Risk/Return: Document Type Document Period End Date Registrant Name Central Index Key Amendment Flag Document Creation Date Document Effective Date Prospectus Date Dunham funds [Abstract] Prospectus: Risk/Return [Heading] Objective [Heading] Objective, Primary [Text Block] Objective, Secondary [Text Block] Expense [Heading] Expense Narrative [Text Block] Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] Shareholder Fees [Table] Operating Expenses Caption [Text] Annual Fund Operating Expenses [Table] Expense Example [Heading] Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] Expense Example, With Redemption [Table] Portfolio Turnover [Heading] Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] Strategy [Heading] Strategy Narrative [Text Block] Risk [Heading] Risk Narrative [Text Block] Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] Performance Narrative [Text Block] Shareholder Fees: Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of Offering Price) Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price) Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of Offering Price) Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more) Maximum Sales Charge on Reinvested Dividends and Distributions (as a percentage) Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions Redemption Fee Redemption Fee Exchange Fee Operating Expenses: Management Fees (as a percentage of Assets) Management Fees Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees Other Expenses (as a percentage of Assets): Other Expenses Other Expenses Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses Expenses (as a percentage of Assets) Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses Expense Example: Expense Example Year 01 1 Year Expense Example Year 03 3 Years Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text] Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text] Risk Lose Money [Text] Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] Performance One Year or Less [Text] Share Class [Axis] Share Class [Domain] Share Classes C000117783 [Member] C000117783 [Member] Class A C000117784 [Member] C000117784 [Member] Class C C000117785 [Member] C000117785 [Member] Class N Series [Axis] Entity [Domain] Series S000038195 [Member] S000038195 [Member] Dunham Alternative Income Fund