Dachshund Dachshund

The bold, curious and adventure loving Dachshund is truly a hound with many terrier-like characteristics. He loves to play, and does well with children and other pets. Though they are a great family dog they still love to do what they were bred to do, and that is to hunt and dig. The Dachshund can be quite independent, but they always want to be a part of the family activities.

The Dachshund has short legs and because of that he gets more exercise per block than most other breeds. They have three distinct coat styles, and each has its own degree of care and attention. The smooth coat requires the least amount of grooming attention, with the wirehaired and longhaired varieties requiring progressively more grooming. The Dachshund loves food so be sure to monitor his food intake. The breed can be quite vocal, and an understanding neighbour is helpful.

Today's Dachshund is the descendent of a German hunting dog weighing 35 pounds or more. "Dachs" is the German word for badger, and references of dogs similar to the Dachshund can be found in ancient Assyrian and Egyptian monuments. He was originally used to hunt badger and fox, and with the addition of the Miniature Dachshund the rabbit was also hunted. When hunting he would follow his prey underground to the den, pull the prey out of the den and kill it.

During the French Revolution, many nobility brought their Frech Bassets over to Europe with them. These Bassets were bred with the German Teckels, and the resulting long-legged offspring were called Dachsbracke, the short-legged variety were called the Dachshund.

The first Dachshund club was founded in Germany in 1840, with the long-haired variety gaining acceptance in 1886. The official breed standard was drawn up in 1879. The Dachshund was imported into England in 1850, and became the favourite pet of Queen Alexandra. By 1914, the English started to focus their efforts on the Miniature Dachshund, and in 1935 the Miniature Dachshund Club was formed.

The Dachshund produced in England had a much more exaggerated body-type than the German bred dogs. In the United States, bloodlines from both countries had been used. No matter how you slice it, this dog's popularity throughout Europe and North America has earned him the right to be called a "hot dog"!