Dachshund

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Breed Details

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Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Dachshund is a long bodied dog with undersized limbs. Originally bred in Germany, this breed's name translates to 'badger dog'. Despite their small size, the Dachshund is a tough little fighter! Their body is the perfect size to chase their prey into small underground burrows.

This breed comes in 3 varieties which are standard, miniature and toy. All are accepted in the AKC standards characteristics except for the toy size, as this was more of a size attribute for potential owners.

The Dachshund is best known for hunting badgers, but otters and foxes are also considered their prey. This breed, as it does in size variation, comes in 3 coat types: long, wire or short haired.

Color

The Dachshund comes in a wide variety of coat colours. The most common being black, tan, brown, gray, harlequin, or speckled. They can be either a solid colour or a mixture of two to three colours.

Coat

The Dachshund has 3 types of coats: the long, the wire and the short haired. The long haired coat is shiny and silky to the touch. The Wire haired coat is more hard and brittle feeling while the short coat is lustrous and smooth. All three sizes of Dachshund can have any of the three types of coat combinations.

Personality

The Dachshund is a goofy and animated little dog. They are known to be stubborn, mischievous and teasing, but all in good fun. These dogs are the jealous type and want all of their owners attention on them. In general the Dachshund will do well with other dogs and cats, but monitor them around pocket pets such as hamsters and mice as these are thought of as prey. Despite their short legs, the Dachshund is a digger and will make good use of a yard if given the chance. They are protective of their families and make great watchdogs because they have a surprisingly loud bark, and the breed itself is known for their love of 'talking'.

Care

The long and wired haired Dachshunds will need to be brushed at least twice per week. This will prevent mats from occurring and get rid of the dead fur. The short haired Dachshund will only need to be brushed about once every week or two as their coat will not tangle. This breed is prone to a variety of back related problems such as slipped spinal discs, because their spine is under constant pressure due to their long body. Diabetes, urinary tract infections and heart disease can also develop in this breed. Owners of a Dachshund will need to be sure to monitor their food intake as this breed will become obese quickly which will add even more to stress on their spine.

Training

The Dachshund will need to be firmly trained in basic obedience. They are a stubborn and clever breed that tend to get their way. Socialization with people and other dogs is necessary when they are puppies to ensure they become comfortable in busy situations when they are adults.

Activity

The Dachshund will need plenty of exercise to burn off their seemingly never-ending energy. They will do well in an apartment as they are small dogs that don't take up to much space. Owners should be warned that these little dogs can become destructive if they are bored so ensuring they are taken out to dash around for a bit will do them good.