Dachshund

Description: Sporty and devoted, Dachshunds makes an excellent family dog. Despite their small size they make a good watch dog with a surprisingly loud bark. Dachshunds may be slightly aggressive to strangers. Given the nickname the "Weiner dog" they are low to the ground, long in body and short of leg with robust muscular development. The Dachshund has an intelligent, alert, facial expression. There are six varieties of Dachshunds; smooth-haired, wire-haired and long-haired. Each come in two sizes: Standard and Miniature. The smooth-haired Dachshund is the original strain, the wire-haired and the long-haired were attained by crossing the smooth-haired with other breeds such as spaniels, pinschers and Dandie Dinmont Terriers. Dachshunds are an intelligent and lively breed who will need firm training to prevent disobedience. They have a strong desire to hunt, as they will show if you have a garden or backyard. Dachshunds are fun, feisty and bold. They are unafraid of challenges, and curious for adventures. They are prone to hunt, dig, track and follow small animals underground. They are not overly friendly to strangers, and enjoy their families privately. Although independent, Dachshunds still crave the attention and belonging that the family offers. The Teckel are somewhat fragile in their backs, and should be kept on a healthy diet to prevent back problems from obesity. They are friendly, good-natured and affectionate, as well as playful, fun-loving and intelligent.

Other Names: Normalgrosse Teckel (Miniature: Zwergteckel), "Weiner Dog", "Sausage Dog"

Type: Scenthound

Height: Standard - 8 - 9 inches; Miniature - 5 - 6 inches.
Weight: Standard - 16-32 lbs., Miniature - 11 lbs. and under.

Colors: All colors but white. They come in hound colors, allowed to have spots of white on the chest, or dappled all over, although this is undesirable.
Coat: Smooth-haired - dense, short and smooth.
Long-haired - soft and straight, and only slightly wavy.
Wire-haired - short, straight and harsh with a long undercoat.

Temperament: Dachshunds are lively, intelligent, courageous and bold. They are fun-loving, but a challenge to train. Dachshunds are affectionate, friendly and outgoing. They are wary of strangers, and will alert their owners of unusual behavior. They make good watch dogs, but not good guard dogs. They are curious and have a strong desire to hunt. Some of them bark, and they bark loud. They can be independent, but still enjoy being part of the family. The Dachshund is adaptable and devoted.
With Children: Yes, long-haired are very good, wire-haired are good, smooth are fairly good and miniature only with older children.
Make sure their first experience with children is positive.
With Pets: Some co-exist peacefully, many are bossy, and like to dominate other dogs. Must be socialized when young to accept cats. They have a natural instinct to go to ground after animals.
Special Skills: Family pet and hunting dog for above or below ground.

Watch-dog: Very High. Dachshunds have a loud bark to alert their owners, and are wary of strangers.
Guard-dog: Very Low.

Care and Exercise: Wire- and Long-haired Dachshunds need regular brushing with a bristle brush. Dry shampoo or bathe when necessary. The smooth-haired dachshund has little body odor and can be occasional rubbed down with a damp cloth. Regular exercise is important to the Dachshund, as they have a tendency to put on weight and become lazy. Dachshunds need care to control their diet as they will normally eat whatever is placed before them. Obesity can lead to back problems.
Training: Long-haired Doxies are easier to train than smooth-haired, but they have a mind of their own and require patience and consistency.
Learning Rate: High. Obedience - Medium. Problem-Solving - High.

Activity: Indoors - Medium. Outdoors - High.
Special Needs: Grooming, socialization.
Living Environment: Excellent pet for an apartment or house, city or country. Be aware they can bark loudly. An owner of a Dachshund who desires a small, active, personable breed should be consistent and patient. The Dachshund is an adaptable dog, able to do well in an apartment or house.

Health Issues: Prone to disc problems - do not let them become overweight or jump from heights, as their backs are prone to injury. They are also subject to genetic eye diseases and skin problems. Other health concerns include epilepsy, hypothyroidism, and bloat. Bloat is a health issue to most dogs, being the second largest killer of dogs other than cancer, but Dachshunds can be particularly susceptible to it because of their deep chests.

Life Span: 12 - 14 years.
Litter Size: 3 - 4 puppies.

Country of Origin: Germany
History: Dachshunds are known to have existed as far back as the 16th century, described as a "low crooked legged" dog. The name of the breed ranges from Little Burrow Dog, Dacksel, to Badger Dog, and named Teckel in its native country. Dachs is the German word for "badger", while hund is the word for "dog". Dachshunds are derived from the oldest breeds of German hunting dogs. First came the smooth haired Dachshund, and then the other two followed. Dachshunds were bred to hunt and burrow for badgers and the miniature was created to hunt hares. To create the variety we have today, Dachshunds were bred with spaniels, pinschers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers and the German Stöber. The Dandie Dinmont contributed to the wire-haired version, and the Stöber had a paw in the creation of the long-haired type. Queen Victoria in 1839 was the first to own a Dachshund in England. Soon after her marriage to the German Prince Albert, her new husband brought more Dachshunds to the British, and the breed gained popularity. In 1866 the breed was on exhibition in Britain, and later given a breed standard in 1873. Four years later the English Dachshund Club was formed, and in 1895 the Dachshund Club of America began. Dachshunds are actually Terriers. According to stories, the Dachshund was kept in the Hound group because of a difficulty with translating the name into English. Gergweis, Germany, has held the title of "Dachshund Capital of the World", in which Dachshunds once outnumbered people two to one. They were used as a tourist attraction, rented out to take walks and to be played with. Today Dachshunds are bred as pets and are highly popular in not only Europe, but American and Australia as well. Some are still used in Europe as hunters.