Snow White Dachshunds

09/09/2026

🐾 Atlas found his perfect forever home🤗🏡💙

We’re so happy that our beautiful boy Atlas has found the most wonderful family and even better, he’ll be staying close to us here in Brisbane. 🥰

Wishing you a lifetime of love, cuddles and happy adventures, sweet boy! 💙🐾

27/08/2026

🐾 Grace has found her forever home! 💕🏡

Our beautiful sweet girl Grace has found her perfect forever family in Brisbane, where she’ll be surrounded by lots of love and children to grow up with. 🥰

We couldn’t be happier for her and wish Grace and her new family a lifetime of love, cuddles and wonderful memories together. 🤎🐾

Have the most beautiful life, sweet Grace.🥹🤗💞

17/08/2026

08/08/2026

Lyra🩷is off to her forever home! 🏡💕
Our beautiful girl is going home with a lovely couple in Brisbane and she already has a dachshund sibling waiting for her! 🐶🐶🤎 🐾

Wishing you a lifetime of love, cuddles and happy adventures, sweet Lyra. 🤎✨
You will be so loved.🥰

03/08/2026

✨ Lyra is still looking for her forever family 🩷

Meet Lyra – our gorgeous 11-week-old Miniature Dachshund girl. She is playful, confident, affectionate, and full of personality.

✔️ 11 weeks old
✔️ Microchipped
✔️ Vaccinated
✔️ Wormed
✔️ Vet health checked
✔️ DNA-tested parents
✔️ Ready to go now

📩 DM us for more information or to arrange a visit.

Your perfect little best friend could be waiting for you.🥰

31/07/2026

Are dachshunds really impossible to potty train? 🤔

Nope. But they ARE often slower and more frustrating than other breeds, and there are real reasons for that. When you understand the “why,” it’s a lot easier to set them up for success, whether you’re raising a baby puppy or working with an adult who still isn’t fully housebroken. 💩🐾

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🐶 Why dachshunds feel so hard to potty train

First, this is not about “bad dogs.” It’s about how they’re built and how we teach them.

👉 Small dog, small bladder
Dachshunds simply can’t hold it as long as bigger breeds, especially under 6 months. When their physical needs don’t match our schedule, accidents happen and get called “stubborn,” when it’s really just biology.

👉 Independent, stubborn temperament
They were bred to hunt underground and make decisions away from people. That independence means they don’t automatically care that you want them to p*e on a schedule or in a specific spot. We have to be very clear and very consistent.

👉 Scent driven and easily distracted
Outside, their nose is BUSY. They sniff, explore, forget to potty, then come inside and suddenly remember and go on the floor. It’s not spite, it’s wiring.

👉 Weather drama
They’re low to the ground, so cold, wet yards feel miserable. Many dachshunds refuse to go in bad weather and then potty as soon as they’re back in the warm house. They often need extra help (jackets, a cleared potty area, super high value rewards) when the weather is gross.

👉 Mixed messages and inconsistent routines
“Just this once” indoor accidents, p*e pads, free roaming with no supervision, and changing rules all teach them that inside can sometimes be a bathroom. Dachshunds thrive on predictable structure. If the routine is inconsistent, their potty habits will be too.

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🌱 Texture matters more than most people realize

Puppies don’t just learn “go potty.”
They learn: “go potty on THIS kind of surface.”

Over time they build a surface preference:
❥Grass, dirt, gravel
❥Fake turf
❥Fabric (rugs, blankets, beds)
❥Pads, paper, towels
❥Hard floors

If a puppy is encouraged to potty on soft, absorbent things (pads, towels, bathmats, rugs, blankets), they can easily learn:
🧠 “Soft and squishy under my feet = bathroom.”

That’s how you end up with adult dogs who seek out carpets, dog beds, and laundry piles to p*e on.
Choosing the right surface early and being consistent with it makes a HUGE difference later.

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🚫 Why p*e pads cause so many headaches

P*e pads sound convenient… but they often make things harder, especially with dachshunds.

❌ They teach that it’s OK to potty indoors. Some dogs never fully turn that off.

❌ Pads feel a lot like rugs and bathmats. Dogs don’t see the brand logo; they just feel “soft thing on floor = ok to p*e.”

❌ Many dachshunds develop a strong preference for that indoor pad surface, hold it outside, then run back in to find their pad (or your carpet).

❌ If your goal is an outdoor potty dog, pads add extra steps: teach the pad ➜ unteach the pad ➜ teach outdoor surfaces.

Pads DO have a place in some situations (high rise living, disability, extreme weather, serious medical issues), but for the average home they tend to delay true house training and create confusion.

If you absolutely must use pads:
✔ Keep them in one dedicated area only.

✔ Use a tray or border so it feels like a defined station, not just random fabric on the floor.

✔ Transition as early as possible to a more outdoor-like surface (pellets, turf) and then to actual yard time.

