Health, History and Interesting Issue of Dachshund

The breed is known to have spinal problems, due in part to an extremely long spinal column and short rib cage.

The risk of injury can be worsened by obesity, which places greater strain on the vertebrae. In order to prevent injury, it is recommended that Dachshunds be discouraged from jumping and taking stairs. It has become increasingly apparent that the occurrence and severity of these problems is largely hereditary, and responsible breeders are working to eliminate this characteristic in the breed.
 

History

Some have theorized that the early roots of the Dachshund go back to Ancient Egypt, where engravings were made featuring short-legged hunting dogs. But in its modern incarnation, the Dachshund is a creation of European breeders, and includes elements of German, French and English hounds and terriers. Dachshunds have been kept by royal courts all over Europe, including that of Queen Victoria, who was particularly enamored of the breed.

The first verifiable references to the Dachshund, originally named the "Tachs Kriecher" (badger crawler) or "Tachs Krieger" (badger catcher), come from books written in the early 1700s. Prior to that, there exist references to "badger dogs" and "hole dogs", but these likely refer to purposes rather than to specific breeds. The original German Dachshunds were larger than the modern full-size variety, weighing between 30 and 40 lb (14 to 18 kg), and originally came in straight-legged and crook-legged varieties (the modern Dachshund is descended from the latter).

Though the breed is famous for its use in exterminating badgers and badger-baiting, Dachshunds were also commonly used for rabbit and fox hunting, for locating wounded deer, and in packs were known to hunt game as large as wild boar.
 

Symbol of Germany

Dachshunds have traditionally been viewed as a symbol of Germany, despite their pan-European heritage. During World War I the animals -- a favorite of Kaiser Wilhelm II -- fell so far out of favor in England and the United States that Dachshunds were stoned to death on the street [3]. Many Americans began referring to Dachshunds as "liberty pups", and political cartoonists commonly used the image of the Dachshund to ridicule Germany. The stigma of the association was revived to a much reduced extent during World War II, and it quickly faded away following the war's end. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was also known for keeping Dachshunds.

The Dachshund for this association with Germany was chosen to be the first official mascot for the 1972 Summer Olympics with the name "Waldi"
 

Sports

Some people compete with their Dachsunds in Dachshund racing. The most popular of these races in held in Kansas City, Kansas. There Dachsunds compete for the national title of the fastest Dachsund in America. Another favorite sport is earthdog trials, in which dachshunds enter tunnels with dead ends and obstacles, attempting to locate an artificial bait. Dachshunds, being true scent hounds, also compete in scent tracking events with Beagles and Basset Hounds.
 

Popularity

Dachshunds are a popular pet in the United States, ranking somewhere between fourth and sixth most common dog breed over the last ten years. They are a popular dog among apartment dwellers, vying with the poodle as the most common breed in New York City in recent years.
 

Dachshund Dog Breed Information and Pictures

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dachshund".