Contents
History of origin
Hunting is the oldest occupation of man, but it was difficult for him to cope with a cunning and much more adapted to survival in the wild beast without helpers. And then the dog came to the rescue. Greyhounds were needed to drive a swift-footed hare, spaniels and retrievers were needed to bring a duck shot in the swamp, and dachshunds were needed to hunt animals that could hide in deep holes.
These charming short-legged dogs are the most ancient burrowing breed and one of the most ancient hunting breeds. If you look closely at the ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs with hunting scenes, you can see images of dogs with an elongated body and short legs. Although these ancient dachshunds were still taller than the current ones, and with erect ears, so they resembled, rather, modern corgis. Of course, now it is impossible to say with certainty whether their blood flows in the veins of the dachshunds we all know or not, but nevertheless it was the first attempt to breed a dog capable of chasing an animal in a hole.
But meticulous Germans took up the breeding of a universal burrowing dog seriously from the beginning of the 1814th century. Around the same time, the ancestors of dachshunds appeared in Our Country. At that time, the concept of a “badger dog” already existed (the Germans called them more beautifully – “badger warrior”), but this animal was not yet a separate breed. “Badger Warriors” looked rather ugly: a humpbacked back, twisted paws with protruding elbows, a large head. However, they did their job. Then, from the hounds (as a rule, marriages), the shortest-legged ones were selected, genetically fixing this trait. And the dachshund acquired its modern look by XNUMX.
Although, of course, the selection did not end there. Later, a short-haired dachshund was crossed with a spaniel, receiving a long-haired variety, and with a terrier – this is how the wire-haired subspecies was bred. Also, breeders experimented a lot with colors.
Breed description
Dachshund is a strong short dog, whose characteristic feature is an elongated body, set on strong short legs. The muzzle is long, dry, the eyes are large, expressive, the ears are long hanging, with round ends. A deep chest with a raised head protrudes forward, the tail is set low. The front legs are slightly curved for stability and are shorter and thicker than the hind legs. The back is straight, and the withers and croup should be approximately at the same level.
If we talk about sizes, then three types are the norm for dachshunds: standard (about 10 kg), dwarf (4 – 5 kg) and rabbit (from 3 kg and less). But the height at the withers for the dachshund is not critical (usually about 20 cm), therefore, more often the standards are indicated by chest coverage (about 35 cm for the standard, 30 cm for the dwarf and less than 30 cm for the rabbit).
The coat is short and close to the body in the shorthair, to silky and slightly wavy in the longhair. The rough-haired guard hair is coarse with a dense undercoat that requires grooming.
The most common colors are black and tan, brown and tan, red and chocolate brown, rarely marbled and even more rarely brindle. For wire-haired dachshunds, a boar color is also characteristic, and for long-haired dachshunds – sable. The rarest are cream, gray and tan, black and even white dachshunds. However, these colors, although no doubt beautiful, are considered pembroke.
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Character
Dachshund does not consider himself small and funny, no matter what people think about her. This is a fearless hunter who will never back down in front of a beast driven into a hole – be it a badger or even a fox. She will enter into a duel, will fight to the bitter end and will never back down. Moreover, these qualities are manifested not only in working dogs, but also in pets. Seeing a dog of a larger size, your cute pet will never be afraid, and in case of aggression towards him, he will not hesitate to fight. On a walk, he always walks with his head held high, surveying the yard or street as his own possessions.
And the dachshund is a very smart dog. Their intellect has been honed over the centuries, because on the hunt, having come together in a duel with the beast, the dachshunds had to act independently, a person could only direct her to the hole. But this has a downside – the dachshund is not used to relying on the owner and prefers to make all decisions herself. And if on a walk she decided not to go to the park, but wants to take a walk along the street, you are unlikely to be able to prove the opposite to her. Dachshunds are incredibly stubborn creatures.
Despite the fact that these dogs very often become pets, they have a highly developed hunting instinct, so there may be problems with cats – the dachshund may consider him his victim.
