Dachshunds

Appearance:

Body: Long, level, and low to the ground with short, crooked legs and loose skin. Powerful and muscular, intelligent and alert.

Coat: Three varieties: The Smooth variety has short, smooth, and shiny hair. The longhaired variety has elegant and somewhat wavy hair. The wirehaired variety has a tight, short, and coarse outer coat with a soft undercoat. This protects him when working in thorny brush cover.

Color: The Smoothhaired is one-colored, two colored, dapple, or double dappled. One-colored is red and cream with some white on the chest, two-colored is black, chocolate, wild boar, gray (blue), and fawn (Isabella), dapple colored is not dominated by the light or the dark color, and double dapple colored is having the dapple pattern and differing amounts of white covering the body, or in a Brindle pattern. The Wirehaired is seen in all colors but the most popular are wild boar, black and tan, and shades of red. The Longhaired is seen in the same colors as the Smoothhaired.

Ears: Medium length, set close to the top of the head, and rounded.

Eyes: Medium size, dark and oval with prominent bridge bones. Except for the dappled dogs whose eyes are partially or entirely blue (walleye).

Feet: Front feet are compact, tight, and well-padded with well-arched toes. Hind feet are somewhat smaller with four tight, closed, arched toes and dense pads. Weight rests on the pads-not just the toes. His feet are designed for digging.

Head: Long and narrow, tapering to the tip of the nose with a somewhat sloping, slightly arched skull, and minimal stop. Wirehaired miniature has a distinct, bushy beard.

Legs: Forelegs are short, well-muscled, and strong. Hind legs are muscular, powerful, and not turned out or in.

Neck: Long, well-muscled, slightly arched, and without dewlaps.

Size:

Miniature:
Weight: 11 lb (5.0 kg)
Height: 8 to 14 inches

Standard:
Weight: 16 lb (7.3 kg) to 28 lb (13 kg)
Height: 14 to 18 inches

Kaninchen (Toy) (means rabbit - not recognized by the AKC):
Weight: 8 lb (3.6 kg) to 10 lb (4.5 kg)
Height: 6 to 12 inches

Tail: The Smoothhaired Dachshund's tail is well-haired but not dense, carried low or level with the back and tapering to the point. The Wirehaired Dachshund's tail is powerful, densely haired, and tapers to the point. The Longhaired Dachshund's tail is gracefully held with the longest hair nearest the spine and tapering up towards the point of the tail with a flag-like appearance.

Behavior

Recommended for novice dog handlers
Difficult to housetrain
Good with children if older and respectful of him

The Dachshund is a mischievous, fun-loving and loyal dog who is clever and unsuspectingly courageous. The AKC standard says, "Dachshunds are hardy, vigorous, and tireless. Indoors, they are affectionate and responsive, companionable in restful moods, hilarious in play, eager to please, and alert in announcing strangers." He is terrier-like in his ability to go underground to catch his prey and, much like a bloodhound, he bays while tracking and chasing his prey.

The Dachshund breed has three coat varieties (smoothhaired, wirehaired, and longhaired), and standard and miniature sizes for each coat type. They are avid hunters with well-developed senses and are capable of tracking prey both above and below ground. Their bark is surprisingly fierce for such a small dog and quite capable of scaring off unwanted prowlers.

This wonderful pet with their long bodies and short legs are often affectionately referred to as "hot dogs", wiener dogs", and "sausage dogs" which has aided in making them one of the most recognizable breeds. He is cunning and can be stubborn but with proper training and socializing he can be a great family pet.

He will insist on sleeping under the covers with you and will enjoy digging or tunneling in your garden. He is territorial when it comes to his food or toys and is difficult to housetrain. The Wirehaired is the most playful with a more outgoing and clownish personality.

Breed Type

AKC Group: Hound Group (Scent Hound)

There are three Dachshund types: The Smooth-haired, the Wire-haired, and the Long-haired.

He was originally bred to hunt badger, foxes, and rabbits both above ground and taking chase underground. He was also used in packs to hunt wild boar.

Care and Grooming

Exercise: The Dachshund loves to eat and will easily become overweight, especially as he ages. Moderate daily exercise and a healthy diet are a must to keep him fit and trim.

Grooming: The Smooth coat variety is odor free and easy to care for. The longhaired variety requires regular brushing. The wirehaired variety will need it's hair periodically stripped out with a stiff brush or stripping knife.

Health

Life Expectancy: 14 - 17 Years

Possible Problems:
Eye problems
Herniated Disc - can lead to paralysis of the hindquarters

Prone to spinal problems due to their lengthy body and short legs.

Country of Origin

Germany - 1900s