Doreen Biasi, along with her daughter currently studying to be a vet tech, and her sons who help tremendously—breeds standard and miniature Dachshunds.

With over a decade of experience with Dachshund breeding, AKCDachshundNY teaches you about color, coat, training, food, health care, and the breed in itself. Doreen is always happy to pick up your call and discuss the breed and even sometimes change your opinion on getting a mix.

Let’s dive into this great interview and learn some valuable pieces of information throughout!

Please introduce yourself and how you fell in love with breeding Dachshunds.

My name is Doreen Biasi. I started AKCDachshundNY about a decade ago. I fell in love with the Dachshund breed as a child and when I wanted my own puppy there were only pet stores that sold them. I didn’t want to get a puppy mill dog. I wanted to meet the parents, see the pedigrees, etc.

So I decided to start my own breeding program for dachshund lovers like me. It took a while and a whole lot of reading and learning about the breed to choose my dogs. I wanted to be able to answer any question someone might ask. I wanted to be an expert in my field…

This is very difficult but every day I connect with excellent breeders and learn more and more. I found a reputable dachshund breeders and puppies for sale group on Facebook for this purpose: to push out the competitive cut-throat money-hungry breeders, and start an educational group to learn from and sell to. It’s been wonderfully successful.

Basset Hound vs Dachshund, what are the major differences?

You are dealing with 2 entirely different breeds here. The Basset Hound is much larger and slower in my opinion, although grooming needs aren’t very demanding, exercise to stay healthy is.

The Basset is also much more stubborn and harder to train whereas the dachshund is easily adaptable. The Basset has a much lower energy level. The look of the dog is completely different. Aside from the long spine and hound group I don’t see them at all similar, however, the Basset is not my specialty, the Dachshund is. So I can’t be confident in my analysis without further research. I am basing this solely on the ones I have met.

What are Dachshunds bred for (in the past, and in today's world)?

Dachshund means badger dog in German and that is what they were originally bred to do. Hunt badgers.

Today people use them for duck hunting as well. But mostly they purchase a Dachshund for its ever-popular comical personality. The size, the look, and the loyalty of this breed, plus the fact that it comes in so many color and coat varieties makes it very easy to fall in love with.

People are often bragging about the fact that you cannot own just one. They are addictive little creatures who steal your heart at first glance.

What’s your opinion on Dachshunds bred to an ever-shrinking size to answer the public’s demand for “smaller dogs”?

The idea of shrinking the breed is hotly controversial.

On one hand, with the emphasis being placed on spinal cord injuries, a smaller dog to carry up the stairs and on your furniture is a plus. However, the personality of the elegant and almost durable standard is unparalleled. Give me a long coat female standard over a mini smooth any day of the week!

But everyone has their own judgment, preference, and taste. I do believe going under 5 lbs grown to attempt to create a toy is really an insult to the breed!

How do you plan upcoming breeding and find the right matching mating partners?

When I plan to breed, I take into account several factors.

1. Pedigree — this is the most important tool in any respectable dog breeding program! You must know what the possibilities are before you produce!
2. Complementarity — what do I need to do to produce my perfect puppy? Do I need a stud with a better head for a certain female? For example a female with shorter legs to correct this… Are there any recessive colors that may produce?
3. Weight — I always want to avoid a costly and painful C-section that could retire my bitch early so the weight does matter a lot.
4. Color & Pattern — what is it my program is lacking that I can produce myself with my own trusted lines?
5. Demand — what is in demand at the moment for maximum rehoming potential?

Personally, I refuse to line breed dogs: to me, it is the equivalent of dog inbreeding. This is difficult again if you don’t read and truly understand your pedigrees.

Many chocolate and cream Dachshunds come from one very popular background, Longdox’s Plum Crazy For Your Love. It is the same thing with the English Creams, it seems like Sniffentells Cream Of The Crop dropped his semen on every doorstep in America at one point.

How important and credible are USDA, Human Society, AKC, and Vet inspections of breeding facilities? Many argue these are the same rules that allow large-scale breeding facilities?

Inspections are important but I think it’s the inspectors that we need to examine.

