Dachshund

Description:

Dachshunds come in two sizes, standard and miniature, and three types of coats: smooth-haired, longhaired and wirehaired. The breed is easily distinguished by its low, long muscular body and disproportionately stubby legs-perfect for moving about in the tunnel or den of a badger. Despite their lapdog status, this breed has stamina and agility and displays great.

The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. The breed's name is German and literally means "badger dog". Due to the long, narrow build, they are sometimes referred to as a wiener dog or a sausage dog.

Dachshunds may look cute and cuddly, but they are tirelessly energetic, clever and curious—some might even say “intense.” Always up for a walk or a game in the park, they can easily get bored when left to their own devices for too long. Sometimes, that can involve chewing things.

Things you should know

Dachshunds are proud and bold. With proper attention, positive reinforcement and training, they will surprise you with a lovable and dependable temperament. They thrive with single people or families with older children. Very young children could lack the necessary patience and maturity required with Dachshunds.

Miniature dachshunds are prone to back problems, due to their relatively long spine and short rib cage. If allowed to jump down from a bed or couch, they can easily slip a disk. For this reason, it is also important to hold them properly, supporting their full frame.
Also, be sure to ration their food appropriately: Dachshunds can gain weight quickly, causing more back problems and other issues.

A healthy Miniature Dachshund can live as long as 16 years, providing years of fun and companionship.

Average Size:

Standard Dachshunds are 8 inches and weigh 16-32 pounds. Miniature Dachshunds are 6 inches and usually weigh under 11 pounds.

Temperament:

Dachshund's are lively little dogs with an independent nature and playful spirit. They tend to bond deeply with one person, and although they love to play, they often do so by their own sets of rules. This breed is highly intelligent, but their independent nature can make them a bit mischievous and difficult to train. Still, they are loyal and affectionate and make wonderful companions. Many dachshunds do not like unfamiliar people, and many will growl or bark at them. Although the dachshund is generally an energetic dog, some are sedate. This dog's behavior is such that it is not the dog for everyone. The dachshund's temperament may vary greatly from dog to dog. Long-haired dachshunds have a calmer, intelligent character inherited from the spaniel. Wire-hair doxies have much of the terrier's spunky personality.

















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. The risk of injury may be worsened by obesity, jumping, rough handling, or intense exercise, which place greater strain on the vertebrae.

Grooming:

The longhaired and wirehaired coat varieties require more grooming. In general, Dachshunds are medium shedders, have very little dog odor and need less bathing than most other small breeds. This breed requires standard care for eyes, ears, pads and nails.


Coat:

Dachshunds exhibit three coat varieties: smooth coat, long hair, and wire-hair. Wire hair is the least commonly seen coat and the most recent coat to appear in breeding standards. Many people are unfamiliar with wire-hairs and commonly mistake them for other breeds.

Dachshunds have a wide variety of colors and patterns. They can be single-colored, single colored with spots ("dappled"—called "merle" in other dog breeds), and single-colored with tan points plus any pattern. Dachshunds also come in Piebald. The piebald has a white background with various shades of brown. The dominant color is red, the most common along with black and tan. Two-colored dogs can be black, blue, wild boar, chocolate, or fawn ("Isabella") with tan "points", or markings over the eyes, ears, paws, and tail, of tan or cream.