Dachshund Stripping: At What Age?

Grooming Your Dachshund: When and at What Age?

Whether you are a future or current owner of a Wire-Haired Kaninchen, Miniature, or Standard Dachshund, this article is for you!

Let’s get one thing straight from the start 😊: The Wire-Haired Dachshund is the ONLY Dachshund that MUST be hand-stripped.

It is best to wait until your dachshund puppy is at least 8 weeks old and weaned—meaning they have left their mother—before considering professional grooming.

Once the puppy has settled into their new home and built a bond with their new owner, you can start thinking about grooming and, eventually, hand-stripping.

It is recommended to start around 12 weeks of age.

-> Check out our complete guide: How to groom your wire-haired dachshund.

Grooming and Hand-Stripping: Your Dachshund’s First Appointment

Your dachshund’s very first grooming appointment is an introduction for both the puppy and the owner to the world of grooming.

The puppy should be introduced to bathing, blow-drying, nail trimming, and light grooming.

It is not recommended to have the puppy’s hair cut or, in our case, to have them hand-stripped during their first grooming session.

The reason is that you would be forcing the puppy to stay still and be handled for quite a long time…

That’s a lot to ask of a puppy, hey 😜!

(It would be like asking a one-year-old to sit still, use the toilet, or play with toys for 45 minutes).

This is why we recommend doing only the essentials for a puppy’s first grooming session.

Bathing them, drying them slowly, and if necessary, trimming their nails and the hair between their paw pads and around the sanitary area (anus).

That is about all they can handle, and it is already quite a lot.

The wire-haired puppy will be introduced to the use of scissors and will need to stay still while the hair between their paw pads is trimmed.

The more the puppy gets used to being handled by you (or the groomer), being up on a table, and being in the bathtub, the more comfortable they will be as they grow, which will prevent stress and anxiety during grooming sessions.

-> Don’t miss our article on the lifespan of the wire-haired dachshund.

The Importance of Grooming Your Dachshund at Home

At-home grooming is also essential for the puppy to get used to hand-stripping and grooming, and to learn to enjoy their care routine.

One of the biggest questions about puppies and grooming is knowing when they will transition from their puppy coat to their adult coat.

This stage in a puppy’s life is crucial, and their coat requires special attention regarding care to ensure it doesn’t get damaged.

Normally, in wire-haired dachshunds, the puppy coat transitions to an adult coat around the age of six months.

At this stage, you can easily begin hand-stripping with a professional dog grooming tool (stripping knife).

In Summary

Take your time when starting to hand-strip your adorable wire-haired dachshund, and keep in mind that despite their soft, pleasant, and protective coat, this is not a dog that sheds much.

Let their fur develop and take it step by step to get them used to regular grooming.

⚠️ One last thing: NEVER use clippers on a wire-haired dachshund.

You would permanently damage the texture of their coat, which, from that moment on, will start to curl.

The DoxieLife team – 💚 Last modified on 07/15/26

-> Must-read article: How to Carry a Dachshund

Dachshund stripping knife

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