Dachshund
Dachshund

Description :
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. (See Height and Weight.) The Dachshund's body is longer than it is tall, muscular with short legs. It has an elongated head and a slight convex skull, arched with protruding eyebrows. The muzzle is long The jaw is robust with non-pendent lips. The teeth should meet in a scissors bite. The almond shaped eyes are dark red or brown-black. The mobile ears are hanging long on its cheeks. The body has a strong protruding sternum and a moderately retracted abdomen. The tail is carried in line with its back. The short-haired Dachshund's coat should be shiny, sleek and uniform. Dachshunds have a wide color variety. They are as follows. Solid colors are as follows: black, red (from strawberry blond to deep auburn), chocolate (brown), isabella (tan or fawn), creme (blond with no trace of red, from golden blond to platinum,the lighter the better) and blue (gray). In the wirehaired variety, creme is referred to as wheaton. Bi-color dachshunds may be black and tan, black and creme, chocolate and tan, chocolate and creme, blue and tan, or blue and creme. In these combinations, the former color is the base color, and the tan or creme appears on the face and points. Sable is a red base coat with a black overlay. In the wirehaired variety, there is also wild boar, unique in that the hair shaft itself is bicolored red and black. Patterns and tricolors: Brindle-brindles should be striped over the entire body and may be seen on any of the above colors. Dapple-the dappling is presented as patches of lighter color on a darker base color. This can result in a tricolored dachshund. example-black with tan points and silver dappling.If the dappling occurs in the eye, one or both eyes may be blue. Double dapples only occur when both sire and dam are dappled, and results in adding large areas of white to the dapple pattern. Triple dapples occur when a double dapple is bred to a dapple, resulting in even larger areas of white. There have been genetic defects attributed to double and triple dapple breeding. Piebald-piebalds can be bi-colored or trip-colored. They have a white body with patches of one or two solid colors, as in red on white, or black and tan on white. The patches may range from a few spots to covering over 50 percent of the body. There may be ticking throughout the white areas, or they may be solid white. In the event of cross breeding patterns, as in dapple to piebald or brindle to piebald, the solid patches display the dapple or brindle pattern. Registry depends on the kennel club the dog is registered with, but in the case of only one pattern being registered, the dog should be registered as piebald.

Temperament :
The Dachshund is curious, clever, lively, affectionate, proud, brave, and amusing. Devoted to their family, but can be slightly difficult to train and housebreak, but not impossible. Dachshunds travel well. This little dog needs an owner who understands how to be his pack leader or he will take over the house, and begin to try and tell the owner what to do. If the dog is allowed to take over, many behavior problems will arise, such as, but not limited to, guarding furniture, separation anxiety, food, toys or other objects, snapping, biting, and obsessive barking. They will become unpredictable with children and adults they do not know. If it gets really bad, they may become unpredictable with their owners. They are usually recommended for older, considerate children, simply because most owners do not display proper pack leadership to small dogs, causing moderate to severe protectiveness. A behavior that can change if the humans start being their pack leader. If they do get the proper leadership, they can get along well with children. This breed has an instinct to dig. They are generally okay with other pets, however, once again, without proper leadership from their humans, they can be jealous, irritable, obstinate and very quick to bite. Sometimes refusing to be handled. If you allow your little dog to take over your house, the dog will try his hardest to keep all of his humans in line. A weight which should not be placed on any dog's shoulders, especially one as sweet as a little dog like the Dachshund. These negative traits are not Dachshund traits, they are small dog syndrome traits. Meaning, most owners treat their small dogs like babies, rather than giving them leadership. Rules they need to follow along with limits they are, and are not allowed to do, which all dogs instinctually crave. Dachshunds who have human leadership along with a daily pack walk are wonderful family companions, with excellent temperaments.

Height, Weight :
There are three varieties of Dachshund, the short-haired, the wired-haired, and the long-haired. According to AKC standard, there are two sizes, Standard and Miniature. Unlike the AKC, Europe also recognizes the Toy variety. Standard: Height 8-11 inches (20-27cm.); Weight- over 11 pounds (4.9kg.) at the age of 12 months. Miniature: Height up to 5-7 inches (13-18 cm.); Weight 11 pounds (4.9kg.) or less at the age of 12 months. Toy: Height Up to 12 inches (30cm.); Weight 8 pounds (3.5kg.) at age 12 months. Note: The unofficial terms such as, tweenie, dwarf, toy, teacup or micro-mini Dachshund is not an AKC recognized size variation, however some breeders are using these terms and breeding for a smaller dog. Other unofficial nicknames people have labeled this breed are Wiener Dog, Little Hot Dog, Hotdog Dog. Tweenie: Weight 12-18 (5-8 kg.) pounds at age 12 months.

Health Problems :
Prone to spinal disc problems (Dachshund paralysis), urinary tract problems, heart disease, and diabetes. Dachshunds have a tendency to become overweight and lazy. This is a serious health risk, putting added strain on the back.

Living Conditions :
Good for apartment living. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard.

Exercise :
These are active dogs with surprising stamina; they need to be walked daily. They will also enjoy sessions of play in the park or other safe open areas. Be careful, however, when pedestrians are about because Dachshunds are more likely to be stepped on than more visible dogs. They should be discouraged from jumping, as they are prone to spinal damage.

Life Expectancy :
About 12-15 years.

Grooming :
Long-haired require daily combing and brushings; wire-haired need professional trimming twice a year, and smooth-haired require regular rubdown with a damp cloth. This breed is an average shedder.

Origin :
The Dachshund originated in Germany in the early 1600s. Bred to hunt small game such as badger and rabbit, the Dachshund has shortened legs to hunt and follow these animals to ground inside the burrows where they could fight the prey to the death. "Dachs" is the word for badger. Smaller Dachshunds where bred to hunt hare and stoat. Dachshunds have many "terrier" characteristics. They are versatile and courageous dogs and have been known to take on foxes and otters too. The breeds population dwindled during World War l, but dogs were imported from Germany to the USA and the gene pool once again increased. The Dachshund was recognized by the AKC in 1885.

Group :
Hound, AKC Hound