And they are part of the Hound group - but they also have Terrier in their bloodline too.
They probably go as far back as the 16th century - can you guess which country is credited with their development?
Germany.
Nevertheless, the Dachshunds were used in Germany and France - but Germans definitely stabilized the Dachshund breed that we have today.
They are ancestral neighbors to the Basset Hound too, I'm sure you can see the resemblance.
Interestingly they have a great sense of smell and have feet that are turned outward which typically occurs in dogs with older bloodlines.
Dachshunds were first recognized by the German version of the AKC in 1840 and were recognized by the AKC in 1879.
The Dachshund might be short, but they live a long time, between 12 and 16 years old.
They come in a variety of coats that affect their upkeep, which are smooth, wire-haired, and long-haired.
The wire-haired and long-haired will require grooming either by you or a professional groomer.
Speaking of varieties, the Daschund comes in standard and miniature sizes.
If you're searching for a Dachshund they should be curious and have a happy personality and because both the Standard Dachshund and Miniature Dachshund are rather small...or should I say short; they are good living in apartments or small homes, but the Dachshund is a hound group so they also perform well in the country and on the farm.
But be careful with these little guys, they are clever and will steal your heart.
The Dachshund is quite a character; they come in 2 sizes:
Standard
Miniature
...and both are part of the Hound Group, with dogs like the Basset Hound - a similar dog breed, Greyhound - I didn't realize that and it's even in the name(!), and the Black and Tan Coonhound.
Being in the Hound Group means the Dachshund can hunt by sight or scent.
These little guys have a low profile so they can pick up a scent without bending down - but that's not the complete reason for their short legs:
The standard-size Dachshunds were designed and bred to hunt badgers and badgers burrow in the ground, called a den. The Dachshund has short legs to enter the den and flush out the Badger.
That sounds like a dangerous job!
But that's probably why they are known for their cleverness and stubbornness.
The Miniature Dachshund has the same personality as the standard Dachshund, but they were designed for a different purpose, can you guess? If you said to hunt rabbits in Germany during the 1800s you would be correct!
Congratulations!
And if you want to find out exactly how well your Dachshund will perform under those conditions, without the danger of encountering a real badger, the Daschund can participate in AKC EarthDog events which are tests specifically for breeds originally designed to pursue prey in the ground.
In all reasonableness, the Dachshund and Basset Hound come from similar lineage because of their similar feet - which are turned outward, not to mention the elephant in the room - the similarities of having short legs and a long body.
They are both Earth Dogs, meaning they go into the ground to flush out prey.
It's also highly likely the Dachshund originated from both France and Germany from around the 16th Century, so it is an older breed...not ancient like the Boxer and not recent like the Doberman Pinscher.
It's also guessed that the Dachshund was bred with a spritz of Terrier bloodlines, which makes sense.
Early recordings come from Germany in the 1840s and the breed was standardized in 1879.
The AKC recognized the Dachshund in 1885.
The Dachshund is a popular dog probably for many reasons, like; they make great apartment dogs - they adapt well to the city for a hound breed, and because of their innate hound abilities they also fit in well in the country too.
Plus, because they are small-sized, having multiple Daschunds is not an inconvenience.
Feeding and veterinarian bills of the Dachshund should be minimal, so you'll want to feed a quality food to keep them healthy - they can live a long time - between 12 and 16 years, which is very impressive these days!
The Daschund is a fun breed, very curious, stubborn, goofy, and alert - that's quite a lot of personality packed into a dog that only weighs below 11 pounds for the miniature and between 16 and 32 pounds for the standard.
If you want to show a Daschund in Conformation the coats are smooth, wirehaired and longhaired.
But any Dachshund can participate in obedience, Dachshund field trials, agility, rally, tracking, and again, earthdog events.
Now would you let a stubborn Dachshund bamboozle you? I would.
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