Puppies are vulnerable. They look it when first born, too, but after they fill out a little and commandeer entire households, bending each helpless human to their will, they may not seem so helpless.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations protect your puppy from canine parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, and rabies, 
as well as diseases that may be more prevalent in your area (such as coronavirus and Lyme disease). One of the most important things you can do to keep your puppy healthy is to get her vaccinated first at 5 to 6 weeks of age. If you buy your Dachshund from a breeder, she should’ve had the first one or two vaccinations done already. Continue to vaccinate your puppy according to the regular schedule
suggested by your veterinarian. Different vets will recommend certain vaccinations at certain stages, so talk to your vet about when your puppy needs which vaccines. Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that comes in a diarrheal form and a cardiac form. If not treated, it’s usually fatal — especially for puppies. Distemper is another highly contagious? and often fatal viral disease that causes severe neurological damage in its advanced stages. Hepatitis is a highly contagious virus that begins with a fever and can end in coma and death.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can cause death or severe kidney, liver, and digestive tract damage. It can also be transmitted to humans, along with rabies. A debate is ongoing about vaccinations. Many people claim that pets are overvaccinated and that some of the vaccines from the first year last longer than vets previously thought. That could be. Others claim that serious diseases can result from vaccinations.
That may also be true, especially with vaccinations of older dogs. But for puppies, that first year’s vaccination schedule is crucial. You can talk to your vet about how often your dog needs booster shots after the first year, and you can work out a schedule of lessfrequent vaccinations later, but please don’t neglect these initial vaccinations.
The one vaccine required by law is the rabies vaccine, so even if you’re anti-vaccine, you’re required to have proof of this one. You must show this proof to license your dog, board her in a kennel, and sometimes even to get veterinary care. Nobody wants to risk rabies, so be diligent about the rabies vaccine. Many places, like boarding kennels, doggy daycare, and even dog parks, require proof of other vaccinations, too. Unless your dog has a serious health problem and your vet advises against the vaccines, there really is no reason to ignore the first year of vaccinations. That’s not to say that vaccinations don’t involve risk. In rare cases, animals react adversely to vaccinations. The most serious reaction, an anaphylactic reaction, usually occurs in the first 15 to 60 minutes.
This can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, so keep a close eye on your puppy for the first hour after a vaccination. Other less-severe reactions can happen later, from general fatigue, discomfort, and loss of appetite to a local infection at the site of the vaccination. The chances your Dachshund will have a reaction are extremely slim, though, and most vets agree that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks. But always watch your Dachshund carefully for a week or so after vaccines. If your Dachshund changes her behavior or gets ill in any way following a vaccination, call your vet immediately.
Some people suggest that puppies should never be around other dogs until all vaccinations are complete. But what about puppy obedience classes? If you bring your puppy to obedience classes at 3 or 4 months of age, be sure to choose a class that requires all puppy owners to show proof of vaccination. You should be okay. Better to have a well-trained puppy and take the very small risk that something may get passed around. Not training or socializing your puppy is a bigger risk because you’ll be more likely to give your Dachshund away when she gets to be too much trouble. Besides, your Dachshund will already have a few rounds of vaccinations under her belt, and she’s already working on building up her natural immunity — now she can build up her good manners!
Sterilization
Do you want to become a Dachshund breeder? Are you ready to devote most of your waking hours to 
the intense and often heartbreaking efforts of breeding, whelping, and raising, as well as studying to improve the health and temperament of Dachshunds? Are you ready to barely break even when you sell the puppies, to take back any puppy for any reason, to remain committed to every dog out of litter after litter, and to watch puppies fail to thrive and die in your arms?
If not, please sterilize your Dachshund. We are in the midst of a crisis in this country. Pet overpopulation is out of control, and the number of animals euthanized each year is staggering and saddening. According to Spay USA, every day 10,000 humans are born in the United States. In the same time frame, 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. The fact is, Dachshunds like to run, dig, and escape. Even under the best of conditions, your Dachshund could get free. If a female does, she could easily come home pregnant. If a male does, he could easily impregnate the neighbor’s champion Shih Tzu. You could end up with a litter of unwanted puppies on your hands — how will you find homes for them? At worst, your neighbor could take you to court.
Sterilization doesn’t cost much. In fact, many humane societies offer vouchers to make the procedure even cheaper; give your local society a call. Sterilization also is very safe for dogs. There’s a slight risk to any dog that undergoes general anesthesia, but almost all dogs come out of it just fine. Sterilization can even improve the behavior of dogs, and health benefits come with early sterilization (such as a reduced incidence of mammary tumors and fewer prostate problems). I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t want to sterilize your Dachshund, unless you specifically bought a specimen to serve as the foundation of a breeding program. In this case, you’ve made the full-fledged commitment to be the best breeder you can be.
Pest control
No matter where you live, and no matter how often you keep your Dachshund inside, your pup probably will have some contact with some kind of pest. Fleas are everywhere, for instance, and in the southern states and parts of California, fleas have established a comfortable and prolific year-round existence.
