Dachshunds are wonderful pets to have; they’re agile, cute, overprotective, and bite a lot. Biting is pretty normal for most dogs, especially during teething; however, excessive biting and foot licking are signs that you need to examine your dog.
Has your Dachshund been biting their feet excessively, but you can’t seem to understand its motive? If you’re puzzled about whether it’s a common dachshund feet problem or just peculiar to your dog, we’ve got you covered.
This article will provide you with a complete overview of everything you need to know about dachshund feet biting. You will learn the mystery behind dachshund feet biting.
Why Does My Dachshund Keep Biting His Feet?
We’ve already established that dachshund puppy biting isn’t a normal puppy activity. Now, you’re probably stuck in a maze trying to pinpoint when exactly your Dachshund started biting his feet.
While we can’t know for sure when he started, we can provide you with a list of possible reasons why Dachshunds bite their feet:
Allergies
Allergies are a very common cause of Dachshund biting. Dogs suffering from Dermatitis, i.e., skin inflammation, will likely exhibit symptoms such as skin irritation or itching.
Dermatitis can manifest in two folds – allergic and parasitic. Parasitic Dermatitis originates mostly from insect bites, while allergic Dermatitis stems from seasonal allergies, food allergies, and more.
Allergic Dermatitis is more common compared to Parasitic. Dachshunds naturally love nice warm and cool weather, they may thrive in other conditions, but they can develop seasonal allergies during extreme weather conditions.
Additionally, they can develop food allergies to food like specific proteins, grains, etc.
If your Dachshund has seasonal or food allergies, some might develop foot biting as a coping mechanism.
Boredom
Believe it or not, pets also get bored. I mean, it’s not like they can pick up the phone and scroll through Tik Tok for hours to help keep them entertained; their entertainment depends solely on physical activity.
If they’re lacking that, they’ll get bored and when they get bored, there are endless possibilities as to what they can do.
Dachshunds might opt for paw licking or biting. While boredom isn’t a clinical issue that needs the vet’s attention, it can be one of the reasons why your pup is chewing his feet.
Claw Problems
Dachshund feet biting may also be a result of a misalignment of your pet’s claws. If your Dachshund has a broken or loose claw, they’ll try re-aligning it by biting or chewing.
Of course, dachshunds can’t take up the trimmer and work on the nails personally, so they try to sort out their claw problems the only way they see fit – biting.
Injuries
In some cases, dachshund feet biting may result from an underlying injury you may not be aware of. After all, the phrase “lick your wounds” are synonymous with retreating or recovering from an injury or a defeat. It’s pretty much the same with Dachshunds.
If you casually catch your Dachshund paw licking, there’s no cause for alarm. But if it becomes excessive, your pet likely has an underlying injury they’re dealing with.
Take a closer look during his next “lick-adventure”; there might be a splinter, cut, or punctures in their paw, and they’re only licking as a means to soothe the pain.
Anxiety
Dachshunds can bite their feet when they feel nervous or anxious. Dogs are not overly anxious compared to humans but can still get anxious.
You can easily spot an anxious dog by examining its heart rate, breathing, digestion, posture, and even excessive drooling. At times of severe anxiety, they can bite their feet to help them calm down.
Is Biting Nails a Normal Habit of Dachshunds?
As humans, we often use “nail-biting” to describe an extremely intense experience that made you very nervous. However, nail biting is common but not considered normal in Dachshunds.
Puppy biting is not limited to Dachshunds alone; virtually all puppies go through that bitey stage at one stage in their life. However, it becomes a bit unorthodox when your pup starts chewing at his feet or nails.
For some pups, it might not necessarily be biting but paw licking or even nipping.
Whatever stage your pup is currently at (licking or biting), it’s not a normal activity.
Dachshunds are pretty bitey, especially during their early days, but if your pup suddenly starts having a go at his feet, it’s most likely you’ve got some digging to do.
