A glance is enough to identify a representative of the Dachshund breed: its legs are short, and its body and head are elongated.

Poil : There are three varieties of coat (short, hard and long).

Size (height at the withers): 20 to 28 cm.

Weight : The International Cynological Federation accepts a maximum weight of 9 kg.

Classification FCI : N°148.

Experts trace the origins of the Dachshund back to ancient Egypt, with engravings and mummies to support it. The Dachshund as we know it today is the direct result of the crossing, by breeders in Germany, of German, French and English terrier dogs. Dachshund Literally means in German “badger dog”, because the breed was developed for hunting small game: rabbit, fox and … badger. Some believe that it was developed as early as the Middle Ages, but this seems unlikely. The German Dachshund Club was founded in 1888. (1)

This breed is popular with families who want to grow up with a cheerful and playful animal, but also lively, curious and intelligent. From his past as a hunting dog, he has retained qualities such as perseverance (he is stubborn, his detractors will say) and his flair is highly developed. It is quite possible to train a Dachshund to perform certain tasks, but if these do not serve his interests … the chances of success are slim.

This breed enjoys a relatively long life expectancy of a dozen years. A British study conducted by The Kennel Club found a median mortality age of 12,8 years, meaning that half of the dogs included in this survey lived beyond that age. The Dachshunds surveyed died of old age (22%), cancer (17%), heart disease (14%) or neurological (11%). (1)

Back problems

The very long size of their spine favors the mechanical degeneration of the intervertebral discs. The switch from hunting dog to companion dog would have caused a reduction in the dorsolumbar muscles, favoring the appearance of these disorders. The herniated disc can be acute or chronic, cause only transient pain or cause paralysis of the hindquarters (if the herniation occurs at the bottom of the spine) or all four limbs (if it occurs in its upper part). The prevalence of this pathology is high in the Dachshund: a quarter is affected (25%). (2)

A CT scan or MRI will confirm the diagnosis. Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs may be enough to calm the pain and stop the development of the disease. But when paralysis develops, only the use of surgery can have a positive effect on the health of the animal.

Other congenital pathologies common to most breeds of dogs are likely to affect the Dachshund: epilepsy, eye abnormalities (cataracts, glaucoma, retinal atrophy, etc.), heart defects, etc.

An overweight Dachshund has an increased risk of developing back problems. It is therefore necessary to control your diet so as not to generate obesity. For the same reason, it is important to prevent the dog from jumping or performing any exercise that may cause inadequate back strain. You should know that the Dachshund is known to bark a lot. This can present disadvantages for apartment living. Also, it is not easy to teach a Dachshund not to “turn everything over” if it has been left to itself for a long time …