Companionship: Dachshunds are totally devoted to their families. They make good travel companions. They are compulsive diggers.
Head: The head of the Dachshund tapers evenly toward the nose. It is slightly arched and medium in width.
Nose: The Dachshund's nose has wide nostrils and should be black in black, wild-boar, red-boar coated Dachshunds and dark brown or self-colored in all other coat colors.
Eyes: The Dachshund's eyes are medium sized and almond in shape and dark in color. Dappled Dachshunds may have partial or all blue eyes. The rims may be black or self-colored but the darker in color the better. The bones above the eyes are very prominent.
Ears: The Dachshund's mobile ears are medium length and rounded. They are set high on the head and carried so the front edge frames the face.
Muzzle: The Dachshund's muzzle is slightly arched giving a Roman appearance.
Teeth/Bite: The Dachshund has strong jaws and teeth. The hinge of the jaws is well behind the eyes allowing the Dachshund to open their mouth very wide. The teeth fit tightly together forming a scissors bite. The Dachshund usually has 42 teeth.
Neck: The Dachshund has a long, muscular neck. It is slightly arched and blends smoothly into the shoulders.
Body: The Dachshund has a long and muscular trunk. The topline is straight along its entire length. The breast-bone is very prominent creating a dimple effect on either side. When viewed from the side the lowest point of the body is at the front legs.
Forequarters: The Dachshund's forequarters are strong and muscular. The shoulders are broad and well-laid back. The Dachshund's Upper Arm and shoulder blades should be approximately the same length and at right angles to each other. The upper arm is strong boned, muscular and tight to the ribs. The elbows are close to the body but able to move freely. The forearms should be short and curved slightly inwards. They should be covered with pliable muscle and tightly stretched tendons. The wrists are closer together than the shoulders causing the Dachshund's front to not appear absolutely straight. The Dachshund has what is called a 'wraparound front'. This is caused by the inclined shoulder blades, upper arms and curved forearms forming a parentheses shape that surrounds the ribcage.
Hindquarters: The Dachshund's hindquarters are strong and muscular. The pelvis, thigh, second thigh and rear pastern should all be approximately the same length and joined at a series of right angles. The legs should be straight and turn neither in nor out. The pasterns are strong, short and perpendicular to the second thigh.
Gait: The gait of the Dachshund is smooth and fluid in motion. The front legs have good forward reach without too much lift. They move in unison with the rear legs. When viewed from the front the legs appear to incline slightly inward. The reach of the rear legs is equal to their extension. The pads on the rear feet should be able to be seen during extension. The feet should travel in parallel to the direction of motion.
Feet: The Dachshund's front paws should be tight, compact and full with thick pads. The toes should be well-arched with short nails. The rear feet are smaller than the front feet and face directly forward. They have close, compact, arched toes and thick pads. The front dewclaws may be removed while the rear ones should be removed. The can be black or self-colored but the darker the better.
Tail: The Dachshund's is a continuation of the spine gradually tapering to a point. It should be free from any kinks, twists or pronounced curvature. The tail of the smooth-coated Dachshund is covered in a thin coat of fur. The Wire coated Dachshund's tail is robust and covered in a thick coat. The tail in the Long coated Dachshund should be flag-like and covered in hair longer than the rest of the body.
Color: Smooth-coated Dachshunds - The smooth-coated Dachshund may have one-colored, two-colored, dappled, sable or brindled coats. The one-colored coats can be red or cream which may or may not have darker hairs throughout. They may have a small white patch on the chest. The Two-colored Dachshunds may have black, chocolate, wild boar, gray, blue and fawn coats with rich tan or cream markings above the eyes, on the underlip, sides of the jaw, inner edge of the ear, front, breast, throat, inside and behind the front legs, the paws, rump extending one to two thirds up the underside of the tail. Dappled Dachshunds have areas of lighter color contrasted with a darker base color. They may have a white patch on the chest. The Brindle Dachshund has a pattern of dark or black stripes over the entire body. They may only be visible on the tan points. Sable Dachshunds have a uniform dark overlay on the red coat. The hairs in the overlay are two-colored with the tip being much darker than the base color. The sable Dachshunds typically have a widow's peak on the head.
Wirehaired Dachshunds - The most common colors of Wirehaired Dachshunds are wild boar, black & tan and various shades of red. Any color or patterns listed above are admissible. Wild boar is a banding of the individual hairs that gives the coat an overall grizzled look. Points of tan may or may not be seen. Variations of this pattern can include red boar and chocolate-and-tan boar. There may be a small patch of white located on the chest.
Longhaired Dachshund - The coat of the Longhaired Dachshund can be any of the colors of the Smooth-coated Dachshund.
Coat: The Dachshund has three coat varieties smooth, wirehaired and longhaired.
Smooth-coated Dachshunds - The Smooth-coated Dachshund should have a short, shiny coat.
Wirehaired Dachshunds - The Wirehaired Dachshunds has a thick, short, hard outercoat with a finer, softer undercoat. From a distance this coat type resembles the smooth-coat. The coat on the ears is shorter than the body and has a smooth texture. The beard and eyebrows are distinct.
Longhaired Dachshund - The Longhaired Dachshund has a sleek, glistening coat of slightly wavy hair. The coat is longer on the forechest, underside of the body, ears, behind the legs and underside of the neck.
Dachshund Facts
Category: Group Hound, AKC Hound
Life Expectancy: Dachshunds have an average life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.
Characteristics: Dachshunds are clever but can be curious and mischievous at times. They are very protective.
Dachshund Health
Health: Dachshunds are prone to spinal disc problems, heart disease, urinary tract problems and diabetes. They also have a tendency to become lazy and as a result overweight causing extra strain on their back.
Dachshund History
History: The Dachshund originated in Germany hundreds of years ago. Their name came from the German word 'Dachs' meaning badger. Their shortened legs were designed to help them follow dachs which they were originally bred to hunt.
