When Is A Dachshund Full Grown?

It can be difficult to know when your dachshund has stopped growing, especially as their adult size is still extremely small. So, how do you know when a dachshund is full grown?

Most dachshunds stop growing in height and length between the ages of 8 months to 12 months, so if your dog is nearing or past their first birthday, it’s unlikely that they will get any taller and longer.

Not sure if your dachshund is a healthy size or what to do to ensure your dog develops properly? Don’t worry, we’ve compiled all the information you need to know below to help you provide the best care for your dachshund.

When Do Dachshunds Stop Growing?

two dachshund puppies together

Dachshunds normally finish growing once they are around 8 to 12 months old, so your dog won’t get any longer or taller after this age.

However, your pooch will continue to fill out and gain weight until they are 18 months to 24 months old.

Young dachshunds look quite gangly and awkward compared to their adult counterparts, which is completely normal provided they don’t have any health problems and are eating adequately. Puppies just need a bit of time to grow into their bodies!

Your dachshund will likely still look and act like a puppy for the first years of their life before gradually slowing down.

Dachshunds naturally have a youthful appearance, so your dog may very well retain their puppy look until their senior years.

In fact, I’ve had other dog owners assume my 7-year-old dachshund was a young pup based on her appearance and high energy levels. She’s never quite lost her puppy spirit!

When Is A Miniature Dachshund Fully Grown?

The majority of miniature dachshunds reach their adult length and height by the time of their first birthday.

Your puppy will grow rapidly up until 8 months of age. After this point, their growth rate will slow down considerably and they will probably have reached their adult height. 

Some dogs may finish growing as early as 6 months old, while others may continue to grow after 12 months old.

There’s no set guideline for when miniature dachshunds are fully grown as every dog’s development is different.

That being said, if your dachshund is excessively small, underweight, or overweight compared to other dachshunds of a similar age, it could be due to improper nutrition or a health issue.

It’s best to consult your veterinarian so they can investigate further.

It’s also important to note that dachshunds reach sexual maturity between 6 to 12 months of age.

Females will normally go into heat for the first time as early as 6 months of age to as old as 18 months of age. 

Once your dog is sexually mature, they can and will mate if the opportunity arises, so you might want to consider spaying or neutering your companion to prevent unwanted puppies. 

What Size Should My Dachshund Be?

fully grown standard dachshund

Once a standard dachshund has reached adulthood, they should be around 8 inches to 9 inches tall.

Measure your dog from the ground to their withers (area above their shoulders) to correctly figure out their height. 

A healthy weight for an adult standard dachshund is between 16 to 32 pounds. Males tend to be slightly taller and heavier than females.

Most dachshunds over the age of 12 months will weigh about 20 to 26 pounds with a chest circumference of roughly 14 inches.

What Size Should My Miniature Dachshund Be?

As their name suggests, miniature dachshunds are tiny! They are much smaller than standard dachshunds, even as adults.

The average size for an adult miniature dachshund is only 5 to 6 inches tall when measured from the ground to the dog’s withers. 

Fully grown miniature dachshunds typically weigh between 8 to 11 pounds, sometimes a little less.

Like most dogs, male miniature dachshunds are typically larger than females.

Does Dachshund Behaviour Change As They Grow?

As your dachshund grows from a puppy to an adult, so does their behavior. Dachshund puppies are full of energy, vigor, playfulness, and mischievousness.

While those qualities don’t completely disappear once your pooch has reached maturity, you may notice other changes in your dog’s behavior as they age. 

Dachshunds are stubborn, intelligent, willful, and independent. These traits will often become noticeable once your dog reaches their adolescent stage, which typically occurs around 5 to 6 months old.

You may observe your dachshund being more rebellious or naughtier around this time, as well as testing the boundaries. They may refuse to listen to commands and challenge your role as leader of the household.

It’s important to teach your dog the difference between good and bad behavior, making sure to reward positive actions generously to help your dog identify when they’re being well behaved.

Doing so will also encourage your dog to act more favorably as they’ll associate it with a positive outcome (like praise or a tasty treat).

You’ll need to stick to a regular training routine to keep your dachshund sharp and obedient, as well as frequently reinforce yourself as alpha of the “pack”.

Alongside newfound mischievousness, teenage dachshunds will be more active and energetic, so you’ll need to make sure you provide them with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation each day.

This will help reduce destructive and undesirable behavior as your dog will be tired out and less hyperactive.

Additionally, make sure you continue to socialize your dachshund by introducing them to new surroundings, situations, dogs, and other people frequently. A poorly socialized dog is more likely to develop behavioral issues,

When a dachshund is fully grown and has reached their second birthday, they will normally mellow out and be calmer.

However, some dogs can continue to be lively, energetic, and playful well into their senior years. It mostly depends on your dachshund’s personality.

For instance, my 7-year-old dachshund hasn’t slowed down much since puppyhood.

She’s still as high-spirited and outgoing as she ever was, which definitely keeps me on my toes!


How Can I Help My Dachshund to Grow and Be Healthy?

A good diet, exercise, and mental stimulation are all key to helping your dachshund grow up strong and healthy.

Nutritious Diet

Although these dogs are small and petite, they can easily gain weight if they are fed too much or the wrong types of food. 

Puppies should be fed three meals a day, whereas adults and seniors should be fed two meals each day.

Once your dachshund is over 12 months of age, you should be feeding them high-quality adult dog food (ideally free of fillers, artificial flavors, dyes, preservatives, etc).

Puppy food contains a higher level of calories and protein, both of which will contribute to weight gain in adult dachshunds.

Be careful not to feed your dog an excessive amount of sugary or calorific treats, too. 

The amount you feed your pooch daily depends on their weight, energy levels, age, sex, and whether they have any existing health problems.

Speak to your vet for advice and suggestions on your dachshund’s nutrition and food portion sizes.

That said, for the majority of standard dachshunds, between 1 cup to 1 ¾ cup of food a day is normally sufficient.

For miniature dachshunds, around ½ cup to 1 cup of food a day is usually adequate. However, if your four-legged friend is smaller than average, they may need less food. 

Exercise And Mental Stimulation

Alongside a healthy and well-balanced diet, your dachshund needs ample exercise and mental stimulation each day to develop properly and keep healthy.

This will help them blow off steam and offer them enrichment, helping prevent behavioral issues like aggression and destructiveness

Although you might not think it from their appearance, dachshunds are quite lively and active dogs – they were originally bred for hunting, after all!

Fully grown standard dachshunds require at least an hour of exercise each day, whereas adult miniature varieties need at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.

You can supplement your dachshund’s exercise with games like fetch and tug-of-war, alongside toys such as balls, frisbees, and chews.

Interactive and puzzle toys are also fantastic for dachshunds due to the breed’s intelligence and independence.

They love to figure things out themselves, and it’s a lot of fun watching your pooch trying to find out the solution.

Furthermore, it keeps your pooch sharp and entertained, allowing you to take a little break before the next play session begins!


Seeing your dachshund grow from a puppy to a fully grown adult is incredibly rewarding. Fortunately for us dachshund owners, the breed doesn’t get much bigger as an adult, so you don’t need to suddenly worry about your pup turning into a giant one day!

So, when is a dachshund full grown? As we answered earlier, dachshunds usually reach their adult length and height between the ages of 8 to 12 months old, but they will fill out until they are around 2 years old. 

With a good diet, enrichment, exercise, and mental stimulation, your dachshund will receive everything they need to become a strong, healthy adult.