshunds Always Look Sad:
Dachshunds always look sad because of their long face. Other things that can contribute to your dachshund looking sad are if they’re bored, feeling relaxed, or they’ve accidentally been trained to look sad for attention. More serious reasons could be they’re depressed or feeling ill.
In this post you’ll discover the top 7 reasons why your dachshund looks sad all the time, how you might be encouraging the behavior as well as 4 super simple tips to help your dachshund not look so sad all the time.
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
7 Real Reasons Why Your Dachshund Always Looks Sad
1) Unknowingly Trained
Many dog owners are unaware how their actions can actually shape certain behaviors that they aren’t fond of.
It’s difficult in the moment because you either want them to stop what they’re doing or want to help them.
But when you do this often, your dachshund will learn that when they act certain ways, it gets them what they want.
Your attention, affection, or a treat.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter to them if it’s positive attention (love and kisses) or negative attention (telling them no).
They may have learned that if they continue acting sad, you’ll come over and either play or cuddle with them.
So if you notice your dachshund is always looking sad, do your best not to give in to their puppy dog eyes or pout.
This will help stop them from continuing to look sad in an attempt to get some lovin’ from you.
2) They’re Depressed
It’s difficult to say if your dachshund can experience depression the same way you can.
But it’s noticed among many families that when a dog loses either their furry brother or sister or a family member, they can act very distant.
Pet WebMD shares a story of how a lady had 3 dogs.
When 1 of them died, the other 2 seemingly handled the event well.
She spent more time doing things they loved like car rides and visits to the park to help take their mind off of it.
However, when 1 of her remaining 2 dogs passed, the other fell into a terrible funk.
She found her poor pup hiding in the closet, not wanting to do anything they once enjoyed and even stopped eating or drinking.
Her pooch was always sad, and to the point of getting rather unhealthy.
The only thing that brought her dog out of their funk was when she brought home a friendly foster dog for a week.
If you’ve recently lost a loved one that your dachshund loved dearly, they might be depressed. Which obviously makes them always look sad.
3) They’re Not Feeling Well
If only your pup could communicate with you that they aren’t feeling well.
Unfortunately, dogs will typically hide that they aren’t feeling well as best they can.
So if your dachshund always looks sad, they might not be feeling well which is causing them to look that way.
If their looking sad is quite new behavior, it’s important for you to look out for other symptoms.
If it’s accompanied by diarrhoea, vomiting, wincing, hiding away, sleeping way more, or other abnormal behavior, it’s generally a good idea to take them to the vet.
Almost always you’ll notice some other symptoms or unusual behavior from your dachshund in addition to prolonged sadness if they aren’t feeling well.
4) That’s Simply How They Look
Could you imagine if you said to someone, “Why do you look so sad all the time?!” And they responded with, “… This is just how I look…”
Boy that would be an uncomfortable situation.
And it might be happening with what you’re observing with your dachshund!
Maybe they’re getting a little older where the skin on their face is starting to sage.
Or they have some weight in their cheeks making their face look sad and droopy.
There’s a possibility that they aren’t sad at all. They may just have a resting sad face.
If their tail is still wagging most of the time even though you think they look sad all the time.
There’s a good chance they aren’t sad at all and have a resting sad face.
5) They’re In Maximum Comfort
It can sometimes be difficult to accurately interpret how your dog feels when they’re simply lying down.
Wouldn’t it be nice to know what’s going on in their little head.
You might see their face scrunched up or eyebrows raised and it looks to you like a sad face.
But, when in fact it’s actually just them resting in their most comfortable state.
Since a dog won’t wag their tail in excitement when they’re comfortable, it’s anyones best guess what they’re feeling when their tail is still.
And if you notice them lying down resting often, what you might think is them always being sad, is just them being comfortable and resting.
6) You Might Be Reading Into It Too Much
Your dachshund might not be sad at all and you’re simply reading too much into their actions/the way they look.
And this can come from feeling guilty for being away so much recently.
If you find yourself working more recently which doesn’t give you as much time to be with your pup.
You might assume they’re sad.
It’s possible that they don’t look any different but you simply feel bad for not playing with them as much or spending as much quality time with them.
Of course they would like to have more time with you. But they might not be sad at all and it’s you reading a little too much into the way they look/their actions.
7) They’re Bored
One of the funniest things my dog used to do was let out a BIG dramatic sigh when she was bored and wanted attention.
Of course it always worked and I’d go over and pet her or play with her while saying, “Oh life is hard isn’t it!”
What a drama queen. Lol.
But your dachshund could definitely always look sad because they simply want more play time than they’re getting.
They might have gotten fed up trying to get you to play with them which makes them sad.
Now their already long face looks a little longer.
It’s definitely worth trying some longer walks or adding 10 minute daily play sessions to see if that perks up their mood.
Related Reading: 10 Best Toys To Entertain Your Dog | Boredom Buster Toys
4 Tips To Help Your Dachshund Not Always Look Sad
1) Have a Professional Look At Them
A dachshund being sad for extended periods of time is definitely out of the ordinary.
While many reasons for them to always look sad aren’t medically serious, there’s still a possibility that something could be bothering them internally.
It’s better to be safe than sorry and have a vet take a look at them.
If they find something wrong they’ll be able to get them the help they need.
And if it’s not something serious, the rest of our tips below should be able to help you out.
In addition to what your vet says of course.
2) Give Them Time
If your dachshund is depressed or injured, unfortunately the best thing you can do is simply give them time.
As the saying goes, time heals all wounds.
If your pup recently had a surgery or hurt themselves, they likely can’t do what they normally could. And this obviously makes them sad because they’re rather be up and moving around.
Unfortunately, they simply need time to heal.
Eventually their body will heal and they’ll be able to operate as usual which will likely bring their happiness back.
When it comes to depression, time is also super important. If you recently lost a loved one in your family that they were especially close with, it will affect them for some time.
If you feel they’ve had plenty of time to grieve and they still aren’t getting out of their funk, you can try adopting another dog.
Sometimes bringing home another companion for the family can help them forget about what they’ve lost.
And instead focus on their new four-legged friend that’s now in your home.
3) Only Reward Desired Behavior
It can be difficult to resist giving your dachshund love and attention when they look sad or upset.
Unfortunately, this is only reinforcing to them to continue acting this way because it gets them attention.
Which is the main thing they want from you.
Instead, when you see them happy and excited, that’s when you’ll want to give them treats and love.
This will help them learn that being a sad pup doesn’t get them additional love. And that being happy is what grabs and holds your attention.
4) Lots Of Activity
If your dachshund is completely healthy but still looks sad often, they might simply need more activity.
A bored pup might appear sad because they would rather be playing but their playmate doesn’t come around very often.
Or they’d like more time outside on walks with their favorite person.
Dogs are extremely social animals and they are much happier when interacting with other animals or people.
If your dachshund’s activity levels have been quite low, do your best to engage with them a little bit more.
You’ll likely see their tail wagging a little bit more and resting when they have downtime instead of looking like a sad pup.
Related Reading: Top 12 Best Harnesses For Dachshunds
Other posts you might find interesting:
12 Best Dog Beds for Dachshunds
8 Reasons Dachshunds Are Always Hungry | Dangers + Tips
11 Reasons Why Your Dachshund Is So Needy And Clingy
Can Dachshunds Be Left Alone? (Quick Answers + Tips!)