History of The
Wonderful Dachshunds!
The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound
family. The breed's name is German and literally means “badger dog,”
from (der) Dachs “badger” and (der) Hund “dog.” (In German the
dachshund is known most commonly as the Dackel or Teckel (in Dutch).)
The breed was developed to scent, chase, and hunt badgers and other
hole-dwelling animals.
Appearance
Modern dachshunds are characterized by their crooked legs, loose
skin, and barrel-like chest, attributes that were deliberately added
to the breed to increase their ability to burrow into tight spaces.
Another characteristic is a long tail, which, when hunting, is often
used by the owner as a handle to aid in extracting the dachshund from
the burrow hole after capturing its prey. Dachshunds come in three
coat varieties – smooth or short-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired.
The wire-haired variety is generally shorter in spine length than the
other two.
According to kennel-club standards, the miniature variety differs
from the full-size only by size and weight, however, offspring from
miniature parents must never weigh more than the miniature standard to
be considered a miniature as well.
Size
A full grown dachshund averages 16 to 28 pounds.(7 to 12.7 kg),
while the Miniature variety typically weighs less than 11 lb. (5 kg).
As early as the 1990s, owners’ use of a third weight class became
common, the “tweenie,” which included those dachshunds that fell in
between full and miniature, ranging from 10 to 15 lb. (4.5 to 6.75
kg).
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.
Coloration:
Dachshunds have a wide range of coloration. Dominant colors and
patterns are red and black-and-tan. Also occurring are cream, blue,
wild boar, chocolate brown, fawn, and a lighter “boar” red. The reds
range from coppers to deep rusts, with somewhat common coarse 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.”
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.
Light-colored dachshunds usually sport light grey, light hazel,
green or blue eyes, rather than the various shades of brown. They can
also have eyes of two different colors; in rare cases, such as the
double-dappled coloration, dachshunds can have a blue and brown eye.
Color aside, this eye condition has led to the double-dapple coat
being disfavored among breeders and owners.
Temperament
Dachshunds are playful, fun dogs, known for their propensity to
chase small animals and birds with great determination and ferocity.
Many dachshunds are strong-headed or stubborn, making them a challenge
to train. Often, dachshunds are a breed extremely loyal to their
owners, a characteristic that is less pronounced in the wire-haired
variety.
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. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.
”
Their temperament and body language give the impression that they do
not know or care about their relatively small and comical stature.
Indulged dachshunds may become snappy.
The dachshund is known for its deep and soulful eyes and complex
and telling facial expressions, the eyes having an allure that is
commonly mentioned in writings about the breed. Coat type is often
associated with characteristic temperaments; the long-haired variety,
for instance, is considered to be less excitable than the other types,
having been cross-bred with the even-tempered
spaniel
in order to obtain its characteristic long coat. Because of the
breed's characteristic barrel-like chest, the dachshund's lungs are
unusually large, making for a sonorous and richly timbred bark that
belies the dog's true size.
Let us know when your ready for a gorgeous, precious, champion puppy!
Email: peanutdee@earthlink.net
Phone: 352-843-4499.
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