Should pet parents let Dachshunds jump? Does jumping cause health issues? Can you stop a Dachshund when she’s determined to get on the furniture? How do you prevent the action? We’ll learn together as we research the facts about Dachshunds and their jumping habits.
Can Dachshunds jump? Yes. Dachshunds can jump as high as four feet in some cases. These independent pups prefer getting up on the couch and the bed on their own. Still, jumping up and getting down creates excessive pressure and stress on your dog’s spine. Since a common issue for the Dachshund is IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease), avoiding jumping is the recommendation.
The Dachshund’s elongated body and stubby legs make the animal more susceptible to spinal issues. It doesn’t slow down the animal, nor do her legs. The Doxie loves to be where the pet parent is and will jump on furniture capable of incredible heights.
How High Can A Dachshund Jump?
The indication is that a dachshund has the capacity to jump as high as four feet without support. The feisty pup will automatically find a way onto elevated surfaces that look comfortable or where she can be closer to the pet parent before you can have the chance to prevent it.
The problem is the action can create a disk rupture or spinal injury, making jumping something to be avoided as much as possible from excessive heights and on a frequent basis.
- Bed: Doxies love to sleep in a bed under blankets. Burrowing is an instinct for the natural hunter. But jumping on and off this high surface is considered a “high-load-action,” meaning it’s a blend between the soft bed’s platform and then onto the hard floor, creating intense strain for joints and muscles.
- Couch: A Dachshund has a strong sense of loyalty to her parents; the animal, especially the female, will usually pick a family member as a favorite. The pup will lovingly snuggle on the couch and is quick to jump up before a family member has a chance to pick the dog up.
- Stairs: Dachshunds should avoid traveling stairs. Climbing up sets of stairs can create extreme pressure on the animal’s back, but maneuvering down will jar the spine. The ideal scenario for a house with a staircase is to carry the dog up and down. A gate needs installing for preventive measures.
It’s nearly impossible to keep an energetic Dachshund from jumping, whether a mini or standard Doxie. These dogs don’t recognize their size or their limitations.
The recommendation is to keep the dog from jumping no higher than a two-foot height and offer the animal devices like ramps to keep their jumping to a minimum.
What Happens If My Dachshund Were To Jump Too Much?
Based on this research, the Dachshund is among the top breeds for (Intervertebral Disc Disease). Dachshunds are at a 10–12 times higher risk of IVDD than other breeds, and an estimated 19–24 % of Dachshunds show signs of IVDD during their lifetime.
The different Dachshund varieties including the Standard Wire-Haired and the Standard Smooth-Haired varied substantially for their risks of spinal injuries including IVDd with signifiant prevalance seen in the Smooth-Haired at over 24% and the least for the Wire-Haired at just over 7%.
Breaking down the statistics by age for the Smooth-Haired pups there were again moderate differences in the five to ten+ age group of approximately 10% where the 5-9 age group saw over 25% spinal injuries like IVDD and the 10+ group were roughly 35%. The Doxies under age 4 were substantially lower at only 4.1%.
Keeping a Dachshund from jumping to extreme heights is encouraged to prevent these spinal injuries. However, a healthy pup who engages inadequate levels of exercise with reasonable amounts of jumping onto furniture and stair use can actually build muscles that will support the animal’s back keeping IVDD at bay.
While Doxies weren’t made to leap into the air to excessive heights, preventing the dog from jumping altogether can possibly keep the muscles from developing potentially being worse for the spine overall.
Is It Always Dangerous For A Dachshund To Jump?
It’s actually not always dangerous for your Dachshund to jump. As mentioned, if you have a new little puppy, a dog that has progressed in age, or a Doxie that has developed a back injury or developed issues of IVDD, these would create danger for the dog if she were to attempt to jump.
Otherwise, a healthy Dachshund exposed to regular exercise and playtime can benefit from occasional jumping and stair use of reasonable heights.
The action can build core muscles for the animal, ultimately supporting the back and limiting the likelihood of developing spinal injuries with the potential to avoid IVDD.
Pet parents want to pay attention to the Dachshund as age does progress, however. The animal will begin to slow down, and joints can start to cause problems for the dog.
At this point, ramps for getting up on the couch and jumping onto the bed are the recommendation, plus carrying the canine up and down sets of stairs.
How To Stop Your Dachshund From Jumping On The Couch or Bed?
If you have a Dachshund who should not jump for any reason due to her being just a puppy, a senior dog, or one who has already developed spinal injuries or IVDD, you can remove the opportunity in the house. Some tips include:
1. Ramp or Soft Stairs
Wherever the pup tends to nap, whether it be the couch or the bed, you should provide either a ramp, check out some of the best dog ramps on the market here, or soft stairs for the dog to climb up. Train the animal using positive reinforcement treats until she uses the tools on her own.
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2. Use Gates
Blocking the furniture, couches, and bed or the staircase, using gates can help keep the Doxie from jumping when you’re not in the room. There are freestanding examples that you can maneuver from one area to another instead of purchasing multiple.
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3. Lower The Position Of The Bed
Put the mattress and box spring directly on the floor so the pup can get on the bed much easier without the need for any assistive device like stairs.
4. Training
Use positivity to train your Dachshund to sit until you come to lift her onto the furniture, the bed, or can carry the dog up or down the stairs. After a while, the pup will let you know when she’s ready to get up or down.
5. Excited jumping
Early training to prevent your Dachshund from jumping up and down on people is essential, again, with positive reinforcement. These will be the beginning stages of developing jumping habits for the animal.
Even though some jumping is encouraged for a healthy Doxie as a method for developing core muscles, you still want to maintain a reasonable height.
It should be no more than roughly two feet, and there should be ramps and soft stairs so that jumping is not something the animal does too often.
Final Thoughts
Dachshunds, both mini and standard, are energetic, active dogs with no knowledge (or perhaps care) of their limitations. The animal is feisty and fiercely independent, meaning when she wants something, she achieves it, including jumping up on the bed to snuggle under the covers or hopping up on the couch to cuddle with her pet parent.
Typically, the Dachshunds jump before a pet parent knows it’s happened or has the opportunity to lift the animal to where they want to lie down. Fortunately, some jumping is beneficial for a healthy Doxie who exercises on a routine basis.
The activity helps develop a strong core for the animal, which ultimately offers support to the spine, helping to limit the chance of IVDD.
The primary responsibility for a pet parent is to recognize signs and symptoms of a back injury and IVDD, seeking vet assistance immediately, and disallowing any activity to exacerbate the condition, including all jumping or stairs.
While you want to give your Dachshund free reign of the household as much as possible (and whether you do or not, she kind of takes it), the animal needs to learn her limitations – with your help.
It might not be easy to teach a Doxie that she can’t reach the moon without hurting her tiny body; it’s not impossible. As with all other training, start early, be consistent and persistent – because she will be.
