Prices and lead times checked October 2026.
The best dachshund gift is one that matches the dog's actual coat type, because smooth, long haired and wire haired dachshunds look nothing alike stitched. A portrait designed from your photo handles all three, plus the dapple and brindle patterns that generic breed designs flatten. Prices start at £25 for a patch and £50 for a tote, with most pieces £55 to £80, and the lead time is 2 to 3 weeks.
We have a slightly unfair advantage writing this one. Lucy & Lola was founded in 2021 by Lucy and Andy with one embroidery machine and a rescue dachshund called Lola, and the brand is named after her. So the dachshund is the breed this studio has been looking at the longest, and the thing we would tell you first is not about popularity or price. It is that "dachshund" is not one design job. It is three.
Key takeaways
- The Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund was the fourth most registered breed in the UK in 2025.
- The Royal Kennel Club registers six dachshund categories separately, so fourth place is one variety alone.
- Smooth, long haired and wire haired are three different design jobs under one breed name.
- Wire haired beards and eyebrows are the whole character, so ask us not to smooth them.
- Dapple is a mottled pattern rather than a flat colour, so send a sharp, well lit photo.
- The profile silhouette is unusually recognisable, which makes a side or three quarter view worth considering.
- Crouch to their height. Photos taken from standing look down and foreshorten the face.
- Lead time 2 to 3 weeks, with unlimited revisions before anything is stitched.
How popular is the dachshund in the UK, really?
More popular than any single ranking makes it look, and the reason is a quirk of how the register works. The Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund was the fourth most registered breed in the UK in 2025, according to Royal Kennel Club figures reported by The Scotsman on 19 March 2026. For scale, the top three in the same 2025 figures were the Labrador Retriever on 29,919, the Cocker Spaniel on 21,618 and the Golden Retriever on 9,976. Those are new registrations within a single year, so they count puppies joining the register rather than the dogs alive in Britain.
Here is the part almost nobody mentions. The Royal Kennel Club does not register the dachshund as one breed. It registers the varieties separately: smooth haired, long haired and wire haired, each in standard and miniature, which makes six categories rather than one. So that fourth place belongs to a single variety on its own, with the other five counted elsewhere. Add them together and the dachshund's true combined total is higher than any one ranking shows.
The six categories are not bureaucratic noise. They are split by exactly the thing that changes the portrait: coat. The register separates smooth from long from wire because those dogs look different, and they look different stitched too. If you take one fact from this page into the checkout, take that one. Buy for the coat, not for the word "dachshund".
It also explains why generic dachshund gifts miss so often. The silhouette on a mug or a tea towel is nearly always the smooth variety, because that is the shape people picture. Hand that to someone with a wire haired dachshund and they will be gracious about it, and it will go in a drawer, because the beard and the eyebrows that make their dog their dog are simply absent.
What changes between a smooth, long haired and wire haired dachshund?
Three genuinely different problems, and it is worth knowing which one you are buying for before you pick a photo. The body shape is shared. Everything that carries the likeness is not.
| Coat type | What the design has to get right | What to send us |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth | A clean, unbroken outline, which means the expression and the eye carry the whole portrait. There is no texture to distract from a face that is slightly off. | A sharp photo where the eye has a visible catchlight. The eye is doing most of the work here. |
| Long haired | Feathering on the ears, the chest and the tail, which is a texture problem rather than an outline problem. The fringe on the ear should fall, not sit flat. | Daylight, so the feathering reads as separate strands rather than one soft shape. |
| Wire haired | The beard and the eyebrows. These are the character of the dog and the easiest thing in the world to tidy away by accident. | A photo taken from slightly to one side, so the beard has depth, plus a note telling us to keep it scruffy. |
The long haired variety is the one that overlaps with other breeds we write about. Feathering is feathering, and the studio handles it much the same way it handles a golden retriever coat, where at least six thread shades go into a single dog. The difference on a dachshund is proportion. The feathering sits on a long, low body, so it reads as a fringe along the underline rather than a full coat, and the ears carry more of it than anything else.
The smooth variety has the opposite risk, and it is the same one the short coated breeds run into. With no texture anywhere, there is nothing to hide behind. A smooth dachshund portrait is almost entirely the face, so a photo with a slightly odd angle or a half closed eye shows up immediately.
Wire haired is the one we would ask you to be most specific about. Owners of wire haired dachshunds are, in our experience, the quickest to spot a design that has been neatened. If the beard is wild and uneven in life, say so when you order, because a tidy beard turns their dog into a different dog.
