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APPEARANCE
The
Dachshund originated in Germany. The Dachshund was bred to hunt and
follow these animals to earth, gradually becoming highly evolved, with
shortened legs to dig the prey out and go down inside the burrows.
Smaller Dachshunds where bred to hunt hare and stoat. Dachshunds have
many "terrier" characteristics. They are versatile and courageous dogs
and have been known for hunting badgers, foxes and otters. The Dachshund
is one of the most recognizable of all breeds with its long body and
short stature. These are active dogs with surprising stamina.The
Dachshund is an elongated, vigorous, muscular dog with short legs. In
spite of the shortness of the limbs in comparison to the body length,
the Dachshund should neither appear crippled, clumsy or restricted in
movement, nor slim, tucked-up and weasel like. It carries itself proudly
and has an intelligent expression. It has an elongated head and a slight
convex skull, arched and protruding eyebrows, a long muzzle, robust jaws
with non-pendent lips, and a pincers or scissors bite with extremely
strong canine teeth (Dachshunds usually have 42 teeth). Its eyes are
oval, dark red or brown-black with an energetic and friendly expression.
Its ears are mobile and hanging long on its cheeks. Its body should have
a strong protruding sternum and a moderately retracted abdomen. Its tail
is carried in line with its back.
Low to the ground, long in body and short of leg
with robust muscular development, the skin is elastic and pliable
without excessive wrinkling. Appearing neither crippled, awkward, nor
cramped in his capacity for movement, the Dachshund is well-balanced
with bold and confident head carriage and intelligent, alert facial
expression. His hunting spirit, good nose, loud tongue and distinctive
build make him well-suited for below-ground work and for beating the
bush. His keen nose gives him an advantage over most other breeds for
trailing.
There
are three varieties of Dachshund (Standard): the smooth-haired, the
wired-haired, and the long-haired.
Long and low, but with
compact, well muscled body, bold, defiant carriage of head and
intelligent expression. Long, strong jaw, and immense power of bite and
hold. First and foremost a sporting dog, the Smooth Dachshund is
remarkably versatile, being equally adaptable as a house pet; his
smooth, close coat is impervious to rain and mud. His temperament and
acute intelligence make him the ideal companion for town or country. In
the field of sport he is unequalled, combining the scenting powers of a
Foxhound with unflinching courage, and will go to ground to fox, otter
or badger. Hair: Dense, short and smooth. Hair on underside of tail
coarse in texture. Skin loose and supple, but fitting closely all over
without dewlap and little or no wrinkle. The smooth-haired Dachshund's
coat should be shiny, sleek and uniform.
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WIRE-HAIRED
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Low to ground, short legged,
the body long but compact and well muscled. The head should be carried
boldly and the expression be very intelligent. Especially suited to
going to ground because of low build, very strong forequarters and
forelegs. His loose skin enables him to manoeuvre with ease for attack
or defense. Because of his nose, voice, good sight and perseverance he
makes a good tracking dog. Hair: With exception of jaw, eyebrows, chin
and ears, the whole body should be covered with a short, straight, harsh
coat with dense undercoat, beard on the chin, eyebrows bushy, but hair
on ears almost smooth. Legs and feet well but neatly furnished with
harsh coat.
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LONG-HAIRED
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The long-haired Dachshund is
full of character, quick in attack and defense, faithful when properly
brought up, and very obedient. All the senses are well developed. It
has the reputation of being extraordinarily intelligent and easy to
train. Its build and temperament fit it to hunt quarry both above and
below ground; its eagerness, keen sight and hearing and its sonorous
bark make it especially suitable for tracking. In these respects it
compares very favourably with any other variety. The thick, soft hair
protects it against thorns, enables it to endure both cold and heat, and
is rain-proof. It is especially suited to water work. The long-haired
Dachshund can be easily trained to retrieve. Form, colour and character
similar in all respects to those of the smooth Dachshund, except for the
long, soft hair. The form is compact, short-legged and long, but sinewy
and well muscled, with bold and defiant head carriage, and intelligent
expression. Hair: Soft and straight, or only slightly waved; longest
under neck, on under parts of body, and behind legs, where it forms
abundant feathering, on tail where it forms a flag. Outside of ears well
feathered. Coat flat, and not obscuring outline. The tail should not
touch the ground when at rest, neither should the ears (i.e. the
leather) extend beyond the nose when pulled to the front. The coat
should resemble that of an Irish Setter, giving the dog an appearance of
elegance.
TEMPERAMENT
Friendly by nature, neither nervous nor
aggressive, with even temperament. The Dachshund is faithful, versatile,
obedient and good tempered. Devoted to his family, some fanciers
feel the long-haired variety is calmer than the other two types. The
wire-haired variety is more outgoing and clown-like. All are slightly
difficult to train. Dachshunds are good dogs to travel with. They are
best with older, considerate children and are moderately protective.
They are generally okay with other pets, however, they can be jealous,
irritable, obstinate and very quick to bite.
Characteristics
The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous
to the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground work,
with all the senses well-developed. Especially suited to going to ground
because of low build, very strong forequarters and forelegs. Long,
strong jaw, and immense power of bite and hold. Passionate,
persevering and fast hunting dog with an excellent nose. These little
dogs like to bark (their barks are surprisingly loud for their size) and
are compulsive diggers.
COLOUR
Found in
all colours (except white) or combination of colours. In
black and tan, red and dappled dogs the nose should be black, in
chocolate they are often brown or flesh coloured.
SIZE
Dog & Bitches: Around 14-18 inches.
For more details contact
us:
info@dogsvets.net
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