What is a Pin Wire coat?

♦ December 14, 2009

Coat texture in Wire Dachshunds is a source of mystery and confusion to many people!   Coats range from “fluffy” (incorrect) through to “Pin Wire” which is a correct harsh double coat but shorter and with less beard and leg hair than a “normal” wire coat.

Wire Dachshunds have a “double-coat”.  There is a longer, harsh top coat with a dense undercoat beneath.  Two or three times a year the long, dead top coat will need to be plucked out (hand-stripping) to allow the new top coat to grow in.  Wires have the advantage of not moulting like other dogs.  If you are lucky enough to have a Wire with a short, harsh “pin wire” coat, it will probably not need stripping at all; you’ll just need to tidy it up with a stiff brush to help remove any dead hair.  Pin Wires typically have little or no face furnishings, but still have a double coat.

The photo below of our dog “Stripey” shows a Pin Wire dog and the photo of “Twix” shows a more “normal”, albeit softer than we would want, coat.

“Stripey”: Pin Wire Coat

“Twix”: Normal Wire Coat

A good Wire coat will have face furnishings and the leg hair will be harsh, like coconut matting.  The leg hair is the give-away – if it’s soft on the legs, it’s not a “proper” coat.  Sadly, most judges are clueless about Wire coats.  They usually run their hands over the back against the coat, but that’s the last place to check if the coat is right – legs and face give you the answer.  The photo of “Teasle” (below) is almost spot on for a good Wire coat.

“Teasle”: Good Wire Coat

Pin Wire head

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