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The Dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. The breed's name is German and literally means "badger dog" (der Dachs—"badger"; der Hund—"dog"). 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". Although Dachshund is a German word, it is rarely used in Germany, where the Dachshund is known most commonly as the Dackel or Teckel.
Appearance: A full-sized Dachshund averages 16 to 32 lb
(7 to 14.5 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).
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, as well as the long tail, which in
hunting situations, is often used by the owner as a handle, to
aid in extracting the Dachshund from the burrow hole after
capturing its prey.
They come in three coat varieties: Smooth, Longhaired, and
Wirehaired; the Wirehaired variety is generally shorter in
spine length than the other two. 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.
Dachshunds have an enormous range of coloration. Dominant
colors and patterns are red, or black & red, (the latter
often being referred to informally as black & tan), but
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 very desirable and is referred to among breeders and
enthusiasts as "stag", or an "overlay".
Solid black and solid chocolate-brown Dachshunds occur and,
even though quite handsome, their colors are nonstandard; that
is, the dogs are disqualified from conformance competitions in
the U.S. and U.K. Older traditional patterns such as piebald
and sable have recently been gaining popularity. Other color
and pattern combinations have been developed; it is not
uncommon to see Dachshunds with brown & red, chocolate
& red, dapple, double dapple, and even white coats.
Unfortunately, some of these colors require extensive
inbreeding to obtain, and double dapples are often born
eyeless or with severely underdeveloped eyes.
Dapples of either kind usually sport light grey, light
hazel, green or blue eyes, rather than the various shades of
brown. Color aside, this eye condition has led to the double
dapple coat being extremely disfavored among responsible
breeders and owners.
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.
Temperament: Dachshunds are loyal, playful fun dogs,
known for their propensity to chase small animals and birds
with great determination and ferocity. Many dachshunds are a
little strong headed, making them not as easy to train.
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," and this would be a statement
unanimously recognized by experienced owners. Their
temperament and body language give the impression that they
either do not know, or care, about their relatively small and
comical stature. Individuals which are indulged may become
snappy.
The Dachshund is known for his deep and soulful eyes and
complex and telling facial expressions, the eyes having an
"allure" that is quite commonly referenced in
writings about the breed. Coat type is often considered to be
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;
however some who own long-haired Dachshunds might disagree
with this statement. 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: 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, but many an owner with
an injured, skinny Dachshund will confirm that these problems
are largely genetic.
In order to prevent injury, it is recommended that
Dachshunds be discouraged from jumping and taking stairs, and
the importance of holding the dog properly cannot be stressed
enough. Many veterinarians, however, indicate that as long as
the Dachshund takes the stairs slowly, the dog's spine will
manage just fine.
The Dachshund should only be picked up when both front and
rear portions of the body are fully supported. A good
technique is the typical "football carry" used by
running backs or others in a game when rushing the ball, with
the dog tucked underneath the arm, against the body, and
supported along the length of the carrier's bent arm, hand
under the upper chest, and tail near the elbow. This method
supports the weight of the rear body, preventing wiggling and
twisting of the dog to right itself. 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), and may even lead to surgical intervention to
remove the troublesome disk(s). Other treatments that have
been used with some success include TENS, accupuncture,
physical therapy, moxibustion, chiropractic manipulation, and
massage. The use of arthritis medication such as Rimadyl,
(which failed clinical trials for humans), has reverted to the
subjects of its previous testing: dogs, with great results in
relieving skeletal back pain.
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.
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.
Symbol of Germany: Dachshunds have traditionally
been viewed as a symbol of Germany, despite their pan-European
heritage. During World War I the animals -- a favorite of
Kaiser Wilhelm II -- fell so far out of favor in England and
the United States that Dachshunds were stoned to death in the
streets.
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 greatly reduced
extent during World War II, and it quickly faded away
following the war's end. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was
also 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".
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, 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. 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.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.
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, and Japan.
Famous Dachshunds:
Lump, The pet of Pablo Picasso who was thought to have
inspired much of his work.
Odie, appearing in Garfield the movie.
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
dachsund Wally is often the subject of gags related to his
short legs.
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