BREEDS - DACHSHUND

General Information
The Dachshund, meaning "badger dog" in German, is a lively breed with a friendly personality and keen sense of smell. Known for their long and low bodies, they are eager hunters that excel in both above- and below-ground work.

Dachshunds were first bred in the early 1600s in Germany. The goal was to create a fearless, elongated dog that could dig the earth from a badger burrow and fight to the death with the vicious badgers.
{Source: wikipedia}

Characteristics

Group:	Hound
General Appearance:	Low to ground, long in body and short of leg, with robust muscular development; the skin is elastic and pliable without excessive wrinkling. The Dachshund is well-balanced with bold and confident head carriage and intelligent, alert facial expression.
Temperament:	The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above- and below-ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.
Head And Skull:	Viewed from above or from the side, the head tapers uniformly to the tip of the nose.
Eyes:	The eyes are of medium size, almond-shaped and dark-rimmed, with an energetic, pleasant expression; not piercing; very dark in color. The bridge bones over the eyes are strongly prominent.
Ears:	The ears are set near the top of the head, not too far forward, of moderate length, rounded, not narrow, pointed, or folded. Their carriage, when animated, is with the forward edge just touching the cheek so that the ears frame the face.
Teeth:	Powerful canine teeth; teeth fit closely together in a scissors bite.
Neck:	Long, muscular, clean-cut, without dewlap, slightly arched in the nape, flowing gracefully into the shoulders without creating the impression of a right angle.
Body:	The trunk is long and fully muscled. When viewed in profile, the back lies in the straightest possible line between the withers and the short, very slightly arched loin. Abdomen-Slightly drawn up.
Forequarters:	For effective underground work, the front must be strong, deep, long and cleanly muscled. The shoulder blades are long, broad, well-laid back and firmly placed upon the fully developed thorax, closely fitted at the withers, furnished with hard yet pliable muscles.
Hindquarters:	Strong and cleanly muscled. The pelvis, the thigh, the second thigh, and the rear pastern are ideally the same length and give the appearance of a series of right angles. From the rear, the thighs are strong and powerful.
Feet:	The hind paws are smaller than the front paws. Paws have four compactly closed and arched toes with tough, thick pads. The entire foot points straight ahead and is balanced equally on the ball and not merely on the toes.
Tail:	Set in continuation of the spine, extending without kinks, twists, or pronounced curvature, and not carried too gaily.
Gait/Movement:	Fluid and smooth. The Dachshund must have agility, freedom of movement, and endurance to do the work for which he was developed.
Coat:	The Dachshund is bred with three varieties of coat: (1) Smooth; (2) Wirehaired; (3) Longhaired
Colour:	Combinations of black, chocolate, wild boar, gray (blue) and fawn (Isabella), with deep, rich tan or cream markings over the eyes, on the sides of the jaw and underlip, sable or brindle
Sizes:	Bred and shown in two sizes, standard and miniature; miniatures are not a separate classification but compete in a class division for "11 pounds and under at 12 months of age and older." Weight of the standard size is usually between 16 and 32 pounds.
Dachshunds at Forrest Park:	Clifford Boris