Should a dachshund portrait be face on or in profile?
This is the one breed where it is a real question. A dachshund's side on silhouette is more recognisable than almost any other dog's, so a profile or three quarter view gives you a portrait that reads as "dachshund" from across a room. The cost is expression. Turn the head away and you lose one eye, and with it a lot of the specific dog. Three quarters is usually the compromise worth taking.
Most pet portraits, ours included, default to head on for a good reason: the face is where the likeness lives. With a dachshund you have a genuine alternative, because the long back, the deep chest and the short legs make a shape nobody mistakes for anything else. A full profile leans on that. It makes the breed instantly legible and it suits a tote bag or a cushion, where the piece is seen at a distance before it is looked at closely.
What a full profile loses is the thing the owner actually misses. One eye disappears, the set of both eyes together goes with it, and the expression flattens into an outline. Beautiful, and slightly anonymous. Three quarters on keeps both eyes while still showing the length of the dog, which is why it is what we would suggest if you are undecided.
There is a practical point too. A long, low dog on a chest panel sits wider than it is tall, so a profile design naturally spreads sideways across clothing rather than filling a square. That works well on a sweatshirt chest and on a cushion. On a small patch, a head and shoulders view holds together better. Tell us which you want when you order, and remember that revisions are unlimited before anything is stitched, so the angle is not a decision you are locked into.
What happens to dapple, brindle and tan points in thread?
Dapple is the one to flag. It is a mottled pattern rather than a flat colour, so it cannot be stitched as a block of one shade with spots added on top. It has to be built as a mottle, which means we need a photo sharp enough to show where the lighter patches actually fall on your dog. Brindle and tan points are more predictable, because both follow the body in a consistent way.
Dachshund colour runs wider than most people expect: single colours including red and cream, black and tan, chocolate and tan, brindle, and dapple in several combinations. For a portrait, they divide neatly into patterns that follow rules and patterns that do not.
Tan points follow rules. The tan sits above the eyes, on the muzzle, on the chest and on the legs, in roughly the same places on every dog that has them, so the design can be built with confidence even from an imperfect photo. Brindle follows rules too, running as darker striping over a lighter base, and it reads well in thread because the stripes give the coat a direction to follow.
Dapple follows no rules at all. The mottling is unique to the individual dog, like a fingerprint, and that is precisely why it matters to the owner. Stitch a generic scattering of lighter patches and you have a dapple dachshund, but not theirs. So this is the one coat pattern where we will push you hardest on photo quality, and where the review stage earns its keep. Every photo is looked at by a person before any design work starts, about 70 per cent are approved with no edits, and roughly 1 in 25 come back to you for a retake. A soft or distant photo of a dapple is a common reason for that ask. The nearest equivalent on another breed is the roan and merle coat covered in our cocker spaniel gifts guide, which has to be blended rather than blocked in exactly the same way.
How do you photograph a dog that lives at ankle height?
Get down to their level. It is the single most useful instruction for this breed. A dachshund stands low to the ground, so a photo taken from standing height looks down on the dog, which foreshortens the face, shrinks the muzzle and makes the top of the skull dominate. Crouch or lie down so the camera is level with their eyes, and the face comes back to its proper proportions.
Almost every photo on a dachshund owner's phone is taken from above, because that is where the owner is. Those photos are lovely and they are the wrong shape for a portrait. Looking down at a long, low dog compresses the length of the nose, widens the forehead and tilts the eyes away from the camera, and a design built from that photo looks subtly wrong in a way that is hard to name.
The fix costs nothing. Kneel, sit on the floor or put the phone on the ground, and take three or four frames. One of them will be the one. Daylight, indoors near a window or outside on an overcast day, and close enough that the head and chest fill the frame.
Dachshund photo checklist
- Camera at eye level with the dog, not looking down from standing height
- Head and chest filling the frame, rather than the whole dog in a big garden
- Daylight. Indoors near a window or outside under cloud both work well
- Both eyes visible if you want a head on or three quarter portrait
- For wire haired, a slight side angle so the beard and eyebrows have depth
- For dapple, sharp enough that you can see where the lighter patches fall
- Old and imperfect photos are welcome, so do not rule out a favourite one
Our full walkthrough on lighting, angle and difficult coats is the best photo for an embroidered pet portrait guide, and it is worth five minutes before you upload anything. This page only covers the dachshund specific part, which is mostly about height.