Yes, there are larger facilities, and with proper help and attention, that’s okay. But places like Missouri and Texas that breed more than 1 type of dog and have over 100 over them, that’s when it’s more of a factory, and certainly not a responsible breeding program.

The USDA should limit this. No more than 20 bitches at any given time period! No more than 2 separate breeds at any given time… This would protect the consumer and more importantly the breed itself. It’s the inspector’s discretion that really needs to be examined and trained further.

How can dog breeders keep on breeding dogs responsibly while not losing money, is it even possible?

It’s very possible, we raise our prices to absorb the costs of a responsible program. The problem with this I think is that in today’s economy, with so many unlicensed breeders being overlooked and unpenalized, it makes sales difficult unless like me you have built an amazing reputation. With over 19 pages of happy homes, we have an excellent reputation with 100 percent customer satisfaction.

Word of mouth and education about the breed are always our finest assets. That’s why we must protect them at all costs by committing to produce only the best and standing by our sales. It’s the backyard breeders that give us all a bad name.

People will pay for quality if you educate them on the importance of it. Just because you don’t plan on breeding or showing your pet doesn’t mean you don’t deserve the quality and bloodlines of one that can. Usually, the more you spend in the beginning (disregarding pet stores and color factories who mix), the healthier your companion and the less you spend on vet bills later on. Invest in the best.

What decides you between two amazing potential homes for your last puppy available? What makes you really tick?

When deciding between homes, I assess the home…

Children, pets, experience, and whether they are close so I can keep in contact. I want to know my puppy will be safe. That you are committed. That you have time for him or her, and that she will not be in any danger when she leaves me. I want to know you will send photos and updates. You have a solid marriage so the puppy isn’t going to be craigslisted in a divorce.

I want to know you understand everything you need to know about your puppy should you decide later on to breed. I want to know that you have no second thoughts or regrets. And that you are the right fit for my puppies’ personality.

What are the mistakes most Dachshund breeders do today and how they can fix them?

The biggest mistake I see in dachshund breeders is mixing patterns. Every time I see a dapple piebald, I want to scream. If you cannot register it correctly it should not be bred. So many dishonest puppy mills try to pass off a double dapple as a dapple pie to hide the health issues…

And now the latest fad of blues and blue-based that is causing an insane amount of alopecia in Isabella-colored and chocolate Dachshunds because of this. They are not being honest with the buyer in explaining the risks. They continue to breed these colors knowing the risk. It saddens me greatly that newbies are more interested in producing what they think as “rare” for the top dollar rather than quality.

All of that, without any consequence from these inspectors. I’m sorry but if the USDA visits and sees your blue bitch is bald, they should have the right to order a spay! Same thing if you are breeding double dapples, they should find you.

Another mistake has to do with breeders claiming CKC and APRI are as good as the American Kennel Club. And of course cross-breeding! Cookies for example, what is the basis for this when a wire Dachshund is already hypoallergenic? Are we trying to increase liver shunt and seizures with a new unimproved hybrid?

What are the common medical issues affecting Dachshunds and how to screen them?

Well, the double dapples are prone to blindness and deafness, and many are being born without eyes! The aforementioned coat colors have alopecia and constant dry skin.

Some dachshunds have progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) which you can test for in advance to avoid early blindness. There is the issue of spinal injuries due to the size and shape of the beloved dachshund. A liver shunt is higher in wire coats.

Lastly, what decides you between two amazing potential homes for your last puppy available? What makes you really tick?

When deciding between homes, I assess the home…

Children, pets, experience, if they are near so I can keep in contact. I want to know my puppy will be safe. That you are committed. That you have time for him or her, and that she will not be in any danger when she leaves me. I want to know you will send photos and updates. You have a solid marriage so the puppy isn’t going to be craigslisted in a divorce.

I want to know you understand everything you need to know about your puppy should you decide later on to breed. I want to know that you have no second thoughts or regrets. And that you are the right fit for my puppies’ personality.

We love to talk to Dachshund and educate you so call anytime whether you are a new breeder who needs a midwife or a client.