Three official dachshund sizes exist. Most people confuse them. Here is how to tell which one lives at your feet.
Dachshund, teckel, doxie, sausage dog, wiener dog. Whatever you call the breed at home, the FCI — the international kennel federation based in Belgium — recognises three official sizes, defined by chest circumference at fifteen months of age. Not weight. Not back length. Chest.
These three sizes are the reason our teckel range is graded XXS through L. Every dachshund fits somewhere on the spectrum. Here is how to find where.
The three official dachshund sizes
Kaninchen — the smallest
Chest circumference at fifteen months: 30 cm or less.
The Kaninchen — literally "rabbit" in German — is the smallest of the three. Bred originally to enter rabbit burrows, they are compact, agile, and lower to the ground than their larger cousins. Adult weight typically 3–4 kg, though this varies.
Kaninchen dachshunds fit our XS and XXS teckel sizes. If your dachshund is under 4 kg and stands under 20 cm at the shoulder, you are likely looking at a Kaninchen.
Miniature — the middle
Chest circumference at fifteen months: 30–35 cm.
The most common dachshund size in France and across Europe. The Miniature — sometimes called the Zwerg (German for "dwarf") — sits between Kaninchen and Standard in every dimension. Adult weight typically 4–7 kg.
Miniature dachshunds fit our S and M teckel sizes. Most French teckels you see in Paris parks and on café terraces are Miniatures.
Standard — the largest
Chest circumference at fifteen months: over 35 cm.
The original size of the breed, bred for badger hunting — larger, longer, deeper in the chest. Adult weight typically 7–15 kg, though 9–10 kg is most common.
Standard dachshunds fit our L teckel size. If your dachshund weighs over 8 kg, or if their chest measures over 35 cm, they are a Standard.
How to measure the chest properly
Chest circumference at fifteen months is the official measurement — but for clothing, current chest matters more than what the dog was as a puppy.
Wrap a soft measuring tape around the deepest part of the ribcage, just behind the front legs. Snug but not tight — you should be able to slip a finger underneath. Record the number.
If you are between two sizes, size up. Clothing that pulls at the chest is a coat the dog will fight to take off.
The three coats within one breed
Beyond size, the FCI recognises three coat types across all three sizes: smooth-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired. These do not affect sizing significantly, but they do affect how clothing sits.
Smooth-haired dachshunds fit our sizing as drafted.
Long-haired dachshunds — the ones with the flowing ear feather and the fringed tail — sometimes benefit from sizing up if the fur adds visible bulk. This is more common with L-size Standard longhairs.
Wire-haired dachshunds usually fit as drafted, but their beard can catch on collars — our teckel collars are designed to sit clear of the beard.
Why the three sizes exist
Dachshunds were bred as working dogs, and the size was determined by what the dog was hunting. Standards hunted badgers, which required strength and depth of chest. Miniatures hunted foxes, which required agility. Kaninchen hunted rabbits, which required the ability to enter rabbit burrows — hence the name.
Modern dachshunds rarely hunt anything more challenging than a treat. But the three sizes remain, and the proportions that made them functional then still make them distinctive now. Long back, deep chest, short legs. Same at every size.
Our teckel range
Every piece we make for the dachshund is drafted on a long-bodied frame — Kaninchen, Miniature, and Standard. Five sizes, one pattern language.
- XXS — very small Kaninchen dachshunds
- XS — Kaninchen dachshunds
- S — small Miniature dachshunds
- M — Miniature dachshunds
- L — Standard dachshunds
Not sure which fits? Read our companion piece How to Measure Your Dachshund for Clothing — three measurements decide better than any size chart.
Explore the teckel range
Our dachshund line is drafted for the long-bodied frame — trench coats, softshell raincoats, hand-loomed baby alpaca sweaters, and cotton essentials, all handmade in Paris or hand-loomed in Peru.