Every dog has a different sweet spot due to age, genetics, lifestyle, digestibility & quality of their food, and any health issues. Taking these into consideration, there are formulas that we and your vet use to estimate where to start. After that, the ultimate answer comes from this question: Is your dog maintaining a healthy, lean body weight? If the answer is YES, you are feeding the perfect amount! If the answer is NO (they are getting a little too skinny or too chubby), then we need to make some gradual adjustments.

For most adult dogs, splitting their daily recommended kibble amount into two meals is perfect.

To switch your Dachshund's diet, we generally recommend transitioning over the course of one week, gradually phasing out the old food and introducing the new food. For the first two days, feed 25% new food and 75% old food. After that, move to 50% and 50% for two days, then 75% new food and 25% old food for two more days.

By this point, your dog should be ready to eat only their new food! If your pup tends to have a more sensitive digestive system, it's perfectly okay to make the transition even more gradual. Always monitor for any vomiting, diarrhea, or appetite changes that would indicate your dog is having trouble with the new food.

The short answer is: maybe.

Dental disease can be a big problem for your dog, especially if it's advanced. Sometimes, bad teeth need soft food, because hard food can be painful or impossible to eat. Tiny dogs like Dachshunds are particularly prone to dental problems and disease because their mouths are too small for all their teeth, which can cause other complications over time.

Ideally, dental disease is addressed by your vet, who can remove any dead, dying, or broken teeth to eliminate discomfort and inflammation. However, if your vet hasn't or cannot address the issue, consider soft food.