Dachshund

Long-haired standard dachshund

The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. The breed's name is German and literally means “badger dog,” from (der) Dachs “badger” and (der) Hund “dog.” (In German the Dachshund is known most commonly as the Dackel or Teckel.) The breed was developed to scent, chase, and hunt badgers and other hole-dwelling animals. Due to the long, narrow build, they are sometimes referred to in the United States and elsewhere as a wiener dog, hot dog, or sausage dog, though such terms are sometimes considered disparaging.

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Appearance

Black-and-tan miniature dachshund, smooth coat

Modern dachshunds are characterized by their crooked legs, loose skin, and barrel-like chest, attributes that were deliberately added to the breed to increase their ability to burrow into tight spaces. Another characteristic is a long tail, which, when hunting, is often used by the owner as a handle to aid in extracting the dachshund from the burrow hole after capturing its prey. Dachshunds come in three coat varieties – smooth or short-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired. The wire-haired variety is generally shorter in spine length than the other two.

According to kennel-club standards, the miniature variety differs from the full-size only by size and weight, however, offspring from miniature parents must never weigh more than the miniature standard to be considered a miniature as well.

Size

A full grown dachshund averages 16 to 28 lb. (7 to 12.7 kg), while the Miniature variety typically weighs less than 11 lb. (5 kg). As early as the 1990s, owners’ use of a third weight class became common, the “tweenie,” which included those dachshunds that fell in between full and miniature, ranging from 10 to 15 lb. (4.5 to 6.75 kg).

H. L. Mencken said that “A dachshund is a half-dog high and a dog-and-a-half long,” which is their main claim to fame, although many poems and songs refer to them as “two dogs long.” This characteristic has led them to be quite a recognizable breed and featured in many a joke and cartoon.

Coat and color

Dachshunds have a wide range of coloration. Dominant colors and patterns are red and black-and-tan. Also occurring are cream, blue, wild boar, chocolate brown, fawn, and a lighter “boar” red. The reds range from coppers to deep rusts, with somewhat common coarse black hairs peppered along the back, tail, face, and ear edges, lending much character and an almost burnished appearance; this is often desirable and is referred to among breeders and enthusiasts as a “stag” or an “overlay.”

Solid black and solid chocolate-brown dachshunds occur and, even though dogs with such coloration are often considered handsome, the colors are nonstandard – that is, the dogs are disqualified from conformance competitions in the U.S.

Light-colored dachshunds usually sport light grey, light hazel, green or blue eyes, rather than the various shades of brown. They can also have eyes of two different colors; in rare cases, such as the double-dappled coloration, dachshunds can have a blue and brown eye. Color aside, this eye condition has led to the double-dapple coat being disfavored among breeders and owners.

Temperament

Dachshunds are playful, fun dogs, known for their propensity to chase small animals and birds with great determination and ferocity. Many dachshunds are strong-headed or stubborn, making them a challenge to train. Dachshunds are often uncommonly loyal to their owners, a characteristic that is less pronounced in the wire-haired variety.

According to the American Kennel Club’s breed standards, “the Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.”1] Their temperament and body language give the impression that they do not know or care about their relatively small and comical stature. Indulged dachshunds may become snappy2].

The dachshund is known for its deep and soulful eyes and complex and telling facial expressions, the eyes having an allure that is commonly mentioned in writings about the breed. Coat type is often associated with characteristic temperaments; the long-haired variety, for instance, is considered to be less excitable than the other types, having been cross-bred with the even-tempered Spaniel in order to obtain its characteristic long coat. Because of the breed's characteristic barrel-like chest, the dachshund's lungs are unusually large, making for a sonorous and richly timbred bark that belies the dog's true size.

Health

Wire-haired dachshund

The breed is known to have spinal problems, due in part to an extremely long spinal column and short rib cage. The risk of injury can be worsened by obesity, which places greater strain on the vertebrae. In order to prevent injury, it is recommended that dachshunds be discouraged from jumping and taking stairs (though some veterinarians say that slow stair-climbing is unlikely to lead to injury). Holding the dog properly is important, with both front and rear portions of the body fully supported.

As it has become increasingly apparent that the occurrence and severity of these spinal problems, or intervertebral disk disease, is largely hereditary, responsible breeders are working to eliminate this characteristic in the breed. Treatment consists of various combinations of crate confinement and courses of anti-inflammatory medications (steroids). Serious cases may require surgery to remove the troublesome disk(s).

History

Some have theorized that the early roots of the dachshund go back to Ancient Egypt, where engravings were made featuring short-legged hunting dogs. But in its modern incarnation, the dachshund is a creation of European breeders, and includes elements of German, French, and English hounds and terriers. Dachshunds have been kept by royal courts all over Europe, including that of Queen Victoria, who was particularly enamored of the breed.

