It’s a lab, it’s a dachshund. It’s a Dachsador! It may be spelled Doxidor as well. This can be a truly humorous dog to feast your eyes upon but while he may be short in the leg, he’s long in the heart and he’ll wow you with an amazing personality. Sure to warm your heart and make you smile, a Doxidor is a wonderful addition to any family.
This is a mix of two breeds that are very close to polar opposites. Doxidors tend to be playful, friendly, high-energy but may also be wanderers who will stray from home, following their noses. One is a short-legged-long-bodied, pick-a-fight-with-a-raccoon-all-attitude-type-of-dog who views himself as being the size of a mastiff.
The other is a larger, much taller, people-pleasing-coffee-table-clearing-tail-wagger of a dog who thinks he still fits in your lap when he is a 65-pound behemoth who will lick you until your face is wet. When personalities collide, the Doxidor is born.
History of Both Parent Breeds
The Dachshund:
He is sometimes referred to as the “Weiner Dog” because of his resemblance to a hot dog. They are varied in coats. You can find a Dachshund with wire hair, short hair (smooth coat) or with long hair. The Doxie was bred to chase small vermin into the holes in which they live. He’s a brave fighter and will follow straight down into a dark hole, in order to catch his target.
Primarily, he was bred to flush badgers from their holes for the hunters to dispatch. The Dachshund had to be brave, resilient, and absolutely fearless. This accounts for the attitude that they can sometimes have. They are a breed known for being fiercely independent and often are referred to as ‘stubborn’ by those who cherish them.
The Dachshund has an independent streak but when they are in the mood to cuddle, not much is cuter than the doxie who falls asleep in your lap, wagging his tail as he sleeps — beating up a badger in his dreams, no doubt.
He has also been used to hunt rabbits and to chase down wounded deer, particularly in the western half of the US. The dachshund is low to the ground with a hound-like hunting nose. They are surprisingly fast for the short legs they have been bred with. A race even exists that is just for this breed, called the Weiner Dog Nationals, it draws people from all over the world.
They are short but they are very sturdy and muscular. Their front paws are large and seem to turn outward just a bit. This makes them excellent diggers and necessary for chasing burrowing creatures.
If you’ve got moles, voles, prairie dogs, or other types of burrowing creatures in your yard, a dachshund will dig holes all over the place and go crazy hunting them.
You are highly likely to be greeted by a dead vole on your deck one morning and this can be very shocking first thing in the morning, as voles resemble tiny humanoids with pink feet that appear to have fingers. It can definitely cause you to spill your coffee first thing in the morning to find one on your kitchen floor.
The dachshund is a deep-chested dog, providing him greater lung-capacity for running and chasing his small prey. He has surprising stamina and you don’t realize how quick they are until you are trying to keep up with one.
They are also capable of squeezing under bushes and scrub, getting into the places where you can’t follow. When he’s on a mission, you’ll have a chore to keep up with him!
A dachshund can come in many different colors too. In fact, there are so many different types of color combinations that it can become confusing. The most common color is red, or black with tan points. There are many other colors, however, such as:
- Cream
- Chocolate
- Tan pointed on black, or chocolate
- Blue and tan
- Isabella and tan
- Wildboar (only a color in the wire-haired version of Dachshund
Patterns may include:
- Dapple (merle)
- Sable
- Brindle
- Piebald can happen with any of the base colors
Dachshunds in the same litter may all be a variety of different colors and even types of hair. It depends on the genes carried by both parents and it can vary widely. There are also many variations in shades. The red Dachshund, for example, may appear more copper, mahogany, rust-colored, or fawn.
There are three sizes of Dachshunds. These are standard, miniature and kaninchen (German for “rabbit”). While they are lovable and excellent hunters, the Doxie can also prove to be very stubborn when you are trying to train them. They are known for being difficult to potty train as well.
Also, while they are good with family and children, they can be a bit aggressive toward strangers and to other animals. If they are raised with the other animals they tend to be fine, but when being introduced to new animals, they can sometimes be anything but thrilled.
This is their breeding as well. They can have a one-track mind and when something stands between them and what they want, they can be very difficult and hard to handle. This is the same will that serves them so well when chasing down a badger, so don’t hold it against them, it’s simply who they are bred to be.
The Opposite End Of The Spectrum – The Labrador Retriever
The Labrador, as he is most commonly known, or Lab, is a very different dog from the Dachshund. The Lab loves to chase, fetch, and play retrieving games all day long. He’s a hunting breed that is considered a general-purpose gun dog.