Which dachshund gifts work best?
Everything below is embroidered rather than printed, designed from your photo and made to order in our Cambridge studio. Starting prices were correct in October 2026.
| Gift | From | Why it suits a dachshund |
|---|---|---|
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Sweatshirt | £70 | The safe first order. Long sleeved, so free sleeve embroidery applies |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Hoodie | £80 | For the owner doing the same walk twice a day whatever the weather |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait College Sweatshirt | £75 | Portrait plus large lettering, which suits a short dachshund name |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Christmas Jumper | £75 | December gifting, ordered early enough to clear the 2 to 3 week window |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait T-Shirt | £55 | Warmer weather, or someone who already owns a sweatshirt of theirs |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Cotton Linen Cushion | £55 | The best home for a profile design, since it is seen across a room |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Velvet Cushion | £55 | The same idea with a pom pom trim, which people either love or don't |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Canvas Tote Bag | £50 | A wide, flat panel, so the long silhouette has room to spread sideways |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Canvas Apron | £60 | The dachshund who stations himself under the kitchen counter |
| Embroidered Pet Portrait Kids' Sweatshirt | £60 | For a child who grew up with the dog. Sizes start from 6 months |
| Pet Portrait Embroidered Iron-On Patch | £25 | Our lowest priced portrait. Choose a head and shoulders view, not a profile |
One free extra that suits this breed particularly well: with any long sleeved clothing, sleeve embroidery is included at no cost, which is a small icon such as a paw print or a heart plus a name. You can also browse all the embroidered sweatshirts, hoodies and jumpers in one place. For ideas that are not breed specific at all, our thoughtful gifts for pet lovers guide covers the wider range, and dog mom gifts is the one to read if you are shopping for her specifically. For another breed where a single marking defines the whole portrait, see german shepherd gifts, and our pet gifts by breed hub lists every breed guide we have.
What should you check before you order a dachshund portrait?
Most of what goes wrong with a breed specific gift is the photo or the timing rather than the product. This is the short version, with the numbers that matter.
- Before you orderDecide the coat type you are buying for, pick a photo taken at the dog's eye level, and decide whether you want head on, three quarters or profile.
- Day 0, you orderUpload the photo at checkout and add a note: wire haired beard to be kept scruffy, dapple patches to follow the photo, or the angle you want.
- Within a day or two, the photo reviewA person checks it before any design work starts. About 70 per cent are approved with no edits, and roughly 1 in 25 come back for a retake.
- Then the designDesigned from your photo and sent to you to approve, with unlimited revisions. Nothing is stitched until you are happy with it.
- 2 to 3 weeks from orderStitched on one of our 29 machines in Cambridge and shipped worldwide. Free UK delivery over £75, or £3.99 Royal Mail 48 Tracked below that.
For a Christmas or birthday deadline, count back 3 weeks from the date you want it in their hands and order before that. The current lead time is always shown at checkout rather than guessed at here. Two dachshunds in the house, or a dachshund and a cat, is not a problem either, since multi-pet designs are available on a single piece.
When is Lucy & Lola the wrong dachshund gift?
Often enough that it is worth saying plainly, rather than letting you find out at the checkout.
- Your budget is under £25. Nothing custom and embroidered comes in below that. Our cheapest portrait piece is the £25 iron-on patch, and most sit between £50 and £80. Our stocking fillers for pet lovers start at around £2, but those are stock designs rather than their dog. At that budget, a printed photo in a good frame beats anything we sell.
- You want a figurine, model or ornament. Dachshunds attract these more than most breeds, and we do not make them at all. Look for a ceramicist, a needle felting maker or a pet sculptor who works from photographs. Craft markets and Etsy are the right places to search.
- You want a painting, a print or an illustration. Everything we do is embroidered, aside from a small range of large scale print graphic sweatshirts. If the brief is paint or pencil, commission an artist who specialises in it.
- You need it this week. Everything is made to order, so 2 to 3 weeks genuinely means 2 to 3 weeks. Give something immediate now, and give the portrait later.
- You want a generic dachshund design rather than their dog. That is a legitimate thing to want, and it is cheaper and faster elsewhere. A print shop or an illustrator with a dachshund range will serve you better than we will.
- Every photo you have of a dapple is soft or distant. We will come back and ask rather than guess at the mottling. If no sharper photo exists and none can be taken, a dapple portrait may not be the right choice, and we would rather you knew that now.
