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". Due to the long, narrow build, they are sometimes referred to as a wiener dog or a sausage dog. Not withstanding the German origin of the Dachshund's name, within German-speaking countries, the breed is known–both formally and informally–as the Dackel or Teckel. While classified as a hound in English-speaking countries, some consider the classification to be in error, speculating that it arose from the fact that the German word Hund is similar to the English word hound. In fact, many Dachshunds, especially the wire-haired sub type, exhibit behavior and appearance that are far more similar to that of the terrier group of dogs. The standard size was developed to scent, chase, and flush badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature was developed to hunt rabbits.

History

Some have theorized that the early roots of the Dachshund go back to ancient Egypt, where engravings were made featuring short-legged hunting dogs. Recent discoveries by the American University in Cairo of mummified Dachshund-like dogs from ancient Egyptian burial urns may lend credibility to this theory. But in its modern incarnation, the Dachshund is a creation of German breeders and includes elements of German, French, and English hounds and terriers. Dachshunds have been kept by royal courts all over Europe, including that of Queen Victoria, who was particularly enamored of the breed. They were originally bred for hunting badgers by trailing them. The first verifiable references to the Dachshund, originally named the "Dachs Kriecher" ("badger crawler") or "Dachs Krieger" ("badger warrior"), came from books written in the early 1700s. Prior to that, there exist references to "badger dogs" and "hole dogs", but these likely refer to purposes rather than to specific breeds. The original German Dachshunds were larger than the modern full-size variety, weighing between 30 and 40 lb, and originally came in straight-legged and crook-legged varieties (the modern Dachshund is descended from the latter). Though the breed is famous for its use in exterminating badgers and badger-baiting, Dachshunds were also commonly used for rabbit and fox hunting, for locating wounded deer, and in packs were known to hunt game as large as wild boar and as fierce as the wolverine. The Dachshund was officially accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1885.

Appearance and Size

Dachshunds have long bodies, short legs and deep chests. They are strong in front, a characteristic that enables them to work well below ground. The wrists (also called carpus) are slightly closer together than the shoulder joints when viewed from the front. This feature gives the Dachshund the appearance of having "crooked" legs. Alternatively, the hindlegs appear straight when viewed from behind. Due to efforts by US breeders, the crookedness of the legs has been lessened in comparison to Dachshunds bred in other countries. The Dachshund's coat can be smooth (shorthaired), wirehaired, or longhaired. The Dachshund can be one-colored (red or cream), two-colored (black, chocolate, wild boar, gray or blue and fawn or Isabella with tan markings). In addition to color, Dachshunds also come in a variety of patterns. Dapple (light areas and a darker base color), brindle and piebald are some common color patterns. Dachshunds are bred in the United States as either miniature or standard. The miniature is 11 pounds or less. From the ground to top of the shoulder, the dog stands about 5 inches. The standard Dachshund ranges from about 16 to 32 pounds with a height at the shoulder of 7 to 10 inches.

Personality

Dachshunds are outgoing and strong-willed even considered stubborn by some owners and are very alert.

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Dachshund" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.