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Dachshund is the original and official name of the famous and charismatic Dog sausage or sausage. In German it means "badger dog" referring to the original function of this dog, which was to hunt badgers. Sausage puppies are also known as Teckel or Dackel. Both words are also German, although the most used term is "Dachshund", while "Teckel" was the most used name for this breed among German hunters.
In this PeritoAnimal breed sheet we will show you the general characteristics of the Dachshund, their basic care and possible health problems. Keep reading to find out everything about this breed of dog, because if you are planning to adopt a dog or if you already have one at home, you will be able to obtain more information that is sure to be useful to you.
Source
- Europe
- Germany
- Group IV
- Extended
- short paws
- long ears
- toy
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- Giant
- 15-35
- 35-45
- 45-55
- 55-70
- 70-80
- more than 80
- 1-3
- 3-10
- 10-25
- 25-45
- 45-100
- 8-10
- 10-12
- 12-14
- 15-20
- Low
- Average
- High
- Balanced
- Sociable
- Tender
- floors
- Houses
- Hunting
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Short
- Long
- Hard
Dachshund Physical Characteristics
The Dachshund is a short and long dog, short-legged and long-headed, so his nickname "sausage dog" describes him very well. The head is long, but the muzzle should not be pointed. The stop is somewhat marked. The eyes are oval and medium. Its color varies in different shades of dark brown (from red to a darker shade). Ears are set high, hanging, long and with rounded edges.
The body of this dog is long and the topline is slightly sloping. The chest is broad and deep. The belly is slightly drawn in. The tail is long and set not too high. It may have a slight curvature in its last third.
The coat corresponding to each variety must be as follows:
- shorthaired dachshund. The fur is short, shiny, smooth, strong, hard, thick and well-glued to the body. It does not have hairless areas. This variety is the most popular.
- hard-haired dachshund. With the exception of the muzzle, eyebrows and ears, the coat is formed by mixing the inner layer with the outer layer, the latter being normally glued and thick. On the muzzle the fur forms a well-defined beard and over the eyes it forms bushy eyebrows. On the ears the hair is short and almost straight.
- longhaired dachshund. The outer layer is smooth, shiny and well adhered to the body. It is longer under the neck, on the lower part of the body, on the ears, on the back of the extremities and on the tail.
The colors accepted in all varieties are:
- unicolor: red, reddish yellow, yellow, with or without mixed black hairs.
- bicolor: can be black or brown with rust or yellow spots.
- Harlequin (spotted brindle, spotted): It has a coat that must always be dark, black, red or gray as a basic tone. This variety also has irregular gray or beige patches.
Types of Techel
The breed comes in different varieties according to coat and weight. The International Cynological Federation (FCI) recognizes three size varieties (standard, miniature and dwarf) and three fur varieties (short, hard and long). In this way, the possible combinations give nine varieties of Dachshund:
Standard Dachshund:
- short-haired
- hard-haired
- longhaired
Miniature Dachshund:
- short-haired
- hard-haired
- longhaired
Dwarf Dachshund:
- short-haired
- hard-haired
- longhaired
Other organizations, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), only recognize two varieties according to size (standard and miniature), but recognize all three hair varieties. On the other hand, smaller varieties (miniature and dwarf) are also hunters, but are oriented towards smaller and less aggressive prey than badgers.
The breed standard does not indicate a particular size, but Dachshunds are small puppies and their maximum height to the cross is usually between 25 and 30 centimeters. The difference between the varieties is made according to the thoracic perimeter, as follows:
- standard dachshund. Thoracic perimeter greater than 35 centimeters. The maximum weight is 9 kilos.
- miniature dachshund. Thoracic perimeter between 30 and 35 centimeters at a minimum age of 15 months.
- dwarf dachshund. Thoracic perimeter less than 30 centimeters, at a minimum age of 15 months.
Dachshund Character
These dogs are very playful and friendly with their owners and the rest of the family, but they have a very strong prey drive, which is why they usually chase and attack small animals. They also tend to bark a lot.
It is important to socialize sausage puppies from an early age because their nature is suspicious of strangers. Without proper socialization, they tend to be aggressive or fearful, both with strangers and with other dogs. On the other hand, when they are well socialized, they can get along very well with people and other dogs, although it is difficult to socialize them with other pets.
Dachshunds are said to be very stubborn and unresponsive to canine training. What actually happens is that they do not respond well to traditional training, as they react poorly to the use of force. However, they respond very well to positive training, so don't hesitate and opt for this method of education, based on positive reinforcement and the use of the clicker.
The main behavioral problems that this breed presents are excessive barking and the tendency to dig in the garden.
Techel care
Dachshund fur care is simple, as you don't need to go to the canine hairdresser or other help. Of course, the short-haired Dachshund needs less effort than other varieties. In the hard and long-haired varieties it is necessary brush the fur daily. In case you want to cut the hair of the long-haired Dachshund, then it is recommended to go to a canine hairdresser.
these dogs need moderate exercise, so they adapt well to life in small houses or apartments. However, they can cause some problems with neighbors because they tend to bark a lot if this behavior is not corrected.
If they are alone for a long time or get bored, the Dachshund tends to destroy furniture or other objects, or dig holes if you have a garden. So it's not a good idea to leave them alone for most of the day.
Dachshund Health
Due to its very long particular morphology, the sausage dog is prone to spinal injuries. Invertebral disc damage is frequent. Accidents that cause paralysis of the hind legs are more frequent in this breed than in others. Therefore, it is important to avoid moving these puppies abruptly, jumping, going up and down stairs frequently and being overweight.
Dachshund is also prone to the following conditions:
- patellar dislocation
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- hypothyroidism
- progressive retinal atrophy
As with the other breeds of puppies, the best thing is to follow the periodic veterinary appointments and keeping both the vaccination and deworming calendar up to date to prevent and timely detect any of the most common Dachshund diseases.