Dachshund dogs

The dachshund (or Teckle) was bred as a badger hound in its native Germany. What was needed was a short-legged hound with a keen sense of smell, coupled with courage and gameness and a dog that could burrow. This ability, if unchecked in today's Dachshund, will play havoc with your garden.

Some Dachshunds are still bred as hunting dogs and will bravely tackle an opponent larger than themselves, such as the badger. They would also defend their master until death. Howeve_ their role nowadays is mainly as a companion. They may be a little aggressive with strangers, if unchecked, but are affectionate and full of fun. Despite their short legs they can cope with as much exercise as you can give them. They have a loud bark for their size and are first-class watchdogs.

Origin and history

The Dachshund was bred as a badger hound, or hunting dog, and is known to have existed before the sixteenth century and to have been derived from the oldest German breeds such as the Bibarhund.

When the German Dachshund Club was formed in 1888, the records that had been kept in the pre-existing German stud book did not always contain complete pedigrees or notations describing the coat lengths of the dogs entered in the stud book. Today there are three varieties, with miniatures of each type: the Smooth-hai_ Wire-hair and Long­hair. The Wire-hair was introduced through crossing with the Scottish Dandie Dinmont and other terriers, the Long-hair by crossing the Smooth-hair with the spaniel and an old German gundog, the Stbberhund. The bandiness in the breed, due to a weakness in the tendons, has now been eradicated, as has exaggerated length.

In Europe during both world wars, the Dachshund, recognized as the national dog of the Teutonic Empire, was often discarded, shouted at or even stoned in the streets because of its German ancestry. Happily this sorry state of affairs has long since passed, and the sporty, lovable Dachshund is again popular

The Dachshund breeds were imported by fanciers into the United States and dog shows and stud books were established.

Dachshund Puppies

Good points

• Affectionate
• Brave
• Easy to look after
• Loyal family pet
• Sense of fun
• Watchdog with loud bark

Take heed

• Prone to disc trouble
• Self-willed
• Slightly aggressive with strangers, if unchecked

Size

Long-haired:
Middle weight up to 181b (8.2kg) for dogs and 171b (7.7kg) for bitches.

Smooth-haired:
Dogs should not exceed 251b (11.3kg); bitches should not exceed 231b (10Akg).

Wire-haired:
Dogs should weigh 20-221b (9-10kg) and bitches 18-201b (8.2-9kg).

Exercise

Regular exercise'is important, as the tendency to put on weight must be discouraged. This does not mean you must take your pet on 10 mile (16km) treks, but short, frequent walks are advisable with plenty of runs in a well-fenced garden or yard.

Dachshund Healthcare

Disc trouble can befall the Dachshund because of its long back and stubby little legs. Anyone who has seen a young dog paralysed, while otherwise in good health, will recognize the need to keep their pet's weight within the breed standard and to prevent it from leaping on and off furniture. Treatrnent varies frorlJ. Injections of cortisone to an operation; some owners swear by an osteopath.

The Dachshund's teeth are prone to tartar. Regular scaling is recommended, but stains can be removed with a paste of water and cream of tartar, applied with a bit of cotton wool.

Dachshund Feeding & Grooming

Grooming

The Dachshund's coat is easy to keep in condition. The smooth-coat needs only a few minutes' attention every few days with a hound glove and soft cloth. A stiff-bristled brush and comb should be used on the Long-hair and the Wire-hair

Feeding

Suggested would be 100z (283kg) of a branded, meaty product with biscuit added in equal part by volume, or 1112 cupfuls of a dry food, complete diet, mixed in the proportion of 1 cup of feed to V2 cup of hot or cold water. A satisfactory menu for an adult may be based on 3/40Z (21g) of food for each 160z (454g) the dog weighs, from half to three-quarters of this amount being given as meat. Do not permit to become overweight.

Long-haired Dachshund Information

General appearance
Form, colour, size and character are similar in all respects to those of the smooth Dachshund, except for the long, soft hair The form is compact, short-legged and long, but sinewy and well muscled with bold head carriage and an intelligent expression. In spite of the shortness of the legs, the body should be neither too plump nor so slender as to have a weasel-like appearance. Height at shoulder should be half the length of the body measured from the breast bone to the set-on of the tail, and the girth of the chest double the height at the shoulder. The length from the tip of the nose to the eyes should be equal to the length from the eyes to the base of the skull. The tail should not touch the ground when at rest, neither should the leather (i.e. the ears) extend beyond the nose when pulled to the front.

Colour
Black and tan, dark brown with lighter shadings, dark red, light red, dappled, tiger-marked or brindle. In black and tan, red and dappled dogs the nose and nails should be black; In chocolate ones they are often brown.

Head and skull
Long and conical when seen from above, and in profile, sharp and finely modelled. Skull neither too broad nor too narrow, only slightly arched without prominent stop. Foreface long and narrow, finely modelled. Lips should be tightly drawn, well covering the lower jaw, neither toe heavy nor too sharply cut away, the corners of the mouth slightly marked.

Tail
Set on fairly high, not too long, tapering and without too marked a curve; not carried too high; fully feathered.

Feet
Broad and large, straight or turned slightly outwards; the hindfeet smaller and narrower than the forefeet. Toes close together and with a distinct arch to each toe; nails strong. The dog must stand equally on all parts of the foot.

Smooth-haired Dachshund Information

General appearance
Long and low but with a compact and well­muscled body, not crippled, cloddy, or clumsy; bold carriage of the head and an intelligent expression.

Colour
Any colour other than white (Except a white spot on the breast Nose and nails should be black. In red dogs a red nose is permissible but not desirable. In chocolate dogs and dapples the nose may be brown or flesh-coloured. In dapples large spots of colour are undesirabe, and the dog should be evenly dappled allover.

Head and skull
Long and appearing conical when seen from above; from a side view, tapering to the point of the muzzle.

Tail
Set on fairly high, strong and tapering but not too long and not too curved or carried too high.

Feet
The front feet should be full, broad and close-knit, and straight or very slightly turned outwards, the hindfeet smaller and narrower.

Wire-haired Dachshund Information

The Wire-haired Dachshund has a distinctive beard which gives its face a rather squared-off appearance.

General appearance
Low to ground, short-legged, the body long but compact and well muscled. The head should be carried boldly and the expression be very intelligent. Despite its short legs, compared with the length of its body, it must not be awkward, cramped, crippled or lacking in substance.

Colour
All colours are allowed, but a white patch on the chest, though not a fault, is not desirable. The nose should be black, except in the case of chocolates when it may be brown or flesh-coloured.

Head and skull
Looked at from above or from the side, the head should taper uniformly to the tip of the nose and be clean cut. The skull is only slightly arched, being neither too broad nor too narrow, and slopes gradually, without marked stop, to a finely formed, slightly arched muzzle. The nasal bones and cartilage (septum) are long and narrow. The ridges of the frontal bones are well developed, giving prominence to the nerve bosses over the eyes. The jaw has extremely strong bones, is very long and opens very wide; it should not be too square.

Tail
Continues line of the spine; slightly curved; must not be carried too gaily or reach the ground when at rest.

Feet
The front feet are full, broad in front, straight or turned just a trifle outwards. The four toes forming the foot are compact and well arched and have tough pads; the fifth toe (dew-claw) is usually left on. The nails are strong and short.

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