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Dachshund
The Dachshund is a long backed, short legged dog of minuscule
height. It belongs to the hound group and is used as companions and seen in
the show-ring. While small, the Dachshund is still muscular and powerfully built
with a deep, broad chest and well-developed forelegs. The forehead blends into
the muzzle creating an elongated look to the skull. The eyes are dark, almond
shaped and intelligent looking. The ears are high set and long. It comes in
three different varieties (smooth-haired, wire-haired, and the long-haired).
He also comes in two different sizes being standard and miniature. The longhaired
dachshund has a long and straight coat, with hair slightly feathered and longer
on the underbelly, ears, chest, and legs. The smooth coat has a straight, smooth,
short, and glossy coat that should all be of equal length along the body of
the dog. The wirehaired has a coat of broken appearance with wiry, coarse, and
harsh hair. Dachshunds are a very clownish breed and can be very mischievous
at times. A very intuitive dog, the Dachshund is now most commonly seen as a
companion rather than a hunter.
Temperament
It is a fun loving dog, tenacious, and lively but can become jealous and be
very irritable. This breed does not do well with smaller children but can do
very well with older and more considerate children. These little dogs like to
bark and are compulsive diggers. Sometimes they will refuse to be handled. They
should not be over fed, for this breed tends to gain weight quickly.
Size Category
Medium
Height/Weight
There are three varieties of Dachshund, the short-haired, the wired-haired,
and the long-haired. With each of these varieties there are three sizes.
Normal (standard): Height 14-18 inches (35-45cm.); Weight- 20 pounds (9kg.)
Miniature (dwarf): Height up to 14 inches (35cm.); Weight 9 pounds (4kg.)
Toy: Height Up to 12 inches (30cm.); Weight 8 pounds (3.5kg.)
Living Conditions
It is best for apartment living. They are fairly active indoors and will do
okay without a yard.
Exercise and Activities
These are active dogs with surprising stamina and they love a regular walk or
play in the park. Be careful, however, when pedestrians are about because Dachshunds
are more likely to be stepped on than more visible dogs.
Life Expectancy
12-15 years
Grooming
Long-haired require daily combing and brushings; wire-haired need professional
trimming twice a year, and smooth-haired should be groomed with a rubber glove
once a week to remove dead hairs. This breed does shed.
Health Problems
The most important health consideration with Dachshunds is their spinal problems.
Due to the elongated nature of the body, the spine is prone to injury. Disc
rupture, often leading to paralysis is a common problem in Dachshunds. Stairs
and jumping on and off furniture must be avoided. Surgical intervention can
sometimes help with this ailment but many Dachshunds have to resort to carts
to haul their hind limbs around.
Origin
The Dachshund (pronounced dak sund) originated in Germany many hundreds of years
ago. "Dachs" is the word for badger. The Dachshund was bred to hunt
and follow these animals to earth, gradually becoming highly evolved, with shortened
legs to dig the prey out and go down inside the burrows. Dachshunds were exported
to Great Britain with Prince Albert and became popular in Britain and America
throughout the 19th century. During World War I, the breed lost popularity in
these countries, due to its Germanic origins, however, prejudices have been
set aside and the dog is again a favorite family pet and hunting companion.
Standard dachshunds were used to hunt badgers primarily but have been used with
other game. Smaller Dachshunds where bred to hunt hare and stoat.
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