Exact Answer: Fifteen to Twenty Years
Dachshunds are a dog breed with short legs and long bodies. These hound kinds of dogs are also referred to as badger dogs, saucer dogs, or doxies, for short. They may have short hair, smooth hair, or wired hair and they can be found in colors of solid red, black and tan, red and tan, merle, and also brindle.
Dachshunds are great hunters and they have been used historically in hunting badgers. It is on account of this reason that they are also called badger dogs. These dogs are much-favored dog breeds in America according to the American Kennel Association ranking at the twelfth position.
How Long Do Dachshunds Live?
| Type of Dashchunds | Life Expectancy Period |
| Standard Dachshunds | Twelve to Fourteen years |
| Miniature Dachshunds | Sixteen to Eighteen years |
There are two main types of dachshunds. These are the standard dachshunds and miniature dachshunds. These two dog breeds mostly have the same characteristics but are differentiated by their size, coat, and life expectancy.
Standard dachshunds are mostly characterized by a size of twenty to twenty-two centimeters or eight to nine inches to their withers. A healthy dog of the same breed will weigh around sixteen to thirty-two pounds or seven to fourteen kilograms. The main reason which led to domestication and breeding was its use in hunting burrow-dwelling animals.
The standard dachshund had great use in smelling, chasing, and keeping the farms free from animals like badgers. This breed of dog has an average life of about sixteen to eighteen years, which is a pretty good life expectancy for dogs.
In contrast to the Standard Dachshunds, Miniature Dachshunds are visibly smaller with a prospective length of thirteen to eighteen centimeters or five to six inches. A healthy adult miniature dachshund will not weigh above eleven pounds or five kilograms. Similar to the standard dachshunds, the miniature ones were also bred to hunt smaller animals.
Miniature dachshunds were tasked with the hunting of smaller animals like rabbits and other field-burrowing animals. This dog breed has a shorter life expectancy than standard ones, at between twelve to fourteen years.
On average, many Dachshund owners have reported the life of their pets to be ranging from fourteen to eighteen years.
Why Do Dachshunds Live That Long?
Dachshunds have a long lifespan, as compared to the other dog species. If the dog species with the longest life expectancy periods are ranked, the dachshunds would rank in the top ten of that list. These dogs are smaller in size which aids in their long life.
It has been concluded by many studies, that bigger dogs age quickly on account of abnormal growth of tissues. Additionally, they are more prone to cancer and tumors. Thus, being shorter has been greatly beneficial to the species in leading a longer life.
Added to this, the domesticated dachshund receives a great deal of care and is kept in a safe environment best suited for its long existence. They get proper nutrition and are also aided by vet doctors to take care of their health. This further increases the life expectancy period of the dog.
Moreover, the female dachshunds are expected to live for an additional six months as compared to the male dachshunds. If those female dogs are neutered, their life expectancy further increases.
Unfortunately, dachshunds face a great risk of Intervertebral Disc Disease. This disease is associated with back problems. These dogs have long legs coupled with shorter legs which leads to this disease as the discs in their backs start to degenerate as soon as they are a young adult.
Conclusion
Dachshunds are a species of dogs, most notably known for their long backs and shorter legs. These are of two types, the standard dachshund and the miniature dachshund. While the life of standard dogs ranges between sixteen to eighteen years, the life of miniature ones ranges between twelve and fourteen years.
Dachshunds have a very long life as compared to the larger dogs due to their smaller size. These dogs may suffer from various diseases linked to their back arising due to their shorter legs. Moreover, their domestication has increased the chances of better care leading to a long and happy life.