Don’t fret; we’ve got you covered; we’ll tell you all you need to know about Dachshund biting.
My Dachshund Is Chewing on My Feet
So, we’re off on a different route; your Dachshund isn’t biting their feet; they’ve graduated to having a crack at yours too.
Thankfully, if your Dachshund is biting on your feet, you can rest assured that the reasons behind it are rarely clinical, mostly due to personal relationships.
Anxiety is one of the reasons why dachshunds might bite your feet. This theory is very applicable if you often leave your dog alone. Dogs can bite when they don’t want to be left alone, so they might grab hold of your feet to prevent you from leaving.
Dachshunds can also bite your feet if they’re trying to pull your attention toward them.
If you’re ignoring your dog due to work, or whatever reason, dogs might try to signal your attention, and if you fail to attend to them, they might resort to biting.
While this isn’t a good way for your dog to grab your attention, it proves effective most of the time.
Boredom can also cause Dachshunds to bite your feet.
They might be trying to have fun with you by biting or nipping your feet. However, you should make your pet aware that biting to gain your attention or when they’re bored isn’t a good habit.
Dachshund Biting vs. Licking
When discussing dachshund biting feet problems, we often interchange biting, chewing, and licking. However, biting and chewing are pretty different activities.
In this section, we’ll draw some comparisons between these two dachshund activities.
Biting
If you have a chewing Dachshund, there’s a plethora of reasons behind the biting. We’ve listed a couple above, like allergies, boredom, skin diseases, etc.
Dachshund feet biting indicates either a series of bad habits on the part of your dog or underlying medical conditions. Paw biting indicates an advanced level of illness.
Licking
On the other hand, licking is a pretty low-level threat. You don’t have to “batten down the hatches” if you catch your dog licking, but it is an indicator that you need to attend to something to stop it from growing uncontrollably.
For most dog owners, paw licking is normal. Dogs will lick their paws occasionally if they feel the need to. However, paw licking can also signify that your Dachshunds are suffering from something like an injury or have a parasite in their paws.
If a dog is recently injured, it will lick its feet to help soothe the pain. Licking generally indicates that the injury is still fresh and can be easily treated. If the wound is not properly attended to, that’s where biting and chewing comes in.
Dachshunds will also lick their feet if they have parasitic infections such as fleas or mange. Such infections cause the skin to be very itchy; dogs might lick their feet to help reduce the effects of the infections.
My Dachshund Feet Smells Like Fritos: Is this Why They Bite Their Feet?
Picture this: you’re just back from work after an 8-hour gruesome work schedule; you get home to hug your pup and notice that the space around your Dachshund suddenly smells like Fritos.
You bring your pup closer to you; boom, it’s them – your pup smells like freaking chips.
You’re probably wondering if all Dachshunds smell like chips; well, yes and No. Fritos smell isn’t a general feature of Dachshunds; however, the weird chip smell is more common among dog owners than you think.
One of the main causes of Fritos-smelling feet is the presence of bacteria like “pseudomonas” in Dachshunds. Most pet owners leave their pets to walk barefoot around the yard. They don’t cover their feet, making your pet’s paw “open sea” for bacteria.
When such bacteria accumulate and mix with sweat, you get a weird Fritos smell; this is probably why your dog smells like chips. However, it’s pretty normal for pups to smell like that; there’s no medical condition causing it – it’s just a mixture of accumulated bacteria and sweat.
Dachshunds having bad breath can also affect the smell of their feet if they bite it.
However, to answer your question, dachshunds biting their feet is not a result of their feet smelling like Fritos. Dachshunds bite their feet when they’re suffering from a medical condition, injured, or bored.
However, they won’t bite their feet because it smells like Fritos; Dachshunds shouldn’t even be eating Fritos; it’s full of salt, fat, and oil.
