The Dachshund

The Dachshund is a dog that is full a character, he makes the most wonderful and devoted pet, if he has the right owner that is. Because of the fact that they can injure their back so easily careful consideration is needed before bringing this dog into the home that has young or rambunctious children.

These are dogs that can fit into almost any persons lifestyle, as long as that person is willing to spend some good quality time with his pet, because the Dachshund’s little world revolves around that of his owner. They need love and attention if they are going to thrive. These are smart little dogs that like to learn, so training should not be too hard for the owner of this delightful little pet., they are fast learners and they love to please, as a result training is a piece of cake.

One personality trait worth mentioning is the fact that they are possessive little things and are very jealous of their bed and food bowl (when there is food in it of course). They are also good watch dogs and will most definitely warn you whenever anybody comes to close to what the Dachshund considers his property, so they are great watch dogs, despite their size.

The Dachshund comes in three varieties: the long haired, the wire haired and the smooth coated. If the Dachshund is given plenty of socialization when he is little, then other pets should not be a problem, these are dogs that are usually aloof with strangers (they just don’t trust them) if this is something that would bother the owner, he might consider getting a long haired Dachshund because these are the ones that seem to have a more accepting nature.

One thing to note is the fact that these dogs love to dig, especially in flower beds so if you have a wonderful beautiful garden, then think twice about getting the Dachshund. This is a sensitive and loving breed and too much teasing and roughing him around will definitely leave its mark on the poor little guy’s soul, so be careful with him, he only wants to please his owner.

As you might have guessed from the name, the Dachshund comes from Germany originally, and it is said that this is one of the oldest of the German hunting breeds, they were developed to hunt badgers, hence his love of digging and his name translated even means badger hound. There is evidence of the Dachshund dating all the way back to the 17th century, these were short squat little dogs that went underground after their prey, but the Dachshund that we know and love today did not come about until the 19th century where they were bred with a specific purpose in mind and that purpose was to hunt badgers, fox and rabbit. It turned out that this was a strong little breed that was able to get the job done despite his size.

The Dachshund is known as the hotdog dog in some places and as the sausage dog in other places, these are very good descriptions of the Dachshund because this dog has a long low body that is close to the ground, he has a muscular build and he is tougher then you would think. Grooming of the Dachshund depends on what type of dog you have, the smooth coated variety will need the occasional brushing to keep his coat in shape, the long haired will need his coat clipped every now and then and the wire haired gets his coat stripped, it all depends on the type of dog that you have. Cleaning of the ears is a must to prevent fungus and mites from taking hold.

Always buy a puppy from a good responsible breeder because they will be able to provide you with health certificates and guaranties and ensure the overall health of the puppy that you are getting, a good breeder should be able to let you see the parents of the puppy and show you health certificates and paper on them, as well as the puppy. A good breeder should be interested in the place that the puppy will be going to and what kind of life the potential buyer is willing to give.