Author: Dan Stevens
Getting to know your dog starts by getting to know its breed,
and that includes getting a better idea about its appearance,
personality, and health requirements. Here's what you need to
know about the Daschund:
Known also as the "wiener dog" because of the long body, the
Daschund makes a great pet. With its low-riding body typically
comes a laid back "low-riding" attitude. The Daschund dates all
the way back to Ancient Egyptian days. Over the years, the
breed became popular around Europe, specifically loved by
royalty.
The Daschund we know today was originally called a German
Daschund, which was much larger, weighing up to 40 pounds.
This early breed had straight and crooked leg varieties. The
Daschund is also famous for hunting of fox and rabbit, as well
as exterminating badgers and finding wild boar and injured
deer. The name itself translates in German to "badger dog"
because of its amazing hunting, chasing, and scent abilities.
Physical Appearance
Today's Daschund is known for having crooked legs, a barrel
shaped chest, loose skin, and again, the elongated body. As
with other breeds, the Daschund is bred for a smooth, longhair,
and wirehair coat. Keep in mind that the wirehair breed usually
has shorter and wirier hair than the smooth and long coat. If
you plan to show, the American Kennel Club accepts a miniature
and full-size version, each with a distinctive class of height
and weight.
To give you an idea of the difference, a miniature Daschund
would weigh 11 pounds or less while a full-grown dog would be
anywhere from 16 to 32 pounds. This breed is also available in
a wide array of colors although the primary colors are red, and
black and red. Other possibilities include:
* Fawn
* Chocolate
* Wild Boar
* Cream Blue
* Light Boar Red (copper, rust, etc)
* Piebald
* Sable
* Dapple
* Double Dapple
* White
* Chocolate and Red
* Brown and Red
In addition to the variance in colors and color combinations,
the Daschund would generally have black hair intermingled on
the back, tail, edges of the ears, and face. While you will
find many solid chocolate and black dogs of this breed, keep in
mind these are non-standard colors, meaning from conformance
competition in the United States and the United Kingdom, they
would be disqualified.
Temperament and Personality
If you were looking for a fun, playful, and loyal family dog,
the Daschund would make an excellent consideration. This breed
is actually quite clever, smart, and courageous but also being
strong-willed, they can be a bit on the challenging side when
it comes to training. On occasion, a Daschund might appear shy
which would not be a preferred behavior. In this case, early
and on-going socialization would help.
Another interesting fact about the Daschund is that the type of
temperament changes with the type of coat. For example, a long
haired breed tends to be a more relaxed dog. The eyes of this
breed are deep and heartfelt, making the expressions sweet.
Then, the Daschund usually has a rich bark while making snoring
type sounds due to larger lungs that fill the space of the
barrel shaped chest.
Health
Although you might expect the Daschund to have a lot of health
issues because of the elongated body, the truth is most are
healthy. However, they can have problems with the spine, which
can be aggravated by obesity. To prevent spinal problems, it is
recommended this breed be kept from jumping off beds, walking up
and down many stairs, and so on. Even picking this breed up
must be done carefully to avoid injury. For instance, the
front and rear portions of the body must always be completely
supported.
One of the most inherited of all spinal risks is Intervertebral
Disk Disease, which can usually be treated with various
medications and in more severe cases, corrected with surgery.
Alternative medicine is also used and found in most cases to be
successful. For instance, acupuncture, chiropractic
manipulation, and physical therapy are all possible solutions.
About The Author: Daniel Stevens is the renowned dog trainer
and author of SitStayFetch, a leading dog training guide having
sold over 21,000 copies. See
http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/dogbreeds/dachshund.php
for more on dog breeds.
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