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Do you have a dachshund on your hands that seems to prefer lying down rather than doing anything else? They might have spurts of energy for their walks but for the most part, they’re pretty darn lazy.
Is there something wrong with them? Or is it normal for a dachshund to be so lazy?
Are Dachshunds Lazy?
Generally speaking, dachshunds aren’t a lazy breed. However, dachshunds are often considered lazy because they don’t get the physical activity their body needs. This sets their default setting to laziness. They can also become lazy when they’re warm, older, bored, sick, injured, or depressed.
In this post you’ll discover the most common reasons why a dachshund will be lazy, how their diet largely impacts their energy levels, 3 reasons they may need to see a vet as well as helpful tips to manage their laziness.
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
Are Dachshunds Lazy Compared To Other Breeds?
As any dachshund owner knows, these dogs are generally far from lazy.
In fact, they are known for their high energy levels and enthusiastic personalities. Dachshunds were originally bred to hunt small animals, and this natural instinct can still be seen in many of today’s pets.
They are curious and inquisitive by nature, and love to explore their surroundings. This combination of traits often leads to a high level of activity, which can be both good and bad depending on the situation.
On one hand, it means that dachshunds are rarely bored and are always up for a game or a walk.
On the other hand, it can sometimes be difficult to keep them calm and quiet. Overall, though, dachshunds are far from lazy – in fact, they are usually quite the opposite.
However, some dachshunds can become lazy depending on their environment, health and other factors. Let’s take a look how and why dachshunds become lazy.
Top 8 Reasons Why Dachshund Become Lazy
1) Uncomfortably Warm
Your dachshund might be acting lazier than usual because they’re uncomfortably warm.
Dog’s aren’t able to regulate their temperature as well as people can.
So when the weather gets too warm, or it’s too warm for them inside your home, they might appear lazy.
But this is quite normal behavior as you’ve probably felt ‘drained’ when you were too warm for too long.
If where you live goes from cold winter nights to warm spring days pretty quickly, your pup might slow down.
What might appear to be laziness is really just them attempting to cope with the warmth.
If they were hyperactive while being super warm it could cause them to overheat which is rather dangerous.
2) Not Feeling Well
Whenever you weren’t feeling well in the past, you likely needed additional rest and didn’t move around much.
But no one would call you lazy cause they knew you needed to recover from whatever illness you had.
This is unfortunately a possibility for your pup.
They may not be being lazy at all, and are simply not feeling well due to an illness.
Pets WebMD shares that there are actually quite a few potential health related issues going on causing your dachshund to act lazy.
That list includes:
- Parvovirus
- Distemper
- Heart disease
- Liver disease
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypoglycemia
- Tumors/cancer
- Hypothyroidism
- Anal gland problems
Any of these illnesses would take a toll on their body which requires them to rest more.
If your dachshund’s laziness is new, and in spite of them eating a good diet and getting plenty of exercise, it’s important to take them to the vet.
3) Bored
A dachshund that’s understimulated might act lazy simply because they’re bored.
If recently their life hasn’t been too exciting… Meaning less playtime, less walks, less adventures.
They might be acting lazy because it’s now their default setting.
They’d likely love to play more but they unfortunately don’t have a playmate available.
Whether it’s you or another doggo, they might be missing some needed activity to bring them out of their laziness funk.
Related Reading: 10 Best Toys To Entertain Your Dog | Boredom Buster Toys
4) Their Age
The age of your dachshund can play a big role in why they’re being so lazy.
For instance, you might have a younger pup between 4-12 months.
And some parts of the day they’re go, go, go, but you often find them taking plenty of naps.
In this case, your dachshund is likely recovering and not being lazy. Their body is going through major growth spurts and needs lots of rest in order to regain their energy.
If your dachshund is getting closer to their senior years, it’s totally normal to see their energy levels start to lower.
A study done in 2019 found that dogs tend to get less excitable and generally become less responsive between 6-8 years old.
So if your pup is starting to enter their senior years, and their energy levels aren’t what they used to be. It’s not that they’re lazy, they’re simply getting older and don’t have the desire to be moving around as much as they used to.
5) Diet
While your dachshund is a young pup, their diet won’t seriously impact their energy levels.
But if their diet doesn’t improve as they get older, they’ll likely be much more lazy.
This can either be from overeating, undereating or not eating good quality, nutrient rich foods.
If your dachshund overeats, they’ll be weighed down and not have the energy to do other things.
Basic things like walking around your home, going up and down the stairs or jumping on and off the couch will take a lot of energy for them.
And this leaves them with very little energy to do other things.
Which makes them appear to be a lazy pooch.
Similar things will happen if they undereat. If their body doesn’t have enough food to convert into energy, basic things will take up any energy they have.
Which makes anything outside of the basics very uninteresting for them.
Also, if they aren’t getting vital nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, or proteins from their diet they will appear lazy.
