Dachshunds have long bodies and short legs, looking comical and cute. They have a cheerful and enthusiastic temperament, are brave and confident, and full of energy. They are very independent, easy to manage, and loyal to their owners. How is the Dachshund? How to choose a good Dachshund?

★English name Dachshund

★Alias Badger Dog

★Origin Germany

★Lifespan 12~16 years

★Suitable use Companion dog

Dachshunds come in two sizes: standard and miniature (miniature is not separately classified in breeding and dog shows): height 21~27 cm (standard), 13~23 cm (miniature), weight 9~12 kg (standard), 4~5 kg (miniature).

The Dachshund’s torso is very long, but the limbs are very short; the back is not very straight, the abdomen slightly rises, the forelimbs are short and not very straight from the front. The front paws are full and compact, with five toes, four tightly bound, rounded and strong, and the nails are short. The thighs are strong and powerful, neither bowed inward nor outward. The metatarsals are short and sturdy. The hind paws are similar to the forepaws but smaller. The entire paw points straight forward, balanced overall. The tail is on the spinal continuation line, long, round, and full; the slightly recessed rounded hips connect noticeably with the tail. The neck is long with a slightly arched neckline that flows smoothly into the shoulders. The Dachshund’s gait is smooth, light, and very attractive.

The Dachshund’s head is conical (gradually tapering toward the nose) and proudly held, with an intelligent and alert facial expression, revealing a lively, spirited, and brave temperament. The round ears are close to the top of the head but not too far forward, medium length. When active, the front edge of the ears lies close to the cheeks, becoming part of the face. The skull is slightly rounded, gradually sloping with an indistinct stop transitioning to the muzzle. The almond-shaped eyes are medium-sized, very dark, and have a peaceful gaze. The nasal bridge (passing over the eyes) is very prominent, and the nose leather is black. The lips are tightly extended, covering the lower jaw, with the lower jaw joint located behind and below the eyes. The canine teeth are strong, teeth tight, scissors bite.

Dachshunds have three different coat types: short-haired, wire-haired, and long-haired. Short-haired: the coat is short, smooth, and sleek. Although the basic color is not crucial, the set style and basic color are still dominant, such as solid colors, red (with or without dark or light brown shading scattered), and cream, with nose leather and nails black; bicolor, including black, chocolate, wild boar color, gray (blue), fawn (Isabella brown) each with brown patterns. Nose leather and nails for black dogs are black; for chocolate and other colors, they are dark brown, but colors themselves are also acceptable; dapple pattern, the "single dapple" style is a clear range of pale dapples intersecting with very dark base color, pale dapples can be any possible color but neither pale nor dark colors dominate; "double dapple" means different amounts of white dapples appear on the body of dapple Dachshunds, nose leather and nails are the same as in solid or bicolor Dachshunds. Partial or patchy coloring matching the dog's own color is also acceptable.

Wire-haired: apart from the jaw, eyebrows, and ears, the body is covered with a uniform thick, hard outer coat, and there is fine soft undercoat among the coarse hair. The fur on the ears is smooth and soft. Normal, curly, or wavy hair is typical. The hair is irregularly striped. The tail has dense hair gradually thinning toward the tip.

The hair color is mostly wild boar, black, brown, with different depths of red. Nose leather and nails are the same as the short-haired type. From a distance, wire-haired Dachshunds resemble short-haired ones generally.

Long-haired: the coat is smooth, shiny, and slightly wavy. Hair length is longer below the neck, chest, under the body, ears, and on the back of the legs. The hair on the tail forms a flag shape when it reaches the best length. The coat colors are the same as the short-haired Dachshund. The nose leather and nail colors are also the same as the short-haired Dachshund.

Regarding feeding, daily feed should consist of 150~300 grams of meat and an equal amount of cooked vegetarian food according to the dog’s size. Meat should be boiled with added water, chopped finely, and mixed with a small amount of warm water and dry vegetarian food before feeding. Feeding should be done at regulated times and places, with eating restricted to 15~25 minutes to cultivate good habits. Food must be fresh and clean, and feeding bowls and utensils should be washed regularly with clean water supplied.

Because of their special body type with long bodies and short legs, Dachshunds are prone to obesity, which can cause organ diseases. Therefore, they must have a certain amount of exercise. They should be allowed to walk and run indoors every day.