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Dachshund (Wire-Haired)

Dachshund (Wire-Haired)

The Dachshund (Wire-Haired) is a medium breed dog on short legs, standing around 35cm tall and about 9-12kg when fully grown. The coat is hard and wiry, forming an attractive moustache, beard and characterful eyebrows. The ears are kept smooth and neat and the whole coat maintained with regular hand stripping or plucking. A wide variety of colours occur but not all are accepted for health reasons – check the breed standard for further details.

The need-to-know
  • Dog suitable for owners with some experience
  • Some training required
  • Enjoys gentle walks
  • Enjoys walking an hour a day
  • Small dog
  • Minimum drool
  • Requires grooming once a week
  • Non hypoallergenic breed
  • Very vocal dog
  • Guard dog. Barks and alerts
  • May require training to live with other pets
  • May require training to live with kids

Personality

The Dachshund (Wire Haired) is a bold, courageous dog with a lively personality and nature. The rugged workman of the Dachshund varieties, the Wire Haired Dachshund still retains the independent and sometimes seemingly obstinate nature of the breed, but is also known for being loyal and good-tempered. They are excellent at tracking a scent outdoors, but equally make an affectionate, people-friendly housedog. It should not come as a surprise that the Dachshund is fond of the sound of his own voice, bearing in mind his ancestral purpose!

History and Origins

Country of Origin: Germany

Dachshunds can be traced back to the 15th Century in Germany, and came to Britain with Prince Albert. Dachshunds short legs allowed them to go to ground after badgers and other burrowing animals, where they would bark loudly to let hunters know where they were underground.

They enjoyed popularity throughout Britain and America during the 19th Century though lost favour during World War I due to their Germanic origins.

Today the Dachshund is again a popular family pet, and the Wire Haired Dachshund is an attractive somewhat shaggy version of the breed.

Did You Know?

  • The Dachshund ended up a member of the hound group due to a mistranslation of their name, ‘hund’ which means ‘dog’ and not specifically ‘hound’. The Dachshund is really a terrier type, bred to go to ground and either flush out quarry or hold it at bay until hunters could dig down to them.

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