Dachshund
Other names: Dackel, Teckel, Weenie, Sausage Dog
The Dachshund is a small hunting dog with atypical morphology. With short legs and an elongated body, he resembles a sausage. He is determined, intelligent, courageous, lively and very jovial. He adapts to many ways of life and needs to be treated to the height of his expectations, especially if he does not hunt with his master. He is a well-tempered dog who, if well-educated and socialised, is a delight to have around. They come in two sizes: Standard and Miniature, and in three different coat types: Smooth, Long, and Wire-haired.
Key facts about the Dachshund
Origins and history
At the origin of this breed and other similar breeds, selection was made according to hunting ability. It is likely that the usefulness of the Dachshund in the hunt was discovered at the same time in different parts of the world. The Dachshund is considered to be a recent breed dating from the 18th-19th century: His ancestor is the German Basset, his close cousin, in addition to the Pinscher, who also made it possible to specify the size of the dog that we know today. His more recent history begins in Germany and more precisely in Bavaria, where the first Dachshund farms were created. In England too, the Dachshund is bred with a lot of passion, either as a hunting dog or as a pet dog, (but with a different ‘standard’). In addition, the two varieties (Standard and Miniature) are distinguished by their size differences. The Miniature version is newer. Concerning the sub-varieties of coat: the Smooth-haired is the oldest, followed by the Long-haired created in the 16th century when it was crossed with Cocker Spaniels. Finally, the Wire-haired version, created at the end of the 19th century, was the fruit of crosses between the Smooth-haired and the Schnauzer, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier and probably the Scottish Terrier.
FCI breed nomenclature
FCI Group
Group 4 - Dachshunds
Physical characteristics of the Dachshund
Adult size
Female : Between 7 and 10 in
Male : Between 7 and 10 in
Miniature: 5-6 inches
Standard: 8-9 inches
Weight
Female : Between 7 and 20 lb
Male : Between 7 and 20 lb
Miniature: 10-11 lbs
Standard: 16-32 lbs
Coat colour
Smooth-haired Dachshunds can be unicolour (red, yellow-red, yellow, with or without black spots), two-coloured (dark black or brown with red marks), or Harlequin (stripes or brindle).
Wire-haired Dachshunds mostly have a wild boar-coloured coat, a more or less "dead leaf" colour depending on brightness.
Long-haired Dachshunds are very often unicolour (from red to yellow) but they can also be two-coloured (shades of black, brown, and flame-orange) or Harlequin (dark coat with grey or beige marks).
Type of coat
There are several varieties of hair: Smooth, long and wire.
- Long-haired Dachshund: The hair is smooth, shiny and lying all over the body. The hair is longer at the chest level.
- Short or smooth-haired Dachshund: The hair is short, bushy, shiny and smooth. The undercoat is hard and tight.
- Wirehaired Dachshund: The outer coat’s hair mixes with the undercoat and it is seen on the whole body of the dog. It is bushy and wiry to touch.
Eye colour
Depending on the colour of the coat, the eyes can range from dark-brown to black-brown. In Harlequin subjects, odd-eyes are tolerated without being sought after.
Description
A dog with an elongated body, short legs, compact, vigorous and of good musculature. The head is graceful, with a rather flat skull and a buoyant posture. There are two sizes: Standard and Miniature, which are in turn divided into sub-varieties of coat (long, smooth and wire).
Good to know
Did you know the Dachshund was the first mascot of the Olympics? Indeed, during the Games in Munich in 1972, the organisers chose this athletic and courageous dog to be the face of the games.
Another unusual fact: The term "hot dog" may have been inspired by this sausage-shaped dog. Nothing is proven but many historians agree that in earlier times the hot dog was known as the Dachshund sausage.
Finally, this dog was the first pet cloned in England. Winnie, a 12-year-old dog, has been cloned by experts from South Korea and has shared her last few years alongside Mini-Winnie.