If you are hunting pheasant, many Labs will point, some will flush, and all of them will retrieve birds to the hand. If you are a duck hunting enthusiast, then you already know that this breed is an excellent duck retriever. He will dive into the icy water and swim like a fish to get a grip on a duck and bring it back to you.
It is their eager-to-please personality that has made them an all-purpose working dog. They may very well be one of the most versatile dogs on the planet. Their eagerness to please makes them very easy to train.
They can learn very difficult tasks which have earned them a place in history as working service dogs for the physically impaired, guide dogs for the visually impaired, police dogs working as detection dogs for bombs, drugs, cadavers, arson detection, and search and rescue work.
The lovable Labrador Retriever is easily trained to do most anything because he loves human beings and wants to make them happy with him. He’ll work for food and he’ll work for love and affection. He bonds very strongly with his humans and is typically friendly with all people, though might be wary of strangers as first.
Rarely are these dogs aggressive. They do make good watchdogs, however, as they will bark to alert you. While they don’t tend to make good guard dogs, they do deter some would-be thieves due to their size and barking alerts.
He was bred to retrieve birds as a hunting dog and he will bring you rabbits and other small game. An untrained, unsupervised Labrador might be a hole-digger or an escape artist. He’s smart and could get easily bored and get into trouble if he isn’t supervised.
He is a chewer, especially as a puppy. You’ll want to keep an eye on him at all times until he’s mature enough to know better. He needs plenty of healthy chew toys to keep him happy and his teeth healthy.
The Labrador Retriever has webbed paws and is an excellent swimmer. You should introduce him to water at a young age and make sure that it is a positive experience for him. Don’t assume that he doesn’t need a floatation device designed for dogs. He can get tired and drown. Always make sure that he is wearing his PFD (personal floatation device).
He will be drawn to water and enjoy splashing in puddles, diving into ponds, chasing ducks on the shoreline, crashing in ocean waves, and rolling in muddy puddles when the occasion presents itself. They love to be dirty.
Their coat is kept water repellant by a gland at the base of their neck that secretes oil that keeps their coat shiny and water-shedding. This helps them stay dry at the skin level and to dry out quickly when they’ve been in the water. They shake well and dry within minutes usually.
The Labrador Retriever takes part in AKC conformation shows, obedience trials, hunting competitions where he does blind retrieves (given hand signals to the retrieving dummy by his handler without seeing where the dummy landed), and dock diving competitions where they are measured for the distance they can jump off a dock.
You may see the Labrador Retriever take part in agility or flyball, frisbee competitions and more. This breed’s middle name is “versatile” for certain.
The Labrador Retriever comes in black, yellow, chocolate, and a newer color that is a silver color, while some of the yellow Labs have been bred lighter to create a line of nearly white retrievers.
He is considered a medium to large dog, weighing as much as 80 pounds for larger males. There are larger boned Labradors that are known as English Labs which tend to be more of a hunting line and the American Lab is more typical of the show dog lines.
The Lab has a single layer coat that is course but medium in length. He doesn’t require a lot of grooming and is fairly maintenance-free. He will shed and in the spring it can seem very excessive. His fur will thin during the hottest months of the summer and he’ll have a very short, shiny coat in most cases.
His personality is generally happy and energetic. He will bring you a tennis ball 100 times per day, living to fetch. You have to be the one to say enough when the sun is high and the days are hot because he will continue to fetch and run until he simply passes out from heat exhaustion. He doesn’t really know the meaning of taking it easy, especially when he’s young.
He needs plenty of exercise so you’ll want to have a yard, access to a dog park, or to take him to go running with you, hunt regularly, and keep him worn-out.
If you have children, he’s good-natured with them and can take a lot of rough-housing with kids. He’s a robust dog that seldom holds a grudge for getting a poke in the eye or a tail pulled by a toddler. That said, always supervise dogs and children.
If you give him a job to do, he will do it consistently and happily until he is too old to move. The heart of the Labrador Retriever is seldom equaled by any other dog. He is noble, loyal, dedicated, and determined. He is always ready to go and will wake from a sound sleep when he hears your keys. He’ll be in the truck and waiting for you.
He can eat a lot due to his size and energy. Be prepared to feed him a good diet that is high in protein with enough carbs to handle that energy he has. Supplement him well to ensure that he has healthy joints and ages gracefully. This breed is known for living to be as old as 15 to 16 years of age. He is a lifetime commitment.
The Mix Called Doxador
When it comes to odd mixes, the Doxador might win a prize. That said, however, they have a lot of really positive traits. For example, they generally take after the Labrador personality, so they are easier to train than a Dachshund and more eager to please.
