Dachshund (Detailed Introduction)

　　The Dachshund's physical characteristics are very similar to the Basset Hound, with short legs and a long body. The Dachshund can be divided into three different coat types: short-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired. This breed comes in two sizes: standard and miniature, each size having the coat types mentioned above. The ideal weight for an adult standard Dachshund should be about 9–12 kg, while the smaller type weighs about 4.5 kg.
　　The Dachshund is a lively and brave hunting dog. It is the only breed that catches mice; it has incredible patience and stamina when tracking prey. It has a keen sense of smell and a small dog-like body shape, allowing it to easily enter burrows to drive out rabbits, foxes, and other prey. The personality is lively and intelligent, loving to play noisily. Dachshunds come in all coat colors, with white spots or various colored speckles on the chest. The short-haired type has short, dense hair, with coarser hair on the inner side of the tail. The long-haired type has long, soft, matte straight hair or slightly wavy hair. The back of the feet is adorned with abundant feathering. The body is long and muscular, capable of easily entering burrows. The head is long and tapers to a narrower tip, with a domed skull. The eyes are dark and medium-sized; if the coat is speckled, the eyes may be partially or entirely pale blue. The ears move frequently, are wide and long, with high ear roots. The tail slopes down along the spine, curving, with the tip pointing upward. The forelegs are strongly muscled, and when viewed from behind, the hind legs are parallel. The front feet are high and raised, while the rear feet are slightly smaller.
　　Head
　　Viewed from above or the side, the head has a tapered shape (gradually narrowing toward the nose tip). The eyes are medium-sized, almond-shaped, with a dark eye rim, giving a pleasant and comfortable expression; the gaze is not sharp; the color is very dark. The nasal bridge (above the eyes) is strong and prominent. Except for dappled Dachshunds, eyes with color rings are a very serious fault. The ears are located very close to the top of the head, should not be too far forward, of medium length, rounded, and must not be too narrow, too pointed, or folded. The ears hang down, and when active, the front edges of the ears touch the cheeks, becoming part of the face. The skull is slightly domed, neither too broad nor too narrow, gradually sloping, passing through a slight but perceptible stop, transitioning to a delicate, slightly arched muzzle. Black is the preferred color for the nose leather. The lips are tight, extending to cover the lower jaw. The nostrils are open. The mouth can open widely, with the jaw connection located below and behind the eyes; both bone and teeth are strong. Teeth: strong canine teeth, teeth closely spaced, scissors bite. Pincer bite is a minor fault, other bites are serious faults.
　　Neck
　　Long, muscular, neat, without excess fat; the nape is slightly arched, blending smoothly into the shoulders.
　　Trunk
　　Long and fully muscled. From the outline view, the back (from the withers to the short, slightly arched loin) should be as straight as possible. A body that hangs loosely on the shoulder blades is a serious fault. Abdomen: slightly raised.
　　Gait
　　Smooth and flowing. The forelimbs reach well forward without lifting too high, coordinating well with the drive of the hind limbs. Correct shoulder construction and suitable elbows allow a spacious step with a large stride. From the front, the forelimbs do not move in an absolutely parallel plane but slightly inward to counteract the effects of short legs and broad chest. The hind limb drive moves in line with the forelimbs; the hock (metatarsus) neither bends inward nor tilts outward. The push from the hind limbs mainly relies on full extension; from the side, the forward reach matches the backward stretch of the hind legs. The correct hind thrust action is that throughout the backward extension, the rear foot pads remain clearly visible. Paws should be parallel to the direction of movement, neither wobbling, crossing, nor interfering. Short steps, rocking or bounding steps, swaying, high-legged gait, too close or too far when moving towards or away are faults. The Dachshund must have lively, spacious movement with endurance to complete its work.