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Dachshund Dog Breed
Characteristics
Appearance
Size
Coat and color
Temperament
Health
History
The dachshund is a
short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound
family. The breed's name is German and literally
means "badger hound," from [der] Dachs, badger,
and [der] Hund, hound. While classified as a
hound in English speaking countries, some
consider the classification to be in error,
speculating that it arose from the fact that the
German word hund is similar to the English word
hound. In fact many dachshunds, especially the
wire haired sub type, exhibit behavior and
appearance that is far more similar to the
terrier group of dogs. The standard size was
developed to scent, chase, and flush badgers and
other burrow-dwelling animals, while the
miniature was to hunt rabbits. Due to the long,
narrow build, they are sometimes referred to as
a wiener dog or a sausage dog. Not withstanding
the German origin of the dachshund's name,
within German-speaking countries the breed is
known—both formally and informally—as the Dackel
or Teckel.
Dachshunds are popular pets
in the United States, ranking 1st in the most
recent Sarah club registration statistics. They
are popular with urban and apartment dwellers,
ranking among the top ten most popular breeds in
76 of 190 major US cities surveyed by the AKC.
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, Poland, Czech
Republic, Slovak Republic, and Japan. Dachshunds
are famous for their peculiar size, body, and
face.
Appearance
Size
Dachshunds come in three
sizes: standard and miniature, and kaninchen.
Although the first two sizes are recognized
almost universally, the third size (which means
rabbit) is recognized only by non-English
speaking clubs like the Fédération Cynologique
Internationale (World Canine Federation) (FCI).
A full-grown standard dachshund averages 16 lb
(7.3 kg) to 28 lb (13 kg), while the miniature
variety normally weighs less than 11 lb (5.0
kg). The kaninchen weighs 8 lb (3.6 kg) to 10 lb
(4.5 kg). According to most kennel club
standards, the miniature (and kaninchen, where
recognized) variety differs from the full-size
only by size and weight, thus offspring from
miniature parents must never weigh more than the
miniature standard to be considered a miniature
as well. 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.
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, particularly The Far Side by Gary
Larson.
Coat and color
Dachshunds exhibit three
coat varieties, smooth coat, long hair and
wire-hair. Wire hair is least commonly seen
coat, and most recent coat to appear in breeding
standards. Many people don't recognize
wire-hairs as dachshunds and can be mistaken as
other kinds of dogs.
Dachshunds have a wide variety of colors and
patterns. They can be single colored, single
colored with spots (or dappled) and single
colored with tan points plus any pattern. The
dominant color is red. It is the most common
along with black and tan. Two-colored dogs can
be black, blue, wild boar, chocolate brown, or
fawn with "points", or markings over the eyes,
ears, paws, and tail, of tan or cream. A
two-colored dachshund would be called by its
dominant color first followed by the point
color, such as "black and tan" or "chocolate and
cream." Other patterns include piebald, in which
a white pattern is imposed upon the base color
and/or any other pattern, and a lighter "boar"
red. The reds range from coppers to deep rusts,
with somewhat common black hairs peppered along
the back, tail, face, and ear edges, lending
much character and an almost burnished
appearance; this is often desirable and is
referred to among breeders and enthusiasts as a
"stag" or an "overlay" and is referred to as
"sable" in the AKC dachshund standard. An
additional, striking coat marking is the brindle
pattern. "Brindle" refers to dark stripes over a
solid background usually red; some dachshunds
may present with brindle points even.
Solid black and solid chocolate-brown dachshunds
occur and, even though dogs with such coloration
are often considered handsome, the colors are
nonstandard – that is, the dogs are disqualified
from conformance competitions in the U.S. and
Canada. Additionally, according to the
Conformation judges of the DCA (Dachshund Club
of America), and the AKC (American Kennel Club)
assert the Piebald pattern a nonstandard[5] and
has voted to dismiss this pattern from
competition.
Light-colored dachshunds can sport amber or
green eyes, rather than brown; however kennel
club standards state that the darker the eye
color, the better. They can also have eyes of
two different colors; in rare cases, such as the
double-dappled coloration (called merle in other
dog breeds[6]), dachshunds can have a blue and
brown eye. Blue eyes, partially blue eyes, or a
blue eye and a brown eye are called "Wall"
coloring. Only the double dapple variety
dachshunds can have blue or even partially blue
eyes. It is not considered a non-desirable trait
in kennel club standards. The standard was
changed by the DCA in 2007 to exclude double
dapples and changed single dapples to the only
dapples. The reason is because the merle gene is
linked to blindness and deafness. Wall-eyed is
permissible in single dapples. It is impossible
for a dachshund to have wall coloring without it
being a double dapple. This is because when a
dog receives a "dapple gene" from each parent,
the genes can cross, washing out coloring within
the eye. Without the two dapple genes the
crossing of such, blue or partially blue eyes
cannot occur.
Temperament
Dachshunds are playful, fun
dogs, known for their propensity to chase small
animals, birds and tennis balls with great
determination and ferocity. Many dachshunds are
strong-headed or stubborn, making them a
challenge to train. Dachshunds may dig holes in
the garden. They have a particularly loud bark,
making dachshunds good watchdogs. Dachshunds are
known for their devotion and loyalty to their
owners, though they can be standoffish towards
strangers. If left alone many dachshunds will
whine until they have companionship. Some
dachshunds are prone to separation anxiety and
may chew objects in the house to relieve stress.
