Dachshund

The Dachshund has a lively, upbeat personality--spunky, curious, and friendly. These traits remain from the Dachshund's original job: "Dachshund" means "badger dog" in German, and he was created to hunt down badgers.

Badger dogs of some type have existed since the 1400s. The Dachshund as a specific breed has been around since the early 1600s. He is a digger so that he could dig his way into the badger's underground den. He is low and long so that he could fit inside the den to go after the badger. He is an eager hunter. He also loves to play and clown around. He is happy in the city or country, as long as he gets his daily exercise. Because of his long back, he shouldn't be allowed to jump from heights, including furniture.

Excerpts from the Standard

General Appearance: Low to the ground, long in body and short of leg, well balanced, bold and confident with intelligent, alert expression.

Size, Proportion, and Substance: Miniature--11 pounds and under at 12 months of age and older. Standard--approximately 16 to 32 pounds.

Fun Facts

Dachshunds can have one of three kinds (varieties) of coat: smooth, wirehaired, or longhaired. Dachshund puppies should come from litters that have only one type of coat: The different varieties are not bred to each other because they may produce puppies with shiny, mixed-up coats. There are regular-sized and miniature dogs of each coat type.

Smooth: short, sleek, and shiny two-colored--black, chocolate, wild boar, gray and fawn, with tan markings; dapple and brindle. Tail tapers to a point.

Wirehaired: short coat with soft, shorter undercoat and wiry beard and eyebrows, in any of the above colors.

Excerpted from The Complete Dog Book For Kids © 1996, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.