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🐾 For puppy owners: giving your dachshund the best start

Think: STRUCTURE + REPETITION = SUCCESS.

✅ Take them out constantly at first:
❥After waking
❥After eating
❥After playing
❥Before bed
❥Plus every 20–60 minutes depending on age

✅ Go to the SAME potty spot each time.
Potty first, fun after. Don’t let them get distracted with play until they’ve gone.

✅ The instant they finish, celebrate:
Praise, treats, happy voice. Make it extremely obvious they did the right thing.

✅ Use crates, pens, leashes, or tethers indoors.
No wandering off to have “secret” accidents.

✅ If you need an indoor backup, choose a defined potty texture (like a tray with pellets or turf) that’s clearly different from your rugs and beds, and have a plan to phase it out.

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♻️ For older pups and adults or rescues who still aren’t potty trained

Yes, adult dachshunds CAN learn.
The challenge is you’re not just training, you’re RETRAINING and undoing old habits and surface preferences.

🔁 Treat them like an untrained puppy for a while:
❥4–8 weeks of a strict schedule
❥Constant supervision
❥Crate or pen when you can’t watch

🔁 Assume their past lesson was:
“Inside is fine” and maybe “soft stuff is fine.”
Now your job is to teach: “Outside, on this surface, is the ONLY thing that pays.”

🔁 Go back to basics:
Same outdoor potty spot, wait them out, and pay BIG every single time they go where you want.

🔁 Manage tempting indoor textures:
Put away bathmats, small rugs, laundry piles, and extra fluffy beds while you rebuild habits.

🔁 No free roaming until they’ve had a good stretch of being accident free.

🔁 If a dog who used to be reliable suddenly regresses, talk to your vet to rule out UTIs, stones, or other medical issues.

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🐕 A gentle note to breeders

Breeders have HUGE influence over how easy potty training will be for their puppy families. Early habits and surface preferences start in the whelping box.

🌳 If it’s safe to take puppies outdoors👇

❥Once puppies are steady on their feet, start a simple routine.
❥Take them to the SAME small, clean potty area after waking, after eating, and after play.
❥Use a consistent surface (grass, gravel, turf) and keep it as clean and dry as possible.
❥Stand quietly, let them sniff and go, then calmly praise and reward.
❥Manage parasite risk and yard safety based on your vet’s guidance.

🏠 If outdoor access is too risky for their health or vaccine status👇

❥Create a clearly defined indoor potty zone (a low litter box with paper or wood pellets, or a turf tray) that is different from blankets and bedding.
❥Place the potty surface away from sleeping and eating areas so they learn “we sleep here, we potty there.”
•Gently move or carry puppies to that spot after waking and meals, and reward them for using it.
❥Keep that setup consistent so the association sticks before they go home.
❥Avoid relying on household towels, random pads, or soft bedding as the main potty surface, because puppies will look for similar textures in their new homes.

When puppies leave already understanding “I potty over THERE on THIS kind of surface, not where I sleep and eat,” their new families start several steps ahead and you hear “dachshunds are impossible to housebreak” a lot less.

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✅ The bottom line

Most “dachshunds are impossible to potty train” stories are really about:

❥Small dog biology
❥Independent personality
❥Texture and surface preferences learned early
❥Confusing or inconsistent human routines
❥Old habits that were never fully fixed

With clear structure, smart surface choices, and consistent rewards, most dachshunds — puppies AND adults — can absolutely become reliably housebroken. It usually just takes more time, more patience/repetition, and more management than people expect.

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Copyright © Salt of the Earth Dachshunds. You may share this post as-is using the 'Share' button or with clear credit to our program as the original source.

31/07/2026

🐾 Let’s Talk About Color Dilution Alopecia (CDA) And Dilute Dachshunds 💬

I’ve had several people recently ask about my stance on breeding dilutes, the blues and isabellas, and why I personally choose not to breed them.

This post is NOT about calling anyone out. It is about education and transparency, which are at the heart of ethical breeding. So let’s walk through it together. 👇

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💡 What Is Color Dilution Alopecia (CDA)?

Color dilution alopecia, sometimes called color mutant alopecia, is a hereditary skin and coat disorder seen in dogs with dilute coat colors such as blue, which is diluted black, and isabella or fawn, which is diluted chocolate or liver. CDA is linked to the same genetic changes that create dilute coloring, and those changes affect how pigment is distributed in the hair, which over time can damage the hair shaft and the follicle.

These dogs are usually born with normal looking coats. Then, as the condition develops, they may begin to show patchy thinning, hair loss, and sometimes flaky or itchy skin. It is not a grooming problem, not a food allergy, and not just “sensitive skin.” It is a structural, inherited issue that starts at the level of the hair follicle.

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⚖️ EVERY Dilute Dog Is At Risk

Not every dilute dog will show obvious CDA, but dilute color is a prerequisite. Without dilution, a dog cannot develop classic color dilution alopecia. Most affected dogs start to show signs sometime after puppyhood, often between about six months and three years of age, and in some dogs it may appear younger than 6 months or later in life. Severity can range from mild to severe.

