Dachshund

Other Names: Dachie, Sausage Dog
Dog Group Kennel Club: Hound (AKC, KC)

Appearance
The Dachshund is well known a long body, broad chest and short legs. They have a long muzzle, almond shaped dark eyes and high set long ears. They comes in 2 sizes: Standard sized Dachshund stand at 9 – 10 inches at the shoulder. Miniature sized Dachshunds stand at 4 to 5 inches in height.
Both sizes come in 3 different coat lengths: smooth coated, longhaired, and the wirehaired dachshund. Coat colours include any colour except white. The dachshund is therefore recognised as 6 separate breed standards: smooth coated standard, miniature; long haired standard, miniature; wire haired standard, miniature.

Smooth Haired	Long Haired	Wire Haired

Temperament
All Dachshunds are lively, affectionate, proud, bold, willful and clownish. The long-haired variety is said to be calmer and more docile than the other two types. Dachshunds would be best suited with a family with older children. They are very loyal and become quickly attached to their owners making them loving family pets. They surprisingly for their size make good watch dogs. These little dogs do like to bark and are also compulsive diggers. If socialised well with other animals from an early age they will get along with other animals, otherwise they can become quite jealous.

Training
All types are difficult to train as they a stubborn. Owners need to be patient and consistent when training. Early socialisation around strangers and other animals is highlt recommended.

Grooming
Grooming needs are different for each coat type. The smooth haired requires the least maintanence, with a weekly brush to remove dead hairs. The long haired shold be brushed more regularly to keep the coat tangle free. The wired haired should be striped and may need professional trimming. All types should have their teeth cleaned and nails clipped regularly.

Exercise
They need daily walks to keep healthy and happy.

Dachshund Health Issues

They should not be over fed, for this breed tends to gain weight quickly.

Spinal problems are common in this breed due to their long bodies. Care should be taken to ensure the dachshund does not jump from cars, furniture, arms etc. Just a few of the symptoms of back problems can include: Lack of appetite, stomach distress, hesitation or inability to do something they physically could do before, withdrawal from activity, unexplained squeaks or cries, weakness.

Degenerative Disc Disease
Disc disease problems develope when a portion or all of the disc is displaced from its normal position and protrudes into the spinal canal. The protrusion into the spinal canal can cause inflammation and/or compression of the spinal cord. Protrusion of a degenerating disc can occur slowly over a long period of time, or protrusion can be rapid. The protrusion can be a result of trauma or have no apparent cause.

Teeth and gum problems. Owners must keep their dog's teeth clean, as dental problems can cause many other health problems, including: Kidney failure, heart problems, eye and sinus infections. Good dental care also helps reduce unpleasant dog breath. Yearly dental cleaning by a vet and regular brushing is recommended.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): is a family of diseases all involving the gradual deterioration of the retina. It is diagnosed by a retinoscopic exam or by means of an electroretinogram (ERG). Early in the disease, affected dogs become nightblind and lack the ability to see in dim light; later on daytime vision also fails. As their vision deteriorates, affected dogs adapt to their handicap very well, as long as their environment remains constant. Certain breeds are affected early in life, whereas in other breeds, PRA develops much later in onset.

Hypoglycaemia: the medical term for low blood sugar is a condition associated with a sudden drop in the level of blood sugar. This commonly affects the small toy breeds as puppies, and usually not seen in puppies over twelve weeks of age. It is most likely caused by the uneven spurts in growth of the internal organs of the puppy, especially the pancreas which is associated with insulin production. Symptoms that a dogs sugar level has dropped too low include: weakness, confusion, drooling, pale gums, seizures. These attacks can be fatal. Prevention from these attacks are monitored through diet. Always ask your local vet for advice!!

Dachshund History

The name Dachshund comes from a generic word for the use of the breed. As we call dogs today "bird" dogs or "rabbit" dogs, so this breed was called a badger dog: dachs- (badger) hund (dog). They had the tracking ability of the hound and the temperament of the terrier and were used to follow the badger to earth. It is the name of the breed that led to its being considered a hound in English speaking countries. The Dachshund would be more properly classified as a terrier.

The first images resembling Dachshunds were found on the tombs of pharaohs dating back almost 5,000 years. This dog was known as the Teckel. The Germans perfected the Dachshund breed between the 15th and 17th centuries. The French Bracke and German Pinscher were most likely used to build a dog strong enough to handle a badger and to go to ground. Selective breeding of longer-haired, smooth coats was responsible for the long-haired variety we know today, not cross-breeding. The wirehaired variety, a more recent development, was most likely the result of out-crossing to the rough coated Pinscher and later to the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. The smooth and long-haired Dachshund was recognized as a breed in the early 17th century. The Wirehaired Dachshund has been registered as the third variety since 1890. It is not acceptable to cross-breed the coat varieties. In each of the three coat varieties there are two sizes accepted, standard and miniature.

Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria, most likely brought over the first Dachshunds to England in 1845. The first show quality Dachshunds were not imported until the 1870s. There were four entered at the Crystal Palace show in 1875 by King Edward the VII, and one who was bred by Queen Victoria. In 1881, the Dachshund club of England was formed, and seven years later in 1888, the German Dachshund club (Deutscher Teckelklub) was formed. The Dachshund first appeared in the AKC studbook in 1879 and has been exhibited in the United States since 1880. The breed has gone from a total registry of 11 dogs between 1879 and 1885, to one consistently in the top 10 of breed popularity.