In a word, having decided to settle this dog at home, remember that you are not taking a sofa toy, but a smart and independent partner who will communicate with you on an equal footing, and, if necessary, also protect you.
Care and maintenance
Dachshund is not a very difficult breed to keep, it is only important to take into account the peculiarities of its anatomy and character. It is better not to start a smooth-haired dachshund for those who believe that a dog has a place on the street – short hair and short stature will cause colds in the cold season. Even for a walk, it is better to dress such a dog in a special suit. But long-haired and wire-haired dachshunds are more calm about the cold.
It should always be remembered that the spine is the most vulnerable point of these dogs, so they are strictly forbidden to jump. So, if you are a fan of sleeping with your pet, you should give up this habit – jumps to and from the sofa can be very expensive for a dachshund. For the same reason, never take a puppy by the scruff of the neck and make sure that he does not get up on his hind legs. If you do not live on the first floor, it is better to take your pet outside in your arms – walking up the stairs is also not useful for them.
In food, these dogs are unpretentious, so if the owner does not have time to cook, high-quality dry food is quite suitable, the main thing is that the dog always has free access to drinking water.
Dachshunds are very active and strong dogs, so they need to be walked. Try to give it at least 30-40 minutes 2-3 times a day, because they have a tendency to become obese, and this can be a big problem for their back.
Well, and, of course, communicate more with your pet so that she does not get bored alone.
Education and training
As mentioned above, the dachshund is incredibly smart and grasps everything on the fly, but whether it will execute your commands is a big question. These dogs tend to be dominant, so from the very beginning, as soon as you bring a puppy into the house, you need to behave like a leader of the pack. You must become an authority for your pet, and for this you need to always stay calm and confident with her. But do not even try to show violence – this will only make you a smart and cunning enemy. Set clear rules at home that the dog must adhere to, and in no case do not spoil it, otherwise your pet will never respect and listen to you. Love, perhaps, will be, but respect – no.
You need to start training from a very early age, and the first thing a puppy should learn is its own name, as well as the commands “no” and “place”. Then he will understand that it will not work to run your house alone, as he wanted.
It is also better to start socializing a puppy from the first walks – let him communicate more with other dogs and people, then he will not have aggression on either one or the other.
Hunters train puppies, taking them hunting with adults and already trained dachshunds, so they gradually get used to their new duties.
Health and disease
Dachshunds are a fairly healthy breed, they live about 12-14 years, but they have a number of structural features that are a common problem for this breed – this is their disproportionately long spine. They often have displacement of the intervertebral discs and hernia, which leads to partial and sometimes complete loss of mobility, and this can happen at any age. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that the dachshund does not jump. With age, these dogs can also develop senile joint diseases, so it is important to carry out preventive examinations at the veterinarian on time and be sure to walk a lot so that joint mobility is not disturbed.
Also, always keep an eye on the condition of your pet’s ears – like all long-eared dogs, she can experience ear plugs and even otitis media.
Well, and, of course, do not forget to vaccinate on time and rid the dog of parasites – both external and internal. And never overfeed. Remember: excess weight is detrimental to this breed like no other.
Expert Commentary
“The first dachshund came to our family 18 years ago, forever planting love for this breed in our hearts,” says with love Natalya Karkhu, cynologist of the Komi Republican Society of Hunters and Fishers, expert on breeds and testing of burrows, Syktyvkar, Republic of Komi (dachshund kennel “Sheraton Blues”). – I fell ill with this breed after reading about it in a popular dog encyclopedia. I was lucky, this dog corresponded to everything that was written about her. It was a smooth-haired standard dachshund named Baby, she lived a long and happy life. Baby was 1,5 years older than my son, treated him like a mother, played with him very carefully. She was simply wildly popular with the yard children, she carried them a ball and sticks tirelessly. She guarded her little son in a stroller from strangers with the passion of a bodyguard dog.
Despite the short legs and small size, the dachshund will firmly settle in your heart. She will give you a lot of positive emotions and pleasant memories of a funny but serious dog with intelligent eyes and silky ears. Better dachshunds can only be 2 dachshunds!