Everything Dachshund

We will be diving into the past of dachshunds of how they came about and the different types of dachshunds that have evolved today.

German Background

Dachshunds have deep roots in Germany as they were used as hunting dogs during World War I. The breed commonly hunted badgers. Today dachshunds still are extremely prone to digging out rabbits and other small burrowing mammals. Their slender or "weiner-shaped" bodies make it possible for them to fit in small areas and navigate easily underground. The name dachshund even translates to "badger dog." Broken down in German, dachs means badger and hund means dog. Due to their German roots, dachshunds were largely known for being associated with Germany, but after the wars, people wanted to distance this lovely breed from Germany. They were referred to as badger dogs, but dachshunds apparently sounded better.

From their background, dachshunds are physically bred to hunt and dig. Check out this video of two cute little dachshunds doing what they were made for.

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Types of Dachshunds

Dachshunds come in so many different sizes and shapes. The combinations are nearly endless when it comes to the coats and colors a dachshund can have.

Coats

Dachshunds have three different kinds of coats: Long-haired, smooth-haired, and wire-haired.

Long-haired

These dachshunds typically come with more grooming than short-haired ones. They require frequent brushing to keep their coats smooth and clean. On the other hand, since they are long-haired they will shed a lot more meaning more cleanup time for the owner.

Short-haired

Short-haired dachshunds are the lowest maintenance coat type since they do not require much grooming if any at all. They also typically do not require baths as much as long-haired or wire-haired dachshunds since their fur is so short most of the dirt and grime roll right off their backs. With any dog, owners will have shedding but it relatively low and regular grooming will help keep shedding at bay.

Wire-haired

Dachshunds with this coat type tend to have a lot more work to do in terms of grooming. Wire-haired dachshunds should be groomed frequently and also be "stripped" twice a year. This process of "stripping" is when dead hairs are plucked from their coat to keep it looking clean and detangled. These dachshunds also come with cute little beards which should also be cleaned and trimmed from a licensed dog-groomer.

Colors

A cute brown, black, and white dapple dachshund

There are so so so many different dachshund colors meaning that there are a dachshund type and color for literally everyone. The most common dachshund colors are red, black and tan, and cream.

Red

My dachshund, Max, is considered to be a "red" color. Ultimately, red does not actually mean their coat is red. Instead, the "red color" can either be light almost strawberry red to a deep reddish-brown color or they can be anything in between. Max is more on the reddish-brown with a couple of streaks of grey because he is getting old now.

Black & Tan

My other dachshund, Dash, is considered a black and tan color. Dachshunds who are black and tan are mostly black except for their chests, snouts, sometimes paws, and small little eyebrows. There is no definite combination where their brown areas will pop up. It's like a surprise every time!

Cream

A perfect example of a cream dachshund is luna the dox from Instagram. People are typically drawn to English cream dachshunds because of their golden appearances. English-cream dachshunds are almost always long-haired dachshunds as well.

Dapple

They are called dapple due to two different colors being "dappled" throughout their coat. This intrigues people since they are unique and some even have blue eyes. Dapples are extremely cute but breeders will breed two dapples together to create a double dapple coat. Double dapples are pleasing to look at but they come with an array of health problems.

Blue

Similar to the red coat, the blue coat can be a little misleading. Blue does not actually mean but dachshund with this color coat appears to be grey. Their fur can sometimes have a blue tint along with their eyes. Blue dachshunds are routinely short-haired but I'm sure there is a blue wire-haired dachshund somewhere in the world.

The Possibilities Are Endless (almost)

There are too many dachshund colors to cover in this one blog post, but ultimately dachshunds can be extremely unique. There is a color and a coat for just about everyone.

Additional Information

The Dachshund Club of America is a great resource for information on dachshunds as it is the official national breed club for dachshunds. You can also find information about health information, where to find reputable breeders, and upcoming events the organization is hosting so you can meet other dachshund lovers!

Next Week

Next week's blog will discuss how to properly care for your dachshund and what you can do to prevent diseases dachshunds are particularly prone to. See you next week!