by Tammy L Mahan

Created on: December 01, 2008   Last Updated: December 31, 2008

The Dachshund is another German breed dog. It's name means "badger dog", the breed originally was used to sniff out and chase badgers from their burrows. This breed has a few nicknames as well including hot dog and wiener dog, due to it's long shaped body.

~ Physical Appearance ~

The Dachshund is a medium sized elongated dog, but it is possible to find miniature and kaninchen versions. An adult dachshund weighs between 15 30 pounds where as the miniature version weighs less than 12 pounds. The kaninchen is the smallest version and weighs between 8 10 pounds.

The Dachshund has three different types of coats wire hair, long coat and smooth coat. The wire hair is the newest addition and is not commonly seen. The coat colors can be single colored, single colored with tan and single colored with spots. The most popular color is red followed by tan and black.

~ Social Behavior ~

The Dachshund loves chasing small animals and tennis balls with great vigor and is very playful. Long haired Dachshunds inherit their calmness from the Spaniel dog genes where as wired hair Dachshunds inherit their spunky nature from their terrier counterparts. The Dachshund is very loyal to its owner and should not be left alone they will cry continuously until their master returns. Dachshunds do not like strangers and will bark to alert their owners of an intruder.

A bored Dachshund can resort to destroying shoes and other bit-able items and if raised improperly he can become aggressive or nervous around people. It is not recommended to leave a dachshund alone with a child or small animal unless the owner is absolutely certain that the dog will not harm them.

This breed is known to be jealous and will often bite when they feel their master is not paying enough attention to them. They growl and bark a lot as well. This dog is best suited for a single individual that doesn't have to share their love an attention with other family members or animals.

~ Reproduction ~

The gestation period of a Dachshund varies from 60 65 days and the labor can take anywhere from 2 24 hours. It is normal for the temperature of the mother to drop during whelping and many female's take a break in between giving birth and resume giving birth after a few hours. A female Dachshund can give birth to 2 10 puppies but majority of Dachshunds give birth to a maximum of 6 puppies per litter.

~ Health ~

The dachshund is prone to spinal problems because of their long body. They are also at risk for thyroid problems, eye and teeth problems and epilepsy. None of which are life threatening if treated properly but special care is needed and they require regular visits to the vet so any pending problem and be caught early and addressed. The average lifespan for this breed is 10 to 12 years.

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