DACHSHUND Breed Standards
Paintings and historical accounts from the 1400s onward reflect dogs with long bodies and stocky legs being used to hunt badgers – dogs that look very similar to the modern Dachshund. In fact, the word Dachshund is German for Badger Dog. These dogs were renowned for combining hound-like tracking abilities with a terrier's compact size and tenacious spirit, both much needed in pursuing badgers.
During the 1600s, the word Dachshund began to be used to describe these dogs, though only animals with longhaired or smooth coats were classified as such; Wirehaired Dachshunds would not be recognized until the late 19th century. As the Dachshund became recognizable, breeding between the different coat types was banned in Germany. Two different sizes emerged as the breed developed, and each size was specialized by game: dogs over 25 pounds hunted badgers and occasionally boars, while the smaller Dachshunds' forte was rabbits and foxes.
Importations into America date back in the American Kennel Club’s Stud Book to 1885, the same year that the Dachshund was recognized by the AKC. Through a misunderstanding the Dachshund was wrongly classified: the German “hund” was translated as “hound” and so the small, short-legged dogs were grouped with the hounds. By 1914, Dachshunds were among the ten most popular entries in the Westminster Kennel Club Show. Today, the Dachshund’s unique appearance and uncommon devotion has made it one of the most popular breeds in America.
SKILLS: Low to 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. Note: Inasmuch as the Dachshund is a hunting dog, scars from honorable wounds shall not be considered a fault.
SIZE: Bred and shown in two sizes, standard and miniature, miniatures are not a separate classification but compete in a class division for "11 pounds and under at 12 months of age and older." Weight of the standard size is usually between 16 and 32 pounds.
COAT: Special Characteristics of the Three Coat Varieties The Dachshund is bred with three varieties of coat: (1) Smooth; (2) Wirehaired; (3) Longhaired and is shown in two sizes, standard and miniature. All three varieties and both sizes must conform to the characteristics already specified. The following features are applicable for each variety:Smooth Dachshund - Coat - Short, smooth and shining. Should be neither too long nor too thick. Ears not leathery. Tail - Gradually tapered to a point, well but not too richly haired. Long sleek bristles on the underside are considered a patch of strong-growing hair, not a fault. A brush tail is a fault, as is also a partly or wholly hairless tail. Color of Hair - Although base color is immaterial, certain patterns and basic colors predominate. One-colored Dachshunds include red (with or without a shading of interspersed dark hairs or sable) and cream. A small amount of white on the chest is acceptable, but not desirable. Nose and nails - black.Two - colored Dachshunds include black, chocolate, wild boar, gray (blue) and fawn (Isabella), each with tan markings over the eyes, on the sides of the jaw and underlip, on the inner edge of the ear, front, breast, inside and behind the front legs, on the paws and around the anus, and from there to about one-third to one-half of the length of the tail on the underside. Undue prominence or extreme lightness of tan markings is undesirable. A small amount of white on the chest is acceptable but not desirable. Nose and nails - in the case of black dogs, black; for chocolate and all other colors, dark brown, but self-colored is acceptable.Dappled Dachshunds - The "single" dapple pattern is expressed as lighter-colored areas contrasting with the darker base color, which may be any acceptable color. Neither the light nor the dark color should predominate. Nose and nails are the same as for one and two-colored Dachshunds. Partial or wholly blue (wall) eyes are as acceptable as dark eyes. A large area of white on the chest of a dapple is permissible.A "double" dapple is one in which varying amounts of white coloring occur over the body in addition to the dapple pattern. Nose and nails: as for one and two-color Dachshunds; partial or wholly self-colored is permissible.Brindle is a pattern (as opposed to a color) in which black or dark stripes occur over the entire body although in some specimens the pattern may be visible only in the tan points.Wirehaired Dachshund Coat - With the exception of jaw, eyebrows, and ears, the whole body is covered with a uniform tight, short, thick, rough, hard, outer coat but with finer, somewhat softer, shorter hairs (undercoat) everywhere distributed between the coarser hairs. The absence of an undercoat is a fault. The distinctive facial furnishings include a beard and eyebrows. On the ears the hair is shorter than on the body, almost smooth. The general arrangement of the hair is such that the wirehaired Dachshund, when viewed from a distance, resembles the smooth. Any sort of soft hair in the outercoat, wherever found on the body, especially on the top of the head, is a fault. The same is true of long, curly, or wavy hair, or hair that sticks out irregularly in all directions. Tail - Robust, thickly haired, gradually tapering to a point. A flag tail is a fault. Color of Hair - While the most common colors are wild boar, black and tan, and various shades of red, all colors are admissible. A small amount of white on the chest, although acceptable, is not desirable. Nose and nails - same as for the smooth variety.Longhaired Dachshund Coat - The sleek, glistening, often slightly wavy hair is longer under the neck and on the forechest, the underside of the body, the ears, and behind the legs. The coat gives the dog an elegant appearance. Short hair on the ear is not desirable. Too profuse a coat which masks type, equally long hair over the whole body, a curly coat, or a pronounced parting on the back are faults. Tail - Carried gracefully in prolongation of the spine; the hair attains its greatest length here and forms a veritable flag. Color of Hair - Same as for the smooth Dachshund. Nose and nails - same as for the smooth. The foregoing description is that of the ideal Dachshund. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation keeping in mind the importance of the contribution of the various features toward the basic original purpose of the breed.
CARE REQUIRED: Long-haired require daily combing and brushings; wire-haired need professional trimming twice a year, and smooth-haired require regular rubdown with a damp cloth. This breed is an average shedder.
CHARACTER: 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. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.
TRAINING: These are active dogs with surprising stamina and they love a regular walk or session of play in the park. Be careful, however, when pedestrians are about because Dachshunds are more likely to be stepped on than more visible dogs. They should be discouraged from jumping, as they are prone to spinal damage.
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: Good for apartment living. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard.
EXERCISE: All are slightly difficult to train. Dachshunds are good dogs to travel. They are best with older, considerate children and are moderately protective. These little dogs like to bark (their barks are surprisingly loud for their size) and are compulsive diggers.
