Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund
The Miniature Smooth-haired Dachshund is the smallest and now the most popular of the Dachshund family in Britain, bred down from the standard for hunting rabbit rather than…
About the Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund
The Miniature Smooth-haired Dachshund is the smallest and now the most popular of the Dachshund family in Britain, bred down from the standard for hunting rabbit rather than badger. It is registered as a breed in its own right, and the ideal weight of about 4.5 to 5 kg is what separates a Miniature from a small Standard.
Miniatures have all the character of the larger dog: bold, vocal, devoted to their owners and inclined to take charge. Because the breed has become so fashionable, temperament and structure vary enormously between lines, and a stud from a breeder who has been in the variety for years is worth seeking out. Colours run from red and cream through black and tan to dapple and brindle, and the same rule applies as elsewhere: never mate dapple to dapple.
Back health comes first. Ask for the stud's IVDD X-ray screening grade under the Dachshund Breed Council scheme, and prefer a dog screened after the age of two. A current eye certificate matters, and so does a DNA result for cord1-PRA, which is found in the miniature varieties. A sensible weight and a stud that moves freely are the simplest signs of all.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Good Practice — the Royal Kennel Club’s minimum before breeding
The tests the Royal Kennel Club says breeders should, at a minimum, complete before breeding.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| IVDD spine screening (RKC scheme, Dachshund Health UK) | Screening scheme | RKC | Grade 0–3 from one X-ray at 24–48 months. |
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — cord1-PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy, cone-rod dystrophy 1) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed hip median
Too few dogs of this breed have been scored (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years: 1 dog) to give a meaningful breed median. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund stud dogs
No Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund studs are listed right now
When a Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund litters
No Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
