Dachshunds originated in Germany and are known to have existed as far back as the 16th century. Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, wild boar and other types of small animals. In German, Dachs means badger and Hund means dog, showing the emphasis the breeding pattern had on the hunting of the badger.

Dachshunds have a fearless kind of attitude about them handed down from their ancestry of hunting. The original breed was quite large compared to the CKC/AKC standards of today, averaging 30 to 40 pounds. Eventually this size was branched off into smaller categories for individual hunting of smaller prey such as a fox or rabbit.

Dachshunds are unique in that they were used to actually hunt their prey under ground, following it into its hole - killing and retrieving it for their reward.

Today you will find two sizes of Dachshunds, the miniature and the standard. According to the Canadian Kennel Club and American Kennel Club "miniatures are not a separate classification but compete in a class division for "11 pounds and under at 12 months of age and older." Weight of the standard size is usually between 16 and 32 pounds."

There are three varieties to the coat that a Dachshund is bred with:

• Smooth
• Wire-haired
• Long-haired

The Dachshund is known for its huge variance in patterns and colours of coat - an explanation of which could be a lengthy discussion on its own. The two most common colours - popularized by modern day TV and books are the red(most popular) and the black and tan.

Dachshunds have enjoyed immense popularity over the years resulting in both the good and bad that comes with this. The only time that Dachshunds have fell into a lack of popularity was during World War I, when the Dachshund was used as a symbol of the Germans in Allied propaganda material.

Overall the Dachshund is a clever courageous dog that has added to humanities existence in uncountable ways. They have a unique personality that leans towards fierce loyalty and fearless friendliness, often leaving dogs of larger stature taken aback.