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.