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Dachshund
Description It wasn’t until the 16th century when reference was made to a "low crooked-legged" dog called a little burrow dog that they originated. Nowadays it goes by the name dachshund simply meaning badger (dachs) dog (hund) in German. These tenacious hunters which come in three coat varieties and two sizes, with the original dachshund being smooth-coated and arose from crosses of the bracke, a miniature French pointer, with the pinscher, a vermin killer of terrier type. It was around 1910 where each coat type was crossed with different breeds to achieve the best results: Smooths were bred with the miniature pinscher, longs with the papillon and wires with the miniature schnauzer. Since then the dachshund has found its real niche as a family pet, steadily rising in popularity to hold a place as one of the most popular hounds.
Temperament These dogs are very outgoing and possess loads of personality. It is recommended that they should be watched around small children as they can be easily hurt and may retaliate in fear; however they do make excellent watchdogs and will not hesitate to defend themselves if feeling threatened.
Appearance Standard: Height: 34-45cm (14-18in) Weight: 5-8kg (11-17lb) Miniature: Height: 25-35cm (10-14in) Weight: 4-6kg (8-11lb) Toy: Height: 20-30cm (8-12in) Weight: 3-4kg (6-8lb) Group: Hound There are three varieties, the short-haired, the wired-haired, and the long-haired and also three sizes the Standard, Miniature and Toy. This muscular, elongated and vigorous dog has quite short legs which allow it to carry itself intelligently and proudly. The short-haired coat of these dogs should be shiny, sleek and uniform. The solid colored variety may be tan or yellow. The bi-color variety may be deep black, brown, or gray with areas of bright chestnut. There are also piebald, speckle-streaked, or harlequin varieties.
Grooming The smooth and wire-haired coat variety require only minimal grooming and a wash as required, however the long-haired variety need to be brushed thoroughly twice a week to remove knots, burrs and grass seeds, paying particular attention to under the ears and between the pads of the feet. This breed is an average shedder and the long-haired dogs require daily combing and brushings; wire-haired need professional trimming twice a year, and smooth-haired only require a regular rubdown with a damp cloth.
Health Concerns As they have extremely short legs caused by a dominant gene they can suffer from a condition known as chondrodysplasia; this is where the cartilage of the growth plates grows at a slow rate and can weaken the backbone. This means the long spine might be vulnerable to back problems especially if the dog is allowed to become obese, frequently use stairs or is continually allowed to jump down from chairs or lounges.
Suitability Because of its small, neat size they make an ideal housedog and frequently is the chosen companion and reliable watchdog of elderly people, however they are not recommended for children. Yard size is unimportant but for dogs which otherwise live indoors permanently a daily walk for 30 minutes would be ideal.
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