General Appearance of Dachshund

The Dachshund is a very energetic dog breed that has short muscular legs, long body and a relatively short tail. It has large paws that are paddle-shaped and its chest is deep as compared to the chest of other dogs, giving it the ability to have good circulatory system. Its skin is elastic and a bit loose and it has a long snout that is highly sensitive to smell.

Origin

Dachshund was developed in Germany where it was normally bred by sportsmen, gamekeepers and foresters to hunt small animals such as rabbits and the badger between 1550 and 1850. It was first exported to the United States in the late 1870s and its population has been growing faster ever since.

Size

There are two distinct sizes of Dachshund: miniature and standard. A mature standard Dachshund weighs averagely between 16 to 32 pounds and has a height of between 8 to 11 inches. A mature miniature's height measures between 5 to 7 inches and has an average weight of 11 pounds. Both miniature and standard Dachscunds mature at the age of 12 months.

Even though Dachshund is aggressive, the dog is very social in that it likes companionship and dislikes boredom. In any case it is left alone, it can always manage to find ways of making itself busy like chewing objects and digging around the house.

Health-Related Problems

Duse to its short nature, Dachshund is vulnerable to various health risks. It can easily be attacked by diabetes, heart diseases, problems of the spinal disc and problems of the urinary tract. It also has a bad habit of eating too much and being lazy which often makes it to be overweight. Its life expectancy ranges between 12 to 15 years if well-taken care of.

There exist three different varieties of Dachshund: the long-haired, the wired-haired and the short-haired.

i) The Long-Haired Dachshund

Its long hair gives it an elegant appearance as the hair is wavy, glistening and sleek. Hair is relatively longer in areas such as the underside part of its body, below the neck, around the ears, behind its legs and around its tail.

ii) The wire-haired Dachshund

The hair on its whole body is short, hard, rough, and tight. Under the lower jaw, it has an extension of long silky hair that looks like a beard. The hairs on its eyebrows and around the ears are also elongated and shiny. The underside part of its body has somewhat finer and soft short hairs that are evenly distributed.

iii) Short-Haired Dachshund

It has a smooth and shiny skin that is characterized by short hairs. It has a hairless tail whereas the underside part of its body is a bit hairy as compared to other parts. It can be found in different colors of cream, red and black.

The Dachshund breed is a very lively, brave, clever and curious dog. It is also very playful and stubborn. It has a common behavior of chasing around birds and other small animals with great fierceness and willpower. It is often aggressive towards other dogs and strangers. It has also been noted that it does not like little children. Its stubborn nature makes it difficult to train and very possessive.It has a short temper and barks loudly. Dachshund training is a must if you want to spend more enjoyable time with this stubborn breed.