Because the risk is tied directly to the color genetics, any blue or isabella dog is at increased risk of CDA compared to a non-dilute dog. Even a dilute who never shows obvious hair loss can still produce puppies that are affected. At this time there is no genetic test that can tell us which individual dilute dogs will or will not develop CDA or that can tell us if they will or will not produce affected puppies. The tests we have can confirm that a dog is dilute, but they cannot tell us which dilutes are “safe.”

Breeders who choose to work with dilutes and want to be as responsible as possible should, at a minimum, wait several years before even considering breeding a dilute dog to create more dilute puppies. That waiting period gives time to see whether CDA develops and to monitor coat and skin health over time. Even with that caution, the underlying uncertainty remains, because the increased risk is built into the dilution itself.

And regardless of color, if a dog is already visibly affected by CDA, that dog should not be bred. Intentionally breeding a dog that is already showing clear signs of a hereditary condition is not compatible with ethical, health focused breeding.

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🚫 There Is No Cure

There is no cure for CDA. Once hair loss begins, it is usually progressive, and the focus becomes lifelong management rather than fixing the problem. Supportive care can include gentle bathing routines, topical therapies, supplements like essential fatty acids, and high quality nutrition to support the skin and overall comfort. These things can help the dog feel better, but they do not correct the genetic defect affecting the hair shafts and follicles.

Many dogs with CDA also develop secondary problems such as recurrent bacterial or yeast infections, itching, and inflammation. Those issues often require repeated veterinary visits and ongoing treatment. In some dogs, long term prescription medications are needed to help control itch and inflammation. That kind of care can be expensive over the dog’s lifetime and the medications themselves may carry risks and side effects. Families need to be prepared for that level of ongoing management if their dilute dog develops CDA.

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🌍 What Breed Standards Say About Dilutes

Around the world, some Dachshund communities and breed bodies have taken a clear stance on dilute colors because of these health concerns. For example, Dachshund health organizations in the United Kingdom warn against breeding and buying blue and isabella Dachshunds and note that dilute dogs are significantly more likely to suffer from CDA and skin disease than dogs in standard colors.

The Kennel Club’s Dachshund breed standard in the UK, together with its published health guidance, discourages breeding dilute colors such as blue and isabella because of the strong association with alopecia and skin problems. Breed focused groups working with the Kennel Club and under FCI style standards emphasize that Dachshunds should not be bred for “fashion” colors when those colors compromise welfare. They advise that breeders should not deliberately aim to produce blue or isabella litters.

So while dilute Dachshunds do exist in various countries, there are kennel club aligned health groups and breed clubs that regard deliberately producing blue and isabella Dachshunds as contrary to good breed stewardship because of the health risks linked to these colors.

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💔 My Personal Experience

My mom has a rescued blue and tan Dachshund mix who developed severe CDA as a puppy. By just a few months old he was already losing hair, and today he is almost completely bald except for a few small patches.

She has spent years and a substantial amount of money trying to keep him as healthy and comfortable as possible. That has included supplements, special shampoos, medications, and regular veterinary care. Watching him struggle is what made my stance very clear.

🐶 I will never intentionally breed dilutes.

It is not because I dislike the color. Blue and isabella Dachshunds are truly beautiful dogs. It is because knowingly producing dogs who are at increased risk for a lifelong, high maintenance, medically managed skin and coat condition is not something I can support ethically.

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🔍 Why Education Matters

I recently saw a breeder ask in a group if they should disclose the possibility of CDA to puppy buyers. My answer is absolutely yes.

Even if a dilute puppy or adult looks perfectly healthy at the time of sale, the risk is still there because it is tied to the dilution genetics, and the signs may not show up until later. When breeders hide, minimize, or “forget” to mention this information, they take informed choice away from their puppy buyers. Ethical breeding means full transparency, every time.

✨ The more we understand, the better we can protect the dogs we love and the integrity of our breed.

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❤️ If you're loved by a dilute Dachshund with CDA, please drop a photo below and let us know if you were aware of CDA before bringing them home 👇

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Copyright © Salt of the Earth Dachshunds. You may share this post as-is using the Share button or with clear credit to our program as the original source.

31/07/2026

Today was Felix’s💙 turn to leave for his forever home. ❤️

This confident, playful little boy has found a wonderful familyand we couldn’t be happier for him. Watching our puppies begin their new adventures is always bittersweet, but knowing they’re going to loving homes makes it all worthwhile.

Have the best life, sweet Felix. 🥰 We can’t wait to watch you grow through future updates. 🐾

Thank you to your new family for choosing a Snow White Dachshunds puppy. Wishing you many happy years together. ❤️

28/07/2026

Felix🤎 has found his best family, he is going to Gold Coast. Thank you for choosing one of our puppies and for giving Felix the loving forever home he deserves.🥰