Ticks are everywhere, too, in the wooded areas of most states. Lyme disease — a serious and sometimes fatal disease spread by the deer tick — has been detected in 47 of 50 states. People can catch it, too, and become seriously debilitated by it. Many puppies, no matter how well they’re bred, are born with intestinal worms, and Dachshunds can easily pick up worms at any time during their lives. Mites that infect the ears or the skin abound, causing mange and other painful skin problems. Heartworms, dastardly critters, can kill your Dachshund by taking up residence in her blood vessels, lungs, or heart after transmission from a single mosquito bite. In other words, pest control is something every pet owner must deal with. Pests come in many forms, and none of them are any fun. But each of them can be dealt with easily, as long as you practice a little prevention and address any pest problem as soon as you detect it:
Fleas: Fleas are uncomfortable for your Dachshund and can cause complications ranging from severe allergic reactions to tapeworms. You probably won’t be too fond of fleas jumping on 
and off your arms and legs either, and if your Dachshund isn’t close by, the fleas will be happy to bite you. In rare cases, fleas can even infect humans with bubonic plague. Yikes!
Flea solutions: Prevention is the best solution. Apply a spot-on adulticide flea treatment (ask your vet for a recommendation) every month during flea season. A few drops
between your dog’s shoulder blades will kill the fleas that land on your Dachshund, even before they have a chance to bite. You can also treat your dog with an oral insect-growth-regulator treatment once a month all year round. Any flea that does bite your dog won’t be able to hatch any eggs, and the flea reproduction cycle will be halted before it can start. Leading parasitologists are recommending the oral protein Lufenuron as the core to flea control with topical to kill adult fleas if you see them, due to the inevitable resistance fleas are developing to topical agents. Ask your vet which flea products are best for your Dachshund. And don’t forget a thorough vacuuming around the house, along with washing your dog’s bedding in hot water — if you see any fleas. This combined approach should take care of the problem pretty quickly.
Ticks: Ticks can pass on severe diseases. The notorious Lyme disease is just one of many. Ticks are always dangerous when you walk with your Dachshund in wooded areas. They range in size, but sometimes the very smallest, barely visible ticks are the most dangerous.
Tick solutions: Please don’t try to burn off ticks or yank them out carelessly with your bare hands. You could injure your dog or cause an infection if tick parts get left under the skin; you could even infect yourself if the tick bursts and the blood gets on you. Instead, use a spot-on product made to kill ticks if you go out in tick-infested areas with your Dachshund. If your Dachshund does get a tick and you find it during your daily grooming session, pull it straight out slowly with tweezers or with your fingers (wear rubber gloves or use a tissue). If your Dachshund shows signs of listlessness, fatigue, and loss of appetite, Lyme disease could be the culprit. See your vet right away.
Worms: Roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from diarrhea and vomiting to weight loss, severe fatigue, pneumonia, and even death. If you aren’t thinking “Yuck!” at the very thought of worms, read on. Roundworms look like thin spaghetti, curled in your dog’s feces. Tapeworms look like 1?4- to 1?2-inch wiggly segments in your dog’s poop or on the skin or hair around the rectum. Hookworms penetrate your Dachshund’s skin, and the eggs can be detected under a microscope in your Dachshund’s feces. Whipworms look like 1-inch threads.
Worm solutions: Have every new puppy you adopt dewormed, usually a few times. In 
many cases, good breeders have this done for new pet owners. Have your vet check fecal samples a few times because worms can shed eggs intermittently, so a negative sample doesn’t always mean your puppy doesn’t have intestinal worms. To prevent reinfection, always keep your yard free of dog feces, and keep your Dachshund from sniffing poop from other dogs on walks. Many worms are transmitted when your Dachshund eats, or even sniffs, the feces of another dog (including your own dogs). A fence will help to keep stray dogs and their remains out of your yard. Once or twice a year throughout your Dachshund’s life, continue to have your vet do a fecal examination to check for the ongoing presence or arrival of worms.
Mites: Mites cause severe itching and a variety of unpleasant and unattractive skin conditions — sometimes referred to collectively as mange. Some mites infect your Dachshund’s ears; others live in her skin. Suspect ear mites if your Dachshund shakes her head a lot and scratches at her ears. Dark earwax is another sign. Scabies is a skin condition caused by a mite, and humans can get it, too. Scabies itches and often results in hair loss. Chiggers are tiny, red mites that live in wooded areas and burrow under your dog’s skin, causing itching and redness. Other types of mites cause puppy dandruff, mild itching, and hair loss, and some live in the hair follicles and infects them.
Mite solutions: See your vet to acquire various types of creams, drops, dips, or shampoos, depending on the type of mite he finds. And don’t wait. Your Dachshund won’t enjoy being bald and itchy.
Heartworms: Heartworms are transmitted from mosquitoes and, if left untreated, will kill your Dachshund. They travel to your dog’s heart and mature there, reaching lengths of up to 12 inches. A dog with heartworms can be treated (the treatment isn’t cheap), but if the heartworms are too advanced, it may be too late.
Heartworm solutions: First and foremost, prevent, prevent, prevent. Give your Dachshund a 
heartworm pill on schedule every single month, all year round — or always during mosquito season — for her entire life. Even if your Dachshund doesn’t go outside for very long, she can still get a mosquito bite. In fact, indoor-only Dachshunds have contracted heartworm from mosquitoes that got in the house. Also, avoid mosquito-infested areas whenever possible; use a product designed to repel mosquitoes on dogs when you must. (Don’t use your human bug spray on your dog, however.) Heartworm pills are great for preventing heartworms, but if your Dachshund already has heartworms, a heartworm pill could be fatal. Always have your Dachshund tested for heartworms before beginning heartworm pills. Most vets recommend a yearly test just before mosquito season. Never neglect this yearly test because an extra year or two carrying around a heartworm population could make a big difference in how treatable the problem will be.