If their body doesn’t get proper nutrients it’ll be difficult for them to want to be a fun, energetic doggo.
6) Lack Of Exercise
Consistent exercise is a big factor when talking about the energy levels of your dachshund.
If they don’t get enough, or any, exercise they will likely act lazy.
Thankfully dachshunds don’t require too much exercise to be fit and healthy, only roughly 30 minutes per day.
But if they don’t get a good two walks per day with some playtime in between, they’ll likely behave lazily.
Move it or lose it as they say!
Related Reading: Top 12 Best Harnesses For Dachshunds
7) Depressed
It’s not clear that dog’s experience depression the same way humans do.
But they definitely have reactions to deeply troubling events.
If your dachshund recently lost a four-legged brother or sister, or someone in your family passed, they might be grieving.
Pets WebMD shares a story of how executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Bonnie had two dogs and when one passed away, the other was deeply affected.
Her pup hid away in the closet for hours, didn’t want to go on walks or play, and even stopped eating & drinking.
If your dachshund is experiencing depression, it’s not that they’re lazy, they’re just going through some emotional struggles.
What worked for Bonnie was bringing home a foster dog for a week. After that her doggo was as happy as can be and back to normal.
Related Reading: Why Does My Dachshund Always Look Sad? 7 Reasons + Tips
8) Injured
Dachshunds are quite prone to back problems. More specifically Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).
And if your pup has back problems, it will make basic things quite painful for them.
Which obviously will make them not want to be very active and stay idle because it’s less painful.
Hip & elbow dysplasia are also possible injuries your dachshund might be dealing with.
These are less common in smaller breeds but are still possible.
If your dachshund is wincing, yelping when you try to pick them up, or walking funny they could have an unknown injury.
It’s best to take them to the vet if you notice anything odd going on outside of their laziness.
4 Tips To Help Your Dachshund Be Less Lazy
1) Increase Physical Activity
One of the main reasons why your dachshund is so lazy is because it’s simply become a habit for them.
If they don’t get much exercise on a frequent basis, their default will become laziness.
Now this doesn’t mean immediately ramping up their exercise to levels they’ve never been close to doing before.
But gradually increasing their physical activity will help them become less lazy.
For example, if you were to only do one 10-minute walk per day. Bump that up to two 10-minute walks.
If you’re already doing two walks per day, extend them by 5-10 minutes each.
Also incorporating more play time will likely liven them up a bit as well.
Whether it’s going to the park to play fetch or interact with other dogs, or simply getting their body moving in your own backyard.
A sure-fire way to help your pup become less lazy is to increase their physical activity.
2) Better Diet
Of course, as with any animal, the quality of food they consume will largely impact the way they feel.
That’s why the saying, you can’t outwork a bad diet, is so popular.
While helping your dachshund exercise more will likely improve their energy levels, if they have a poor diet, it won’t fix their laziness entirely.
If they’re eating junk food scraps from you, too many treats, or even a low quality grain-based kibble, these will deprive them of vital nutrients.
And without adequate nutrients, their body can’t help but feel tired/lethargic.
Dog food that’s high in meat content will give your pup more nutrients that their body craves and in turn help their energy levels.
A better quality diet paired with additional exercise are major keys to helping your dachshund not be so lazy.
3) Take Them To The Vet
Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not a diet issue or an exercise issue.
You could feed them top quality food and take them for plenty of long walks and they still might be rather lazy.
If this is the case, there might be something going on with them internally that should be looked at.
It’s never a bad idea to take your dachshund to the vet if you notice big behavioral changes.
Or if you notice something that you thought might go away with time, like their laziness.
4) Make More Time For Them
If you’re able to make more time for your pup you’ll likely notice their energy levels increase.
Similarly to exercise, if more often than not they have something to do, they won’t be lazy nearly as often.
However, if most of their time is spent being idle, their default will be to be lazy.
But the more time you make for them and plan fun adventures, different play dates, or scenic hikes, the less lazy they’ll be.
Many dogs are lazy simply because they don’t have anything exciting going on.
Bonus: Get Them a Furry Brother/Sister
This may not be a solution for all dogs, but for dogs that are socialized well at a young age, bringing home another pup can be a great idea.
If your dachshund has another four-legged friend to play with they’ll have a 24/7 playmate.
Which means even when you’re at work or out with friends, they’ll have a companion to keep them occupied.
With another dog in the house your dachshund will be more likely to move around, play and be curious about what their new friend is doing/interested in.
Other posts you might find interesting:
12 Best Dog Beds for Dachshunds
8 Reasons Dachshunds Are Always Hungry | Dangers + Tips
Why Does My Dachshund Yawn So Much? 9 Reasons + 5 Tips
Why Is My Dachshund Getting So Fat? Top 6 Reasons + Tips
Citations:
Does Weather Affect Dog Behavior?
Old dog, new tricks: Age differences in dog personality traits
