Your Dachshund (Smooth Haired) Cost Estimate
As a small breed, the Dachshund (Smooth Haired)'s costs are driven by food portions, grooming needs, and routine vet care. Like most breeds, the biggest health-related costs come from preventive care and the occasional emergency vet trip. Day-to-day costs are driven mainly by food, routine vet care, and basic supplies. This is a popular breed, so adoption or purchase prices tend to run above average — shop around and consider rescue options.
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What these figures assume: US national average pricing, own home (no pet deposit), standard food, grooming at the breed's typical frequency, insurance and professional training included, no daycare, routine dental care only. See how this is calculated or change these assumptions.
First Year Costs (inc. setup)
Annual Ongoing Costs (Year 2+)
Budget for emergencies
We recommend keeping $2,000 in a dedicated emergency fund for unexpected vet bills.
What Dachshund (Smooth Haired) costs actually look like
The Dachshund (Smooth Haired) is a small-sized dog breed living an average of 17 years. Insurance is its largest running cost at $535 a year, or 29% of the annual total, close to the 25% typical of small dogs.
At $1,840 a year it is cheaper to keep than 98% of the 64 small dog breeds costed here. Across 17 years that compounds to about $33,150.
These figures are US national averages — your actual costs will vary based on your city, lifestyle, and whether you use a breeder or rescue organisation. Use our calculator above to get a personalised estimate.
For a deeper breakdown of Dachshund (Smooth Haired) costs — puppy prices, monthly spend, and lifetime totals — read our complete Dachshund (Smooth Haired) cost guide.
What drives Dachshund (Smooth Haired) costs
The Smooth-Haired Dachshund is the second cheapest dog to keep of the 218 costed here, at about $1,840 a year, and it has the single lowest grooming line of any breed at $165. The short coat needs a wipe down and nothing else, food is modest at $410, and vet care at $480 and insurance at $535 both sit in the cheaper third. Very little about the day-to-day running of this dog is expensive.
The exception is the back, and it is a substantial one. The long spine and short legs are a form of chondrodysplasia, and intervertebral disc disease is the breed's defining risk. A survey of 2,031 Dachshunds found overall IVDD prevalence of 15.7%, but variety mattered enormously: the Standard Smooth-Haired had the highest prevalence of any variety at 24.4% (95% CI 22.5–26.3), against 7.1% in the Standard Wire-Haired (Packer et al., Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2016). Roughly one in four is a genuinely different proposition from one in fourteen.
Spinal surgery is among the more expensive procedures in small-animal practice, and conservative management means weeks of crate rest and medication, so this is the one risk worth insuring properly against. The preventive measures cost nothing: keep the dog lean, discourage jumping down from furniture, use ramps, and avoid stairs where practical. With a 17-year lifespan — among the longest of any dog here — the lifetime total still reaches about $33,150 despite the low annual cost, simply because it repeats seventeen times.
Written by Darren Newland. Health information here summarises published veterinary and breed-health sources for cost-planning purposes and is not clinical advice — we do not have a veterinarian on staff. Talk to your vet about your own animal.
How to save on Dachshund (Smooth Haired) costs
- →Adopt rather than buy. Rescue organisations typically charge $150–$400, against $535+ from a breeder — a difference of about $260. Adult dogs from shelters usually arrive vaccinated and desexed, which also removes part of the $480 initial vet bill.
- →Insure early, before anything is pre-existing. At $535 a year, insurance is one of the larger predictable costs — but Dachshund (Smooth Haired)s insured as puppies see lower premiums and, more importantly, no pre-existing-condition exclusions. Every condition that appears before cover starts is excluded for life, which is why waiting is the expensive option.
- →Do not over-buy on food. Food is a modest $410 a year for this breed. Bulk buying saves little at this volume and risks the bag going stale, so buying a quality food in sensible quantities beats chasing bulk discounts.
- →Groom at home. This breed's coat is cheap to maintain — about $165 a year. Nail clippers, a brush and a bottle of shampoo cover almost all of it, so professional grooming is genuinely optional here rather than a fixed cost.
- →Build an emergency fund. We suggest $2,000 in a dedicated pet savings account for a small breed. A single emergency surgery runs $3,000–$8,000 without insurance, and four in five owners face an unexpected veterinary bill at some point.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Dachshund (Smooth Haired) cost?
A Dachshund (Smooth Haired) typically costs $3,710 in the first year, including the purchase or adoption fee ($535), initial vet visits ($480), supplies ($590), and the first year of food, grooming, and insurance. Annual ongoing costs from year two are approximately $1,840/year.
How much does a Dachshund (Smooth Haired) cost per month?
After the first year, a Dachshund (Smooth Haired) costs approximately $153/month on average. This covers food ($34/month), vet care ($40/month), grooming ($14/month), and insurance ($45/month).
Is a Dachshund (Smooth Haired) expensive to own?
Dachshund (Smooth Haired)s cost approximately $1,840/year to maintain — in the mid-range for annual dog ownership costs. Over their 17-year lifespan, total costs come to around $33,150.
How much does a Dachshund (Smooth Haired) puppy cost?
A Dachshund (Smooth Haired) puppy from a reputable breeder typically costs $535. Rescue or shelter adoption fees are usually $150–$400 and often include initial vaccinations and desexing. Remember the purchase price is just one part of the first-year cost of $3,710.
How likely is a Smooth-Haired Dachshund to get back problems?
Higher than any other Dachshund variety. A survey of 2,031 Dachshunds found overall intervertebral disc disease prevalence of 15.7%, but the Standard Smooth-Haired specifically was highest at 24.4% (95% CI 22.5–26.3), against 7.1% for the Standard Wire-Haired (Packer et al., Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2016). Keeping the dog lean, using ramps and discouraging jumping down from furniture are free and genuinely preventive; spinal surgery is not.
Is a Dachshund cheap to own?
To run, yes — remarkably so. At about $1,840 a year it is the second cheapest of the 218 dogs here, with the lowest grooming line of any breed at $165. But a 17-year lifespan is among the longest of any dog, so the total still reaches roughly $33,150. And the back risk means insurance is worth more here than the low premium suggests: roughly one in four Smooth-Haired Dachshunds develops disc disease, and spinal surgery is among the costlier procedures in practice.
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Other small dogs to consider
Closest in annual cost to Dachshund (Smooth Haired) ($1,840/yr), on the same baseline.