Description

Dachshunds are elongated dogs with short legs that are of the hound family. They are German in origin, and their name literally means badger dog, though in Germany they are commonly referred to as Dackel or Teckel dogs. The standard sized Dachshund was developed to hunt badgers while the miniature was developed to hunt rabbits.

Dachschunds come in two sizes; the standards on both varieties are exactly the same except for size. They are all longer than they are tall. There are three coat varieties; smooth coated, long coated and the rarest, the wire coated.

Dachshunds are low to the ground with very short legs and very muscular bodies. Their skin is very elastic, but not wrinkly. They are very well balanced in spite of their long bodies and they hold their heads high.

Their head taper uniformly to the tip of the nose. Their eyes are medium sized, dark and almond shaped, with dark rims. Their ears are set near the top of their heads, are rounded and moderately long. The flopping down of the ears was intentionally bred into the dog to prevent their ears from getting filled with dirt and other debris while they were hunting under the ground. Their lips are tightly stretched and they have strongly developed teeth that fit closely together in a scissors bite. Their teeth are exceptionally strong for a dog of their size.

The Dachshund has a long muscular neck that flows gracefully into their shoulders. Their trunks are exceptionally long and very muscular. Their bodies hang low to the ground, but should not be loose.

Their front legs are very strong, as they were built for flushing animals out of burrows. They have very tight and compact front feet with well arched toes and tough, thick pads. Their hind legs are very well muscled with strong and powerful thighs. Their hind feet are smaller than their front feet. They have a long and rounded croup that sinks slightly toward the tail. Their tails are set in and have no pronounced curving.

The Dachshund has a very fluid gait. Their forelegs reach forward without lifting much as they run.

Dachshunds are very popular in the US, ranking 6th in terms of the number registered with the AKC. This breed has become synonymous with Germany. In fact, they are so closely associated with this country, that a Dachshund was the official mascot for the 1972 Summer Olympics, held in Germany.

Coat Description

There are three coat varieties of Dachshund.

The Smooth Coat - Short, smooth, shiny coat. Should not be long or thick. Their tails should taper gradually without too much hair.

The Wirehaired Coat - This coat consists of a uniform tight coarse outer coat with a finer softer undercoat. This variety of Dachshund has a beard and eyebrows. Hair is shorter and smooth on the ears. Their tails are thickly haired and taper to a point.

The Longhaired Coat- This variety has sleek hair that often has a slight wave. It is longer under the neck and on the fore chest, the underside of the body and on the ears and behind the legs, but they should not have long hair all over the body, nor should their hair be overly curly. Their tails have the longest hair and are carried somewhat like a flag.

History

It is believed that the ancestors of the Dachshund existed as far back as ancient Egypt, due to artifacts found that depicted small dogs with very short legs. This German breed was developed as a badger hunter hundreds of years ago. In German, "dachs" means badger and "hund" means hound. The breed was derived from a mixture of German, French and English hounds and terriers. These dogs have many terrier traits and are excellent hunters. They have been bred to have very short legs, to help them dig as well as to help them get into the burrows where animals like badgers and rabbits reside.

The first verified reference to a Dachshund comes from books written in the 1700s. The original German Dachshunds were larger than today's standard; weighing as much as 40 pounds. But, over time, they were bred to be smaller to assist them in hunting, and over time, the miniature variety was developed for hunting smaller prey. In addition to furrowing out den animals, dachshunds have also been used as standard hunting dogs, for fox, locating wounded deer. They have even been used in packs to hunt larger game like wild boar, and very fierce animals like wolverines.

Grooming

Longhaired Dachshunds require daily brushing to keep them free of mats and tangles. Short haired versions will require weekly brushing and wire haired varieties need to be trimmed at least twice a year. This breed is an average shedder; rubbing them down occasionally with a damp towel will help keep the hair at bay.

Exercise

These dogs do need exercise. As young dogs, they are typically quite active, but can get lazy as they get older. So, it's important that you provide them enough opportunities to exercise to keep them strong and prevent obesity. Since this dog is small, games of fetch in the house may be enough to get them proper exercise. However, they will also enjoy a walk with you and can get a good amount of exercise this way. Because of their short legs, they are not considered good running companions.

Dachshunds are very popular breeds for competition. In fact, the Weiner Nationals are extremely popular Dachshund races. In addition, many Dachshunds participate in earth dog trials, competitions for dogs to track and locate artificial bait or caged live mice. Because this breed is a scent hound, they also often compete in scent tracking events. The Dachshund Club of America holds a national scent tracking championship each year for the best trackers in this breed.

Training

The Dachshund requires firm and consistent training, but once trained, they are a great companion dog and extremely loyal. From an early age, they must understand that you are the "alpha dog", as they can be quite stubborn and resist training.

Dachshunds require socialization at an early age, to prevent them from being wary of human strangers and fearful. They should also be taught early on about inappropriate barking and taught not to jump, since this can be dangerous for their spines.

Crate training works well for housebreaking the Dachshund. Because this breed can be stubborn, and because their accidents are easy to miss due to their size, it's important to be very persistent in house breaking them. If they have an accident that goes unnoticed, they will believe that going to the bathroom in the house is acceptable, and the habit will be nearly impossible to break. Keeping your puppy in his crate unless you are actively interacting with him will help ensure that there are no accidents. Puppies should not be allowed to roam the house unsupervised until they are consistently house trained.

It's wise to leave your Dachshund in his crate when you leave the house even after he's house trained, since they are prone to destruction when bored. After a period of time, you will know your dog well and will know whether or not it's safe to allow him to roam the house when you're away.

Life :: 12-15 years

Litter Size :: 1-3 puppies.

Group :: Hound

Color :: Two colored varieties include chocolate, black, wild boar, blue (gray) and fawn. These dogs will have tan markings over the eyes, on the sides of the jaw, underlip, inner edge of ear, front, breast, throat, paws insides of the legs.

Hair :: Long, Short

Size :: Toy/Small

Shedding :: Moderate Shed

Male Height :: 14 to 18

Male Weight :: 9 to 20 lbs

Female Height :: 14 to 18

Female Weight :: 9 to 20 lbs

Living :: Dachshunds are very good indoor dogs. They are typically quite active, but because of their size, they can get their needed activity indoors, without requiring a yard. Dachshunds are extremely good diggers, so if you're planning to leave them unsupervised in the yard, be certain that your fence is secure, particularly at the bottom. If the dog becomes bored, he is quite likely to dig out. Because the Dachshund is prone to obesity, you should watch their food intake. Don't allow them to free feed or over eat. Dry food is lower in calories than canned food and is better for the teeth, as well.