Because they are more eager to learn and please you, they tend to be good about potty training, which is a positive thing too. When training them, they tend to respond best to positive reinforcement, which typically involves treats or rewards which can even involve throwing a tennis ball for them.
When it comes to looks, they may inherit the color of either parent, though most Doxadors seem to be black or red in color. The body of the Labrador is typically inherited, along with the stubby legs of the Dachshund, creating a dog that is short and stout, shaped like a barrel and ready to play chase.
Being that both parents who contribute to the DNA, the Doxador has a lot of instinctive drive to chase prey, retrieve, hunt, and run at top speed. He may or may not like the water and he may inherit the paws of the Doxie, which won’t be conducive to swimming in most cases.
Doxies are not the best swimmers and generally don’t care much for the water, though there are always exceptions to every rule. Some pure Labrador Retrievers don’t like the water much and owners are shocked that they cannot coerce their Lab into the water at all.
It happens sometimes that they have had a bad experience or that they just don’t have that gene that kicks in and tells them to go into the water. Some owners may find this a relief if they aren’t planning to hunt with their dog.
Both parent breeds are active, energetic, and full of life. They are both intelligent as well. This will make it highly likely that your Doxador will be active, athletic, sure-footed and entertaining if you are an active family.
These dogs tend to be great with kids and make wonderful family dogs. This is likely a nod to the genes of the Labrador Retriever. Don’t forget that the Dachshund can also be lovable, as long as it is on his terms.
He is a bit more cat-like in that he prefers to choose when he will cuddle and enjoy your attention. The Lab is more down for a cuddle at the drop of a hat and that is the general personality of the Doxador too.
The Doxador is a mild-tempered dog, less aggressive than his Dachshund brethren. He will be willing to accept a pat on the head from people he has just met, more so than his Dachshund parent. He’ll be more playful like his Labrador parent’s side of the family.
While his coat will probably be like that of the Labrador, it is possible that he could inherit any of the Dachshund coats. You could potentially have a rough coat or long-haired mix.
The adult Doxador will be anywhere between 15 inches and 25 inches at the shoulders and he’ll be in the neighborhood of 30 to 40 pounds. Odds are in favor of him looking like a small Labrador, with short legs. Many people mistake them for dwarf Labradors, in fact.
He could tend to be more of a watchdog, like a Dachshund, or sweeter and easy-going like the Labrador, which is more of a people-pleaser by far. When it comes to personality, anything is possible but if your dog looks more like the Dachshund, then the odds are more likely that he will behave more like a Dachshund as well.
Due to the big size difference with these two dogs, the female of the pairing will always be the Labrador. This is because the Dachshund would be far too small to carry a litter of pups that could all potentially be the size of Labradors. This would cause medical issues upon delivery, risking the mother and the pups, if she was even able to carry them to full-term.
Some breeders will even use artificial insemination to create designer breed pups when there is a larger size difference between the breeds. This is a way to keep safety as a priority. You should make sure that you interview potential breeders very well before you commit to buying a puppy from them.
Remember that designer dogs are essentially mixed breed dogs that are premium priced and there possibly dogs that meet your desires that can be adopted from rescues. I
f you do decide that a puppy purchased from a breeder is the best way for you to go, then be certain that they are reputable, offer health guarantees, have vaccinated and kept records of all pups since birth and you should want to meet both parents of the pups when possible.
This is one of the best ways to see what personality your pup could inherit. You are essentially interviewing the parents at that point.
You should also ensure that the dogs and puppies are kept in a clean environment, free of urine and stool messes and an area that is flea free. Check the puppies for clear eyes and any puppy that you are paying for should have all their first shots and a visit to a veterinarian for health checks before being sold.
These are simple things that can help to establish that a breeder is caring properly for their animals and not just a backyard breeding facility that is in it for the money alone and not concerned about the health or well-being of the dogs. Are the parents well-cared for?
Are they free of fleas, skin problems, and do they have clear eyes? If the parents appear to have any health issues, there is a high likelihood that your pup could inherit that. Be very careful.
Once you find a great breeder and you’re happy with them, spend some time with the puppies and choose the one that speaks to your heart. You want to try to choose a puppy that isn’t too shy or too outgoing. An even-tempered, normally curious pup is a good choice for any family.
Make sure that you vet your pup right away to get a check-up, worming, tags and final round of vaccinations when he is old enough. Talk to your vet about proper care, spaying or neutering, and any health-related issues that he thinks you should know about.
