The dachshund is a loyal companion and good with children, but because of its long back, dachshunds are prone to disk problems. Therefore this dog is not a good choice for anyone with many steps in the home. The dachshund was bred in Germany centuries ago to hunt badgers. All three varieties of dachshunds — the smooth-, wire- and long-coated — are found in two sizes called standard and miniature. Miniatures are not a separate AKC classification but compete in a class division for "11 pounds and under at 12 months of age and older. There is no height standard for the dachshund but they are usually under nine inches in height.
Dachshund Dog Breed Pictures
Your Dachshund's Health
The Dachshund has an energetic, pleasant expression. Each of the three coat varieties has special attributes: the smooth is short and shining, imparting some protection against the elements; the long hair is sleek, sometimes slightly wavy, providing somewhat more protection; the wire has tight, thick, and hard hair with a finer undercoat, providing maximal protection. The Dachshund comes in three coat varieties and two sizes. The original Dachshunds were smooth coated and arose from crosses of the Bracke, a miniature French pointer, with the Pinscher. Some evidence exists of longer-haired Dachshund-like dogs in sixteenth-century woodcuts. It is also possible that smooth Dachshunds were later crossed with spaniels and the German Stoberhund a gundog to produce the long-haired variety. Mention is made of wire-coated Dachshunds as early as , but these dogs were not carefully bred and most modern wires were created around the end of the nineteenth century by crossing smooth Dachshunds with German Wire-haired Pinschers and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. Each of these varieties was best suited for hunting under slightly different terrain and climatic conditions, but all were tough, strong dogs capable of dispatching badger, fox, and other small mammals.
About the Breed
If you're a proud pet parent to a loveable, long-bodied Dachshund, you're in good company. In fact, you can count esteemed pet parents like Queen Victoria, John F. Kennedy, Andy Warhol, and Pablo Picasso among your peers. These folks famously loved their Dachshund pals. Picasso's pup "Lump" was even considered to be a great source of inspiration to the artist. What's so delightful about Dachshunds? Keep reading for wiener dog fun facts! You probably know them for their distinct long-bodied, short-legged appearance.
The AKC has grouped all of the breeds that it registers into seven categories, or groups, roughly based on function and heritage. Breeds are grouped together because they share traits of form and function or a common heritage. Low to ground, long in body and short of leg, with robust muscular development; the skin is elastic and pliable without excessive wrinkling. Appearing neither crippled, awkward, nor cramped in his capacity for movement, the Dachshund is well-balanced with bold and confident head carriage and intelligent, alert facial expression. His hunting spirit, good nose, loud tongue and distinctive build make him well-suited for below-ground work and for beating the bush. His keen nose gives him an advantage over most other breeds for trailing. NOTE: Inasmuch as the Dachshund is a hunting dog, scars from honorable wounds shall not be considered a fault. Viewed from above or from the side, the head tapers uniformly to the tip of the nose. The eyes are of medium size, almond-shaped and dark-rimmed, with an energetic, pleasant expression; not piercing; very dark in color. The bridge bones over the eyes are strongly prominent.
