|
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.
The
Dachshund Miniature should be in all respects similar to the Dachshund
(Standard) except size. Despite its small size it should be strong,
extremely active, hardy and game. The Dachshund Miniature
should be gay, alert, bold and highly intelligent. 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 (Miniature): the smooth-haired, the wired-haired,
and the long-haired.
| |
SMOOTH-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.
| |
WIRE-HAIRED
|
 |
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.
| |
LONG-HAIRED
|
 |
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
The Dachshund is faithful, versatile and good tempered.
Friendly by nature, neither nervous nor aggressive, with even
temperament. 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
Intelligent, lively,
courageous and obedient. 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.
Excellent nose, persevering hunter and tracker. 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: Up to around 14 inches.
For more details contact
us:
info@dogsvets.net
|