The badger dog
Dachshund is German for badger dog. It was bred to follow badgers down their holes.
Small dogs · Time every day
Dachshund
Hound · from Germany
A long, low dog with very short legs, a deep chest, long drooping ears and a glossy red, black and tan or dappled coat.
- Size
- 13 to 23cm at the shoulder; up to 12kg
- Lives for
- 12 to 16 years
- Suits
- Owners at home much of the day, without many stairs
Trundles after you on short legs. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the dachshund
Built for tunnels
The long body and short legs let it squeeze underground, and the big paddle-shaped feet are for digging.
A big dog's bark
Its deep chest gives it a bark that sounds as if it comes from a much larger dog.
Three coats, two sizes
It comes smooth, long-haired or wire-haired, and in standard and miniature sizes.
A back to look after
About one in four has back trouble at some point. Ramps, a healthy weight and no leaping off sofas all help.
Fearless
It will stand up to dogs many times its size.
The real thing
Photos of the dachshund
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
Looking after one
It needs about an hour's walking a day once fully grown. Keep it slim, and lift it by supporting both ends of its long back.
Before you get one
Dachshunds are loyal, stubborn and vocal. Insurance is well worth having because of their backs.
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