Dachshunds are traditionally viewed as the symbol of Germany but like many other things in our lives they have their own myths and legends surrounding them. Pictures found on the walls of pyramids of long dogs with short legs and a hieroglyphic professed to be translated as Tekal. Or some historians believing that the Dachshund was bred as early as the fifth century for hunting field game. And the story of St. Hubert, patron saint of hounds and hunting and the St. Hubert Hound that some 'hound historians' believe to be the ancestor of the Basset Hound, Beagles and Dachshunds.
Though the dachshunds we know today... hot dogs and Weiner dogs, were developed in Germany by the German foresters. History says that between about 1550 and 1850 German forester-game keepers and sportsmen began to breed a dog suited to hunt badgers. Over the course of these 300 years the dog we know as the Dachshund was bred to be a well balanced animal with the ability to fit into a badger hole, with teeth and jaws to fight and retractable running gear and maximum maneuverability.
This conformation of the Dachshund is peculiar in that the length of limbs is disproportionate to that of the body. The dachshunds is a dwarf among dogs. They are a breed of dog which preserves the element of the hound in the area of the head, but by the shortness of legs leaves out the speed of the hound. However it is the length of body and crook of the fore limbs that are of greatest importance, along with their deep, but narrow chest, back ribs well-sprung and prominent breast bone that make them so well suited for what they were bred for in hunting badgers.
Dachshunds hunted in packs as well against wild bore or were used to trail wounded game including deer. The dachshund was taught to go into the underbrush to flush out wild boar. Who would then give chase of the dachshund who led the boar to the huntsman. Upon nearing his master the Dachshund would roll over on it's back and as the boar passed over him to get to the hunter the Dachshund would attack the throat or genitalia of the boar. Thus wounding it sufficiently for the hunter to finish him off.
Along with their long body, deep-narrow chests and short legs 'designed' to fold to a minimum length with shoulder blade, upper arm and forearm the head is long and narrow. The dome of the skull is well developed. The ears are long, broad and soft; thin in the leather, and carried close to the side of the head. The muzzle is long and rather square. There must be no evidence of 'stop'.
The American Kennel club states that a dachshunds temperament should be: 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. I have long held the belief that 'to the point of rashness' is the fact that they love to bark, and bark a lot.
It was between 1820 and 1893, wire haired and long haired Dachshunds were mentioned, though seldom seen until about 1900. It was also during this time that the name 'Dachshund' was being given to these dogs.
The German Dachshund club was formed in 1888 and in 1889 the Dachshund standard was written. However, the English has already established their own Dachshund club in 1881 and written their own standard. The two standards differed considerable from each other. The Germans kept their Dachshunds in isolation in hunting lodges and cottages for work. The English began to show them and keep them as companion animals. Though over a short period of time both countries were showing their dogs in each others shows and breeding between them until the English Dachshund was closer to the German standard. It was this early that type, style and showmanship were the qualities sought after in England.
However today in the US we have two sizes of dachshunds, standard and minis. Though three sizes are recognized by non-English speaking clubs: standard, miniature and kaninchen. (which means rabbit) And while most kennel club size divisions use weight for classification, other kennel club standards determine the difference between the miniature and standard by chest circumference; some kennel clubs even measure chest circumference in addition to height and weight.
Dachshunds come in three coat varieties and for the conformation ring in the US each coat is a variety. Dachshunds are not separated by size. The varieties are smooth, long and wire and they do not compete against each other. They come in a huge variety of colors and patterns though solid red (of many shades and clear or shaded) along with black and tan (the tan actually being 'red') are the most common. Chocolate and dilutes of blue or fawn or wild bore. Patterns can be dapple (called Merle in other breeds), spotting- sometimes referred to Irish Piebald, Tuxedo Pattern or Extreme White Piebald, and ticking. On solid color dachshunds a small amount of white is acceptable, but undesirable and piebalds, while still allowed to compete in conformation are usually frowned upon.
It was in the late 1880's that Dachshunds began to make their appearance in America. Being recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885. Most come from Germany and England. They appeared at American dog shows until the start of WWI. Unfortunately Dachshunds fell in with all other things German that were hated at that time. Dachshund images were used in political cartoons to ridicule the Germans. Dachshund owners in America were harassed and victimized. Those that chose to keep their dachshunds began to call them badger dogs. One story tells of a man in the Western Dachshund club that was so victimized he went out to his kennels one day and shot every one of his Dachshunds.
Between the end of WWI and the beginning of the second world war Dachshund popularity began to climb again. In 1923 the breed name became once again, Dachshund and in the same year 26 Dachshunds were registered with the AKC. By the end of the 1930's over 3,000 were registered. The stigma of the association of Dachshunds with German was revived to a lesser extent during WWII. Though interest in the Dachshund during that time nearly died out. In 1972, the mascot chosen for the summer Olympic games was a dachshund named Waldi.
Miniature Dachshunds, in the beginning were thought of as freaks or mutants and shouldn't be bred to each other. Many were were destroyed or just kept as pets and taken out of a breeding program by those that bred for hunting and trailing. It wasn't realized at first that there would be use for them with hunters and a great delight to city dwellers that would keep smaller dogs.
In 1902 in Germany only eleven miniatures were registered. But it was about this same time that German breeders saw the need for the smaller Dachshunds. They could cope with a variety of underground conditions, including sandy soil where a heavier dog could get trapped. The smaller Dachshunds could enter smaller borrows to pursue rabbit and other small game underground. Some breeders continued to produce these toy dogs as they had found a ready and eager market to purchase them as them as pets. Commercial breeders took them up as well, they became so popular.
The health concerns with dachshunds are IVDD, or Invertible Disc Disease. According to the Dachshund Club of America, 1 out of every 4 or 5 dachshunds will suffer from some form of back problem in their life. Epilepsy is considered an inherited disease. Progressive Retinal Atrophy or PRA and Autoimmune Thyroiditis. The breed's parent club recommends a CERF and an examination for Patella Luxation before breeding.
Dachshund Facts:
- In a 2008 study dachshunds topped the list of the most aggressive breed.
- In 2007 dachshunds slipped from number 6 to number 7 in the top 10 dogs registered with the AKC
- According to WorkingDogWeb.com dachshunds are NOT listed in the top 5 breeds for intelligence?
- WorkingDogWeb.com also dares suggest that the dachshund (along with the Basset) may well be the slowest breed. Obviously they have not tried to catch one that took off after a scent of chicken on the wind.
- Dachshunds are the smallest breed of dog used for hunting.
- The Spint Dachshund commercial really is cute. Click Here to Watch
- Words of wisdom from the radio in Brave Little Toaster 'Why, if we were all wiener dogs, our problems would be solved.'
- In the Wizard of Oz the part of Toto was originally scripted for a miniature dachshund named Otto. Otto was owned by actress, Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in the movie. Lingering post-war hostility toward the Germans, however, caused the studio to insist upon the substitution of a Norwich terrier to be called Toto, a dog of then-more-acceptable British descent.