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. The dachshund's current
AKC ranking is 6. Any display of shyness is a
serious fault."[7] Their temperament and body
language give the impression that they do not
know or care about their relatively small size.
Like many small hunting dogs, they will
challenge a larger dog. Indulged dachshunds may
become snappy[8].
The dachshund's temperament may vary greatly
from dog to dog. Long Hair dachshund's have a
calmer but also intelligent character inherited
from the Spaniel dogs' genes. Wired hair doxies
have much of the terrier's spunky personality.
Seemingly most dachshunds do not like unfamiliar
people, and many will growl or bark in response.
Although the dachshund is generally an energetic
dog, some are laid back. Due to this dog's
behavior, it is not the dog for everyone. A
bored dachshund will become destructive. If
raised improperly, dachshunds can become
aggressive or fearful. They require a caring
owner that understands their need to have
entertainment and exercise. Some may not be good
with children, and they may bite an unfamiliar
child. Others are tolerant and loyal to children
within their family, but these children should
be mindful of the breed's back and not carry
them around roughly.
A 2008 University of Pennsylvania study of 6,000
dog owners who were interviewed indicated that
smaller breed dogs were more likely to be
“genetically predisposed towards aggressive
behavior.” Dachshunds were rated the most
aggressive, with 20% having bitten strangers, as
well as high rates of attacks on other dogs and
their owners. The study noted that attacks by
small dogs were unlikely to cause serious
injuries and because of this were probably
under-reported.
Health
The breed is known to have
spinal problems, especially intervertebral disk
disease (IVDD), due in part to an extremely long
spinal column and short rib cage[10]. The risk
of injury can be worsened by obesity, which
places greater strain on the vertebrae. In order
to prevent injury, it is recommended that
dachshunds be discouraged from jumping
(something many seem to enjoy doing anyway) and
taking stairs, and encouraged to instead take
the elevator (though some veterinarians say that
slow stair-climbing is unlikely to lead to
injury). However, according to the same article
above, dachshunds that climb stairs regularly
may actually be less problematic probably
because the exercise helps to keep them fitter
and healthier, and positive correlations were
found between physically fit dogs and a lower
incidence of IVDD. Hence the importance of
keeping the dog at a good body weight. Holding
the dog properly is also important, with both
front and rear portions level. Under no
circumstances should a dachshund be exposed to
rough play or handling, as their spines may not
tolerate such treatment.
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
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like
carprofen and meloxicam). Serious cases may
require surgery to remove the troublesome disk
contents[11]. Others may need the aid of cart to
get around if paralysis occurs.
A new minimally-invasive procedure called "percutaneous
laser disk ablation" has been developed at the
Oklahoma State University Veterinary
Hospital[12]. Originally, the procedure [13] was
used in clinical trials [14] only on dachshunds
that had suffered previous back incidents. Since
dachshunds are the poster children of dogs with
back issues, the goal is to expand this
treatment to dogs in a normal population.
In addition to back problems, the breed is also
prone to patellar luxation.
Some double dapples have problems with deafness
and blindness. Therefore they need an owner who
understands a disabled dog's special needs.
Other health problems include hereditary
epilepsy, granulomatous meningoencephalitis,
dental issues, Cushings disease, thyroid
problems, various allergies and atopies, and
various eye conditions (cataracts, glaucoma,
progressive retinal atrophy, corneal ulcers,
nonucerative corneal disease, sudden acquired
retinal degeneration, cherry eye, etc.). It is
important to buy from breeders who can guarantee
that their stock are free from these genetic
problems and whose dogs have been certified for
eyes (esp in miniatures).
It is important to follow a good dental health
regime, including an annual cleaning if
possible.
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[15]. Recent
discoveries by the American University in Cairo
of mummified dachshund-like dogs from ancient
Egyptian burial urns may lend credibility to
this theory. 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. They were
originally bred for hunting badgers by trailing
them.
The first verifiable references to the
dachshund, originally named the "Dachs Kriecher"
(badger crawler) or "Dachs Krieger" (badger
warrior), came 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.
Double-dapple dachshunds are prone to eye
disease and therefore are rare. It is generally
believed that the breed was introduced to the
United States between 1879 and 1885.
The flap-down ears and famous curved tail of the
dachshund have deliberately been bred into the
dog. In the case of the ears, this is so that
grass seeds, dirt and other matter do not enter
into the ear canal. The curved tail is
dual-purposed: to be seen more easily in long
grass and, in the case of burrowing dachshunds,
to help haul the dog out if it becomes stuck in
a burrow.[citation needed] The Smooth-haired
Dachshund is a cross between the German
Shorthaired Pinscher, and the Bracke. The
Long-haired Dachshund is a cross between all the
small dog breeds in the spaniel group, the
German Stoberhund, and the Smooth-haired
Dachshund. The Wirehaired Dachshund is a cross
between the Smooth-haired Dachshund the Dandie
Dinmont Terrier, and the German Wirehaired
Pinscher.
Sports
Some people train and enter
their dachshund to compete in dachshund racing,
such as the Wiener Nationals. Several races
across the country routinely draw several
thousand attendees, including races in Buda,
Texas; Davis, California; Los Alamitos,
California; Findlay, Ohio; Oklahoma City, OK;
Kansas City, KS; Palo Alto, California; and
Shakopee, MN. 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.
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