Dachshund Dog Breed Information Facts Dachshunds Dogs Puppies

Learn The Facts About Dachshunds

The Dachshund Dog Breed

Best known by cute terms, such as wiener dog or hot dog, the Dachshund is one of the most popular and most easily recognizable dogs in the world. With their attentive and expressive features, short legs and elongated bodies, they have endeared themselves to families throughout the world, both as a working dog and a beloved pet.

Available in two different sizes, three different coat styles and a veritable artist's palette of colors, it would seem that there is a Dachshund puppy out there for everyone!

Dachshund History

The Dachshund was first developed as a small working dog, originating in Germany during the 1500's. Created due to a need for a good badger-hunter, the Dachshund dog was bred for his short stature, elongated body and fearless temperament. Capable of chasing ferocious badgers deep underground and maneuvering in the tight confines, this unique little badger dog was renowned for his ability to fight to the death and, in fact, the standard varieties were even used to hunt the occasional wild boar.

Dachshund puppies enjoyed a brief surge of popularity in the United States during the 1900's. While ferocious fighters, Dachshund puppies were a delight with their antics, and it was quickly discovered that these little wiener dogs made excellent pets (and conversation starters as well!). This short-lived run of popularity would sadly be cut short during World War I, when these beautiful little German bred dogs were shunned because of their country's origins. Fortunately, a few dedicated breeders were able to travel to Germany after the war, obtaining a good foundation stock to begin breeding once more and, with time, reintroducing this magnificent breed of dog to the United States.

Dachshund Appearance

It's the Dachshund dog's appearance that sets him apart from all the rest - no other dog is quite like the Dachshund and there is no resisting the adorable face on a Dachshund puppy. Sleek, bright and inquisitive, these magnificent little German dogs possess shining dark eyes that speak of their keen intelligence. Their short stature and elongated body is perfect for maneuvering down into badger and fox holes and they have a good solid build with a great deal of power for their small frame.

Dachshund Size and Color Variations

Dachshund puppies come in 2 different sizes (Standards weighing 16-32 lbs. and Miniatures weighing 11 pounds and under), 3 different coat varieties (the smooth-coated Dachshund, wirehaired Dachshund and the long-coated Dachshund dog), and a plethora of colors. This means that, no matter what your preference, there is a Dachshund dog that's perfect for you!

Dachshund Temperament

Dachshund dogs are well known for their courage and tenacity. Ferocious burrow dogs, bred specifically for their ability to chase a badger down its hole and fight within those close confines, they are a willful and determined dog that can often be seen as quite stubborn.

While Dachshund puppies can be a handful to train at times, they do love to please and respond well to positive reinforcement. They love praise and are quick to learn that when they do good things, they get lots of attention and treats. Dachshunds can become notoriously portly, as well, because of their love of yummies, so treats should be monitored closely.

Dachshunds are wonderful family dogs and usually quite well-behaved with babies and small children. Cats and small animals can be problematic, due to the dog's natural hunting instinct, but when raised around other animals and with proper training, they get along fairly well with everyone.

Dachshund Exercise Needs

While the Dachshund does require some exercise, he is a fairly moderate and well-balanced canine, all things considered. Despite his breeding, they are not as high-energy and high-maintenance as many terrier type dogs, but neither is he the pampered lap dog either (though few are adverse to limited lap time, provided they get their ears scratched. More often than not, a good rousing game of fetch and a walk around the block is all he'll need to keep your Dachshund puppy healthy, happy and trim.

Please note - Due to the Dachshund's unique build, care should be taken to avoid your Dachshund from jumping up or down off high objects, such as the bed or furniture. Doing so can result in serious spinal injuries - If you have a Dachshund puppy, either teach him to stay on the floor or do him the kindness of building him stairs up and down from high places. He'll thank you for it!

Dachshund Grooming Requirements

Whether you have a smooth-coated Dachshund, a wirehaired Dachshund or a long-coated Dachshund, your delightful little wiener dog will require a weekly brushing at the very least. This not only helps to remove dead hairs and distribute the body's natural oils along your pet's fur, but it also gives you quality one-on-one time handling your dog and will help to recognize potential problems or illnesses before they escalate.

Training Your Dachshund

Training your Dachshund can be a bit of a challenge but patience and persistence pays off. Due to their independent natures and determination, housebreaking and other lessons may take longer to learn than with some other breeds. By using a mixture of positive reinforcement and lots of praise, however, your Dachshund puppy will soon associate the behavior you desire with good results and will be eager to please. Bring a good helping of patience to your training sessions and a lot of love, and you'll soon find your little wiener dog ready to learn all sorts of new tricks!

Dachshund Health Issues

Dachshund dogs can be prone to a number of hereditary health problems. That is why choosing a responsible breeder from which to purchase your Dachshund puppy is very important. Responsible Dachshund breeders will be well educated about the breed and carefully screen their breeding dogs for disorders that can affect these dogs.

Health concerns in the Dachshund dog breed include, but are not limited to:

Intervertebral Disk Disease and other spinal-related injuries
Tooth and gum disease
Obesity

Again, a responsible Dachshund breeder will be well educated about these problems that can occur in the Dachshund breed.

For further reading, here is a very informative web site dedicated to education about health concerns in the Dachshund dog breed:

http://www.dachsie.org/health.html

Is the Dachshund The Right Breed For You?

The Dachshund breed is a wonderful family dog and a devoted companion for the right family. Commonly playful and affectionate, they enjoy being close to humans and yet have the independence to occupy themselves for short periods of time. Care should be taken to not make a big fuss about going for car rides or leaving your Dachshund at home, as some individuals can be prone to Canine Separation Anxiety and prove disruptive when left to their own devices - for this reason, as well as to keep your Dachshund puppies safe, it's highly recommended that you crate train your new pet.

Dachshund dogs do well with children and, provided they are properly socialized, interact well with other dogs and larger pets. Care should be taken with your Dachshund around smaller pets, particularly rodents, as they do possess a natural hunting instinct and could harm other pets. Most Dachshund fans will tell you, however, that the supervision and patience that this breed requires is a fair enough trade-off, considering the endless amount of love and affection you'll receive in return.

Finding Dachshund Puppies For Sale By Reputable Breeders

If you are ready to add an adorable Dachshund puppy to your family, check out Dogs and Puppies Central's directory of Dachshund Puppies For Sale, where you will find photos and information posted by reputable Dachshund dog breeders. We actively screen Dachshund breeders who wish to advertise on our service by asking that they meet and follow our Guidelines For Responsible Dog Breeders. We also ask - and check - three references from each breeder.

By performing an initial dog breeder screening, it is our hope that we can help put you in touch with a caring, responsible Dachshund breeder near you. We cannot physically inspect the premises and dogs owned by breeders advertising with us, so you need to be responsible for doing the final inspection and interview.

Let's stop the cruelty of puppy mills. Please help us keep money out of the hands of puppy mills, back yard breeders and pet stores. Buy your Dachshund puppy only from a responsible, caring hobby breeder that raises their dogs and puppies in a loving home environment.

When you locate that perfect Dachshund puppy - please be sure to send us some photos to be included in our growing gallery of Dachshund dog and puppy pictures!

by Shawna L. Krautheim & Debbie Moore
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