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Dachshunds

The Dachshund Is The Badger Hunter

The literal translation of the name Dachshund means "Badger Hound". More accurately, the Dachshund is a scenthound, as distinct from the other group of hounds which are sighthounds, because they locate and hunt their prey with their extremely keen sight. This breed goes back a long way, as far as the early seventeenth century, when it was bred to hunt badgers.

The Dachshund is a lively breed with a friendly personality and keen sense of smell. There are two sizes, the miniature and the standard dachsund. The standard dog was big and strong enough to take on badgers and foxes, while his miniature cousin could hunt smaller prey like rabbits.

In America, they did a similar job in hunting praire dogs. The long and low-slung body is ideal for flushing and pursuing burrowing animals underground. His paws are large, which makes him a powerful digger. 

The Miniature Dachshund stands just 9 inches tall, at the shoulder and weighs about 11 pounds. The Standard is about 13 inches tall and weighs between 20 and 30 pounds. 

The picture shows the three different types of coat: wire-haired; smooth and long-haired.

The dachshund is very popular in the United States, being ranked eight in 2010, out of all the breed registrations by the American Kennel Club

 Grooming The Dachshund.

The Dachshund is a moderate shedder.  Depending on their coat type, some may need regular grooming, while the shorter haired may only need occasional brushing. Because all types of coat shed moderately, you may feel it preferable to brush daily, to remove the loose hair and dispose of it before it gets all over your furniture and carpets.

 Exercising The Dachshund.

The Dachshund is a strongly built dog, with plenty of energy and stamina, so he needs a moderate amount of regular exercise, always on a leash, unless he is a secure, enclosed area. This dog can be aggressive, to people and other dogs, so care must be taken when out in public areas. They are statistically more aggressive to both strangers and other dogs than the rottweiler.

 Training The Dachshund.

Training a dachshund can be difficult and time consuming. Although he is quite intelligent, he can be very stubborn and independent. He is ranked joint 49th in intelligence, with "average working/obedience intelligence and understanding of new commands" but his intelligence is counter-balanced by his stubborn streak. All hounds are bred to hunt largely on their own initiative and this is reflected in their acceptance (or not) of formal training. He is also difficult to housebreak.

This is a comment by E. B. White:  
"Being the owner of dachshunds, to me a book on dog discipline becomes a volume of inspired humor. Every sentence is a riot. Some day, if I ever get a chance, I shall write a book, or warning, on the character and temperament of the dachshund and why he can't be trained and shouldn't be. I would rather train a striped zebra to balance an Indian club than induce a dachshund to heed my slightest command. When I address Fred I never have to raise either my voice or my hopes. He even disobeys me when I instruct him in something he wants to do."

This FREE email mini-course  Training Your Dachshund is full of great advice from an expert. 

 Temperament of The Dachshund.

In spite of all the comments about aggression, stubbornness, shedding and disobedience, the dachshund was the eighth most popular dog breed in the United States during 2010. This is based on all the breed registrations to the American Kennel Club during that year. That must tell us something about this devoted, loyal, affectionate and protective dog. He is an excellent, alert watchdog, with a loud bark. He is not good with younger children and he won't tolerate teasing or rough handling. He is better with older children who understand that he can snap or bite when excited.