How High Can Dachshunds Jump?

Dachshunds are so low to the ground, that it makes it seem they couldn’t jump very high! But, in my experience with my dog, I’ve seen him jump higher than I ever expected. This made me wonder, how high can dachshunds really jump? So, I did some research and what I found was fascinating.

So, how high can dachshunds jump? There isn‘t a clear answer of exactly how high dachshunds can jump because jumping is actually very bad for them. But, it is found that they can jump 4 feet or so with no support. The amount of jumping they do should be as limited and supervised as possible, for the safety of their backs and joints.

Whether you’re wondering how high your fence needs to be in the backyard, how high you need to keep the dog treats, or why it’s so bad for dachshunds to jump, I’ve answered it all here with the information I found from my research.

Bad Backs – They’ll Still Jump on That

Dachshunds are actually more susceptible than any other breed of dog to back injuries and issues. Not only this, but some other things that my research brought to light made me realize how truly bad jumping is for dachshunds.

While jumping is simply a logistics problem with other dog breeds, it can be a life or death situation with dachshunds. Their backs are extremely fragile as are their joints. When they jump, as they will, extra pressure is put onto these fragile body parts, which greatly increases their chance of seriously hurting themselves. It also increases their chances of getting serious back problems such as IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease).

You should try to keep them from straining or increasing risk of damage to their backs. This means trying to keep them from jumping down stairs, jumping on couches, jumping on beds, or jumping off of any high surfaces as well. This will help them to have a longer and healthier life.

When playing, dachshunds tend to get overly energetic and bouncy. This is a crucial time when it’s important to supervise your dachshunds. With the extra energy and adrenaline, they will be running faster and going harder. This means that jumps made during play time have twice the chance of being harmful.

Not Bred to Jump… or Back Down

While dachshunds are not good at jumping, they will try anyway. They are known for their fierce stubbornness. This of course, will include their urge to jump. Training them against this, in the beginning, will help their stubborn streak to be tamed slightly, but a dachshund is stubborn as the sun is bright.

Jumping is literally not in their DNA. They were bred to dig and burrow and crawl. They were built with strong legs and long bodies, which does the job they were bred for. Jumping is the complete opposite of that purpose. While they weren’t bred for jumping, they were bred to be extremely athletic and intelligent.

Because dachshunds are athletic and intelligent they are very good at solving problems, so even if they are trained not to jump, they might use it as a solution to a problem. For example, if they’re on the back porch, and they see a rabbit running across the lawn, they might try to jump down if that’s the quickest solution they see.

This could be a major cause for concern considering the frailty of their backs. They might be strong and mighty dogs, but their backs do not hold up to that standard.

Higher Than You’d Expect

I’ve had several experiences with my dachshund, Scamp with jumping. Even though he knows he’s not supposed to jump, if he sees a reason to, he will. It’s no joke that if they see a reason to jump, they’ll jump on that. (I apoligize for the awful pun. I couldn’t help it.)

One time I was sitting at my table, eating a slice of pepperoni pizza and talking to my mom. Scamp was scuttering around my feet giving me the classic big brown pouty eyes, begging for me to drop some down to him. I wasn’t paying him much attention at all as I was deep in conversation. All of a sudden, the pizza is ripped from my hands and all I see is Scamp squeezing himself and the slice of pizza out of the doggy door.

In his mind, he had a problem. He wanted my pizza, and I wasn’t giving in. So, he thought of a solution and that solution was to leap up three feet into the air and grab it. This is a solution that many dachshunds would make as well. They’re smart and they know how to get what they want. They don’t think about the possible negative affects jumping will have on their back. That’s why it’s our job as their owners.

This is why it’ so important to drill the “no-jumping” rule into your dachshund at the puppy stage. And even after that, to make sure to prevent any reason they might have to jump, and supervising/helping them when jumping circumstances cannot be prevented.

High-Risk Situations

While some jumping may not be as harmful as others to dachshunds, there are certain situations that are more dangerous than all the others combined. And that is if the dog that is jumping is overweight. The fact that they are overweight alone (which is very common in dachshunds) means that their backs and joints already have extra pressure on them constantly. Then, if you add jumping to the mix, the risk of injury is exponentially increased.

How to Stop your Dachshund from Jumping

Many dogs have a problem of jumping up on people. It’s a common thing that dogs need to be trained out of. But, with dachshunds it’s any kind of jumping at all that needs to be refrained from.

Luckily one of the techniques used to train dogs to stop jumping on people can be used to teach your dachshund that jumping is a no go for them. When your dachshund as all four paws on the ground, praise him. Give him rubs and pets, and show him that that it is good. Then, when he tries to jump up on the bed, or couch or anything, give him a stern look.

To make the point extra clear, something that can be done is to show him that if he wants to go downstairs or get on the couch or bed, he needs to wait to be assisted. So how do you do this? Well, every time that your dachshund jumps up, simply scold them so that they know that was wrong. Then, pick them up, set them back down, and then pick them up and bring them on the bed. Even better, try to pick them up before they jump up.

After doing this consistently and continuously, your dachshund will learn that jumps are not okay. The important thing is consistency and to not get slack with the training.

While it may be hard for your dachshund to learn, with time, they will understand. Along with this, it helps a lot to not allow them to jump. Rather, be there to assist them before they make the jump. This of course won’t happen all the time. Dachshunds will be dachshunds. And when they jump, and your reprimend them this helps them to learn. The important thing is to not lose patience and to understand that your dachshund is trying.

Related Questions:

Are stairs bad for dachshunds? Typical stairs are too steep for dachshunds to climb up or down on their own. For the sake of their backs, when you want your dachshund to come up or down the stairs, it is best to carry them for the sake of their backs.

Are dachshunds prone to back problems? Yes, unfourtunately dachshunds are prone to back issues because of their unique structure. One of these back problems to watch for is IVDD, which can be very common in dachshunds. Watch for symptoms of this and other back issues.