Miniature Dachshund vs Belgian Shepherd - Breed Comparison

There are different varieties of the Belgian Shepherd Dog – but these all differ only in color, length and texture of coat. The interesting aspect of the names of the different Belgian Shepherds, is that the names of the different varieties are taken from the individual towns in Belguim from which each variety comes from.

This breed dates back to the middle ages, but it was only in 1891 that Professor A. Reul of the Cureghem Veterinary Medical School established standards for the types and actually separated- and distinguishing them. In the UK they are shown as one breed.

The Dachshund breed is ancient and was developed in Germany sometime around the 16th century.

It was in 1870 that Dachshunds first came to the United States to be used for hunting. During the 19th century, German hunters wanted smaller dachshunds.

The Dachshund was crossed with toy terriers. The coat comes in three coats – smooth-, long-haired and wire-haired. There is just one size of Miniature Dachshund in the UK and the United States.

Different Varieties

The Belgian Shepherd is a well proportioned, muscular medium-to-large dog breed. There are the different varieties but they generally stands at 56 – 66cm in height and weighs anything from 25 to 30kg. You get the short haired Malinois and then you also get the Belgian Tervuren and the Groenendal which are fairly long-haired varieties. Their colour shades vary so you can find black with white markings on the chest and feet, you can find light to dark brown and some are even inclined to be brown.

Not Aggressive but a Great Guardian

All the varieties have long tails, pointed, fully erect ears and black noses. While the Belgian Shepherd isn’t an aggressive dog, he makes an excellent guard dog, being alert, highly energetic and intelligent and easy to train. As with most other dogs, you’ll want to see to it that he is trained and socialized because then he makes a super pet suited to life with a family where there are children and other pets. He has an independent nature and is loyal and protective with his human family.

Coming in a range of colors such as red, black, black and tan, cream, chocolate etc, the coat of the Miniature Dachshund can be long or short. Both male and females stand at between 13 – 18cm and weigh between 3 and 5kg.

These dogs are characterized by the long back and very short legs with floppy ears and a long tail. The face is always bright and alert.

Temperament:

The Miniature Dachshund is a small dog and can happily adapt to life in the city as well as in the countryside. This is because with their exercise needs, they don’t require a huge garden but can in fact, exercise indoors.

They’ve always been bred to hunt and are independent and feisty. They’re also intelligent and will do well with training and socialization.

They are also devoted to their families and are known to bark when strangers come near their family. They’ve got a lot of energy and just love being involved with games or going on a walk. Consider him when going on a walk though as his little legs have to take many more steps as compared to your one step.

They can be stubborn, but are friendly, lovable little pets, they aren’t suited for homes with toddlers unless the children have been taught to be exceedingly gentle and kind with animals, especially small, fragile ones like this. They can so easily get hurt.

Energy is a big factor with this beautiful dog, so before you consider one as a pet, be sure that you can take care of his exercise needs. He belongs to the working group of dogs so he won’t enjoy just lazing around day after day. He is wired to be herding livestock and that natural instinct doesn’t disappear once he becomes a pet in your home. With so much energy, he wants a nice sized garden and wouldn’t do well cooped up indoors at all.

He is a strong, loving dog, and in exchange for your care of him, he will be a loyal, loving, protective friend who will love you to the end.

The Miniature Dachshund has lots of qualities which make him such a splendid pet. He is intelligent, brave, bold and loyal with his human family.

He is fun-loving and energetic and thrives on lots of games and walks. He is versatile in nature and also loves to take things easy indoors with his family.

These little dogs form strong bonds with their family and don’t like to be left on their own. When you have one of these as a pet you’re allowing a whole lot of joy into your home.

The Belgian Shepherd is a hardy dog so if you do your part to provide him with good quality nutrition from the food he eats and you exercise him, he’ll reach the 10-14 years allotted to him. Just like with any dog, there will be some minor concerns that you need to watch out for -

epilepsy, eye problems, cancer, skin allergies and hip dysplasia.

remember to check his teeth and for ticks and parasites as both, if just left, can jeopardise his health seriously.

see that he get his first puppy vaccinations at 6 to 8 weeks of age.

Be very careful with the Miniature Dachshund because of their long backs. You don't want to be allowing him to be jumping off chairs etc as their backs are prone to injury. To solve the problem you can buy special stairs and ramps for small dogs.

They can live to be between 12 and 14 years of age when looked after well.

A disease that is fairly common in the Miniature Dachshund is Intervertebral Disc Disease, a condition where the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column bulge or burst into the spinal cord space, pressing on the nerves and causing nerve damage and worse, paralysis.

Symptoms of the disease include among others

• whimpering or whining in agony
• pain in rear legs as well as weakness
• unwillingness to jump and reduction in activity levels
• hunched back
• loss of bladder- and bowel control

Exercise

Your Belgian Shepherd is an energetic dog breed who is social and who wants to be included in your family activities. You can’t just keep him cooped up in your back yard and expect him to do well. He’ll need daily exercise – walks, swims if there is water close by, chasing the ball as well as your companionship.

Grooming and shedding

These dogs are shedders so you’ll certainly be needing to watch your clothes for hairs. You will need to give them a good brush at least twice a week to get rid of all that loose hair and to keep his coat shiny and in tip top condition. Also, he likes the closeness the brushing provides between him and his human caretaker.

Feeding your Belgian Shepherd

The Belgian Shepherd is a robust, healthy breed of dog, but many ill dogs are brought to veterinary clinics because they are suffering with itchy skin problems, they have digestive problems and they’re generally run down. This is because they aren’t provided with a varied and balanced diet plan. Apart from eating a quality dry- or wet dog food as recommended by your vet, he’ll most certainly need some raw meat in his diet too.

Dachshunds can put on weight quickly and you want to avoid this at all costs as extra weight can put strain on the back.

If you feed your Mini Dachshund commercially manufactured dog food, choose the best quality ones, high in vitamins and minerals and avoid some of the cheaper ones that use unwholesome fillers, colorants, sugar and lots of salt, all of which can be toxic for your pet.

Of course home-made food is always best, but not any foods either. It is best with any dog to keep their foods simple and consistent so as to avoid stomach problems. Chopped up boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as potatoes carrots and spinach will do wonders for him. Make sure that there is a constant supply of fresh, cool water for him.

Grooming:

A good brush of the coat twice a week will do fine for your Miniature Dachshund. Remember to check him over for fleas and ticks when you brush him and to feel for any unusual lumps. Keep the nails trimmed.

Check both eyes and ears for infection. There are ways to keep the inside of long eared dog breeds clean and dry, but if you’re unsure there are always professional groomers who will do the job for you, and clean their teeth at the same time. You can brush your dogs teeth 2 or 3 times a week to avoid plaque build up, gum infection and tooth loss.