If you do have a photo you love, taken at their level, a dachshund portrait designed from it is about 2 to 3 weeks away, with unlimited revisions before anything is stitched. Over 75,000 pet parents have been through this with us, and we hold a 4.9 average from more than 10,000 five star reviews.
We were founded in 2021 by Lucy and Andy with one embroidery machine and a rescue dachshund called Lola, who the brand is named after. There are 29 machines now, everything is made to order in Cambridge and shipped worldwide, and we stitch dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, hamsters, birds and reptiles.
Frequently asked questions
How popular are dachshunds in the UK?
The Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund was the fourth most registered breed in the UK in 2025, on Royal Kennel Club figures reported by The Scotsman in March 2026. The important caveat is that the Royal Kennel Club registers the dachshund varieties separately, smooth, long haired and wire haired in both standard and miniature, so that fourth place is one variety counted on its own. The dachshund's combined total across all six categories is higher than any single ranking shows. These are also new registrations in a year, not a count of the dogs alive in Britain.
Does the coat type change the portrait?
Completely, and it is the main reason this page exists. A smooth dachshund has a clean outline, so the expression and the eye carry the whole design. A long haired dachshund has feathering on the ears, chest and tail, which is a texture job. A wire haired dachshund has a beard and eyebrows that are the whole character of the dog. Same breed name, three different design problems, so tell us which one you have and send a photo that shows it clearly.
Can you stitch a dapple dachshund?
Yes, and it is one of the more interesting ones to design. The thing to understand is that dapple is a mottled pattern rather than a flat colour with spots on top, and the mottling is unique to your dog. So it is built to follow your photo rather than a generic template, which means we need an image sharp enough to show where the lighter patches actually fall. If your photo is soft or taken from a distance, we will ask for another one before designing.
Should the portrait show the dachshund from the side?
It is worth considering, which is not something we would say for most breeds. A dachshund's profile is unusually recognisable, so a side view reads as the breed from across a room and suits a cushion or a tote. The trade off is that you lose an eye and some of the expression. Three quarters on is the usual compromise, keeping both eyes while still showing the length of the dog. For a small patch, head and shoulders holds together better than a profile.
What is the best gift for a dachshund mom?
Something she will wear or use with her own dog on it, rather than a generic dachshund design that is almost certainly the wrong coat type. The sweatshirt at £70 is the most popular starting point, and because it is long sleeved it includes free sleeve embroidery, which is usually the dog's name. If she already has one, the £55 cushion keeps the portrait in the house instead of the wardrobe. Our dog mom gifts guide goes wider.
What is the best photo to send of a dachshund?
One taken at the dog's eye level. Because dachshunds are low to the ground, almost every photo people have is taken looking down from standing height, which foreshortens the face and makes the top of the skull dominate. Crouch or put the phone on the floor, use daylight, and fill the frame with the head and chest. Three or four frames from down there will give you one that works far better than the best photo taken from above.
Will you tidy up a wire haired dachshund's beard?
Not if you tell us not to, and please do tell us. Smoothing the beard and eyebrows is the easiest accidental mistake on this coat type, and it is also the one that upsets owners most, because those features are the character of the dog. Add a note when you order asking for the beard to stay as it is in the photo. Revisions are unlimited before anything is stitched, so if the first design comes back too neat, say so.
Can you put two dachshunds on the same piece?
Yes, multi-pet designs are available. Two dachshunds work particularly well together when they are different coat types or colours, because a smooth red next to a wire haired black and tan gives each one its own identity rather than reading as a matching pair. Send a clear photo of each dog separately rather than one photo of both, since in a photo of the two of them one is usually half hidden behind the other.
How long does a dachshund portrait take, and what does delivery cost?
2 to 3 weeks depending on studio capacity, with the current lead time shown at checkout. That window includes the photo review, the design and your approval, so count back 3 weeks from the date you need it. Everything is made to order in Cambridge and shipped worldwide. UK delivery is free over £75, or £3.99 Royal Mail 48 Tracked below that.
Do you make dachshund figurines or ornaments?
No. Everything we make is embroidered clothing and homeware, aside from a small range of large scale print graphic sweatshirts. Dachshunds attract more figurines, models and ornaments than most breeds, so if that is what you are after, look for a ceramicist, a needle felting maker or a pet sculptor who works from photographs. We would rather point you to a specialist than sell you something adjacent to what you asked for.
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