If you’d like to eliminate the weird Fritos smell from your Dachshunds, you should:
- Bath your Dachshund
- Groom, your Dachshund
- Clean your Dachshund’s feet
- Use coconut oil
Should You Stop your Dachshund When They Nail Bite?
The straight answer is yes; you should try your best to stop your dachshunds from biting their nails or feet.
If your Dachshund takes up feet biting as a routine when they’re bored or lonely, you should try correcting them and letting them know that biting isn’t the route to go.
As we’ve stated earlier, Dachshunds will bite if they suffer from dachshund feet problems. Underlying medical conditions, injuries, food allergies, etc., dachshunds will nail-bite if they’re going through any of these conditions.
Stopping them is up to you; there are tons of ways you can stop your Dachshunds from biting their nails. We’ll discuss a few in the next section.
How to Stop Your Dachshund from Biting Nails
Now you’ve known that dachshund feet biting isn’t good for your pets, and we’ve asserted that you need to stop them when they bite. How, then, do you curb this “menace”? Well, we’ve compiled a list of the best ways you can stop your Dachshund from biting their feet:
Weather Proof your Home
One of the main causes of Dachshund biting feet problems is allergies.
If your pup has visible allergies to particular weather, season, or temperature, the best way to prevent them from biting their feet is to weatherproof your home. Dachshund allergies typically arise during winter, summer, and fall.
During winter, you can try to make your home warmer by tuning up the HVAC unit or having a working fireplace. While during summer, make your home cooler but not so cold that it’s almost like winter.
Try to keep things on a balanced scale so that your Dachshund can have a good time, irrespective of the seasons.
Reduce your Dachshund’s Exposure to Allergens
Food allergies can also make your dogs bite their feet. According to a couple of dog owners, the most common food their dogs are allergic to include proteins (egg, beef, dairy), pork, fish, rabbit, and many more.
If you notice that your pup is allergic to any of these foods, reducing their exposure to such foods helps reduce the risk of biting their feet.
Wipe Your Dachshund’s Paws
Dirty paws provide a window for bacteria and skin infections. Constant itching signifies that your Dachshund is suffering from one form of skin infection. If your pup’s paws are constantly dirty, bacteria and other germs stay on their paws for longer.
Whenever you go for a walk with your Dachshund or play around the yard, try to clean their paws when they’re done. If you constantly clean their paws, you reduce the risk of your pet exhibiting common dachshund feet biting problems.
Wear your Dachshund’s Feet Coverings
Many dachshund owners or dog owners, in general, don’t see this as a big issue, but it really is. If you’re having your pet run around the yard, digging through the dirt on an exposed paw, they’re likely to catch some infection or sting their paw.
There are several dog boots and paw pads available in the market. If you can afford it (they’re not expensive), purchasing one for your dachshunds can be very helpful in protecting them from bacteria and injuries.
Play with Them
Alt: dachshund owner playing with pet
Armed with the knowledge that dachshunds bite their feet when they’re bored, one of the best ways to prevent that is by keeping them entertained. Playing with your dachshunds eliminates the thought of biting and reduces their anxiety.
Common games you can play with your Dachshund include hide and seek, tug-of-war, or scent games that help build your dog’s tracking ability. These games are typical boredom crushers and will keep your Dachshund too busy to even think of biting their feet.
Call your Vet
If you’ve tried everything you see fit to help stop your dog from biting, it might be time to call it in and take a trip to your vet. Your vet can help run tests and prescribe workable solutions to help you stop your dog from biting its feet.
However, you shouldn’t see a visit to the vet as a last resort; if you think it’s necessary from the onset, more power to you, take your dog to the vet.
Final Words
Armed with a complete overview of Dachshund biting feet problems, you can now make actionable steps to stop your dachshunds when they bite their feet. Paw licking is common among Dachshunds but when it’s bad is when it becomes excessive.
We hope this article has helped broaden your understanding of feet biting in dachshunds. Now, you’ll have no trouble dealing with paw biting with your dachshunds.