Key Facts:Size: Small - medium Height: Standard variety: 22 cm (9 in) Miniature variety: 12 cm (5 in) Weight: Standard variety: 6.5 - 11.5 kg (15-25 lb). Miniature variety: 4.5 kg (9-10 lb). Life Span: 13 years Grooming: Varies with variety Exercise: Reasonable Feeding: Undemanding Temperament: Independent & brave Country of Origin: Germany AKC Group: Hound Other Names: Zwergteckel (miniature), Normalschlag (standard)
Physical Characteristics:
General Appearance: Low to ground, short legged and long bodied. Colour: Any solid colour is permitted. No white is allowed in
Smooth-Haired variety. Coat: Smooth-haired breeds have a short, dense, smooth coat. The Long-Haired have a soft, straight and slightly wavy coat. The Wire-Haired variety has shaggy eyebrows and a beard. The outercoat is harsh and short and undercoat is dense. Tail: Set high, carried level with back and not curved. Ears: Set high, moderately long, rounded tips and hanging close to cheeks. Body: Long and low body, level back, tucked up belly, deep chest and short forearms.
Temperament: Active, hardy, courageous and independent. These dogs make good family companions and guard dogs. Dachshunds respond well to training, but they can also have a mind of their own and require firm discipline. This breed usually gets on with other dogs and can be overly-brave when approaching larger dogs. They should be socialised with other household pets at an early age to prevent difficulties later on.
Grooming: Grooming is easy and straight forward for Smooth-Haired variety. Occasional grooming with a rubber brush is sufficent to remove dead hairs. The Wire-Haired and Long-Haired varieties are more demanding and do require frequent brushing to maintain a healthy knot-free coat. The ears need to be kept clean and claws trimmed short.