Old-style dachshund showing the longer legs. Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, Tring, England

The first verifiable references to the dachshund, originally named the "Tachs Kriecher" (badger crawler) or "Tachs Krieger" (badger catcher), come from books written in the early 1700s. Prior to that, there exist references to “badger dogs” and “hole dogs”, but these likely refer to purposes rather than to specific breeds. The original German dachshunds were larger than the modern full-size variety, weighing between 30 and 40 lb. (14 to 18 kg), and originally came in straight-legged and crook-legged varieties (the modern dachshund is descended from the latter). Though the breed is famous for its use in exterminating badgers and badger-baiting, dachshunds were also commonly used for rabbit and fox hunting, for locating wounded deer, and in packs were known to hunt game as large as wild boar and as fierce as the wolverine.

Miscellaneous

A Dachshund relaxing.

Symbol of Germany

Dachshunds have traditionally been viewed as a symbol of Germany, despite their pan-European heritage. Many Americans began referring to dachshunds as "liberty pups", and political cartoonists commonly used the image of the dachshund to ridicule Germany. The stigma of the association was revived to a lesser extent during World War II, though it was comparatively short-lived. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was known for keeping dachshunds.

The dachshund for this association with Germany was chosen to be the first official mascot for the 1972 Summer Olympics with the name "Waldi".3]

Sports

Some people train and enter their dachshunds to compete in Dachshund racing, such as the Wiener Nationals. Several races across the country routinely draw several thousand attendees, including races in Buda, TX, Davis, CA, Los Alamitos, CA, and Findlay, OH. Despite the popularity of these events, the Dachshund Club of America opposes "wiener racing", as many greyhound tracks use the events to draw large crowds to their facilities. The DCA also is worried about potential injuries to dogs, due to their predisposition to back injuries.

Another favorite sport is earthdog trials, in which dachshunds enter tunnels with dead ends and obstacles attempting to locate an artificial bait or live but caged and protected mice. Dachshunds, being true scent hounds, also compete in scent tracking events, with a national championship sponsored every year by the DCA.

Legend

The naming of the modern American hot dog is supposedly influenced by the dachshund.4] In 1852, the butcher's guild in Frankfurt am Main created a smoked, spiced sausage in a thin casing, dubbed a "little-dog" or "dachshund sausage" for its obvious resemblance to the low-riding German dog. The popular legend on the etymology of hot dog holds that a cartoonist named Tad Dorgan attended a polo match in New York in 1901 where vendors roamed the aisles imploring patrons to "get your red-hot dachshund sausages." Enchanted, Dorgan drew a smiling dachshund nestled in a long bun, but couldn't spell dachshund, so he captioned it "hot dog!" and thus the food got its name.5] Although charming, this legend has never been confirmed.

Popularity

Dachshunds are a popular pet in the United States, ranking 5th most common dog breed. They are a popular dog among apartment dwellers, vying with the poodle for rank as the most common breed in New York City in recent years.6] One will find varying degrees of organized local dachshund clubs in most major American cities, including New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Chicago. American dachshund enthusiasts will enjoy their visits to overseas, as the breed's popularity is legion in places such as Germany, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland and Japan.

Famous Dachshunds

• Lump, The pet of Pablo Picasso who was thought to have inspired much of his work.
• Schnitzel von Krumm (with the very low tum) (fictional), appearing in the Hairy Maclary books by New Zealand author Lynley Dodd.
• Wadl and Hexl, Kaiser Wilhelm II's famous ferocious pair. Upon arriving at Archduke Franz Ferdinand's country seat, château (castle) Konopiste, on a semi-official visit, they promptly proceeded to do away with one of the Austro-Hungarian Crownprince's priceless golden pheasants, thereby almost causing an international incident!
• Hot Dog (fictional) in Krypto the Superdog
• Schotzie in That 70s Show
• In the comic strip Drabble (comic), the family's dachshund Wally is often the subject of gags related to his short legs.
• Itchy Itchiford In All Dogs Go to Heaven
• Boots in Emergency!
• Little Dog in 2 Stupid Dogs
• Oscar in the comic strip Liberty Meadows
• Slinky in Toy Story
• Buster in Toy Story 2
• Oscar, the hero in the goofy costume from The Hallo-Wiener by children's author Dav Pilkey
• Odie in Garfield (film)*
• PetSmart Dachshund Featured in the new commercials playing with its "Bo-Bo" toy
• Weiner Dog, the name of Norm Henderson's (Norm MacDonald) dachshund on The Norm Show
• Mr Weenie in Open Season (film)
• Dachshunds frequently appeared in Gary Larson's comic strip The Far Side
• English artist David Hockney's dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie have been the subject of a number of his paintings
• Jorge in Clifford's Puppy Days
• Paddlefoot from Clutch Cargo.