THINKING OF GETTING A DACHSHUND?

Dachshunds were originally bred in Germany 3-400 years ago as specialised hunting dogs, primarily

used to hunt and flush badgers from their sett. The word Dachshund comes from the German 'dachs' (meaning badger) and 'hund' (meaning hound).

Dachshunds come in two sizes, standard and miniature. The original hunting dogs were the larger standard size weighing around 14kg, miniature dachshunds were carefully selected from standard litters and bred together to create the smaller dachshunds we love today, they were originally used to hunt smaller game like rabbits.

To be fit for purpose these punchy little dogs needed to be tenacious, independent and confident - many traits we still see in the breed today. They were bred to have a deep, loud bark so hunters could hear and locate them under-ground while they were working, another trait they have definitely retained!

Coat Types and colours

Dachshunds are recognised in 6 varieties by the Royal Kennel Club.

• Standard Smooth Hair

• Standard Wire Hair

• Standard long Hair

• Miniature Smooth Hair

• Miniature Wire Hair

• Miniature Long Hair

Dachshunds come in a variety of colours

• Black and Tan

• Black and Cream

• Silver Dapple

• Chocolate Dapple

• Chocolate and Tan

• Chocolate and Cream

• Red

• Cream

• All of the above in piebald (large patches of white on the body like a spaniel)**

• Blue/Isabella (dilute) in all varieties *

*Blue/Isabella (dilute) coats can suffer with a coat colour related disease called Colour Dilution Alopecia (CDA). For this reason we do not breed, or advise someone to buy, a blue/Isabella dachshund. While many have healthy coats, dogs born with CDA have dry, flaky skin that is often sore and lose hair resulting in bald patches/patches of thinning hair that get progressively worse over time. This is upsetting for both the dog and owner.

** Piebald is considered a non standard colour by the royal kennel club, they are eligible for registration but unfortunately at this time they cannot be shown.

Dachshund Breed Traits

Dachshunds are bold, independent (sometimes mistaken for stubbornness) and outgoing little dogs. We find the miniature long hairs to be the most laid back of the different coat types, they are great with family and children who are calm and polite around dogs. If introduced properly they live well with cats and other dogs of all sizes. Although they are small, dachshunds make fantastic walking buddies! Ours will happily walk for 30 minutes or 2 hours and more across all terrain, in all weathers.

Dachshunds are incredibly faithful and love to cuddle with owners, they can become needy and develop separation anxiety without proper training.

Being part of the hound group they can (and do) bark to alert their owners of noises. While excessive barking should not be the norm, dachshunds need good training from early on to prevent normal barking escalating in to persistent or excessive barking indoors and on walks. If you are looking for a breed that never barks, the dachshund might not be for you.

We think dachshunds make fabulous pets for many people, if you are thinking of getting a dachshund please consider your lifestyle and the breed characteristics that are likely to come with your new puppy.

While they are absolutely adorable, dachshunds are not handbag dogs, they were originally bred to be hardy working dogs! They thrive with consistent boundaries, exercise and training, hounds love to use their nose so scent work or long walks in the woods or countryside can fulfil this need. Dachshunds (some not all) are also renowned diggers, their big, slightly angled front paws make them the perfect digging machines, a sandpit or area in the garden can help fulfil them if they naturally want to dig.

We really hope this information helps you on your journey to decide if a dachshund is right for you! We'd love to hear from you if you have any questions about dachshunds and puppy ownership.

 S x