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"Small Dog Breed Catalog"
Small Dog Breed Catalog: Page 16
of 56
Dachshund Dog Breed
The Dachshund was used as a tracker of badger in medieval Europe, and
was once larger than it is today. His size eventually became smaller
because it was purposefully bred down in size to hunt foxes and
rabbits. It has an excellent sense of smell and a bold and fierce
temperament that allowed it to tangle with its sometimes difficult
prey.
Size: The Dachshund comes in two sizes: standard and miniature. The
standard-size Dachshund is approximately 9 inches tall at the shoulder
and weighs 12 to 24 pounds. The miniature stands 5 to 6 inches at the
shoulder and weighs under 12 pounds.
Description: The Dachshund has a superior scenting ability and may be
stubborn, dominant, and somewhat resistant to training. Nevertheless,
the Dachshund is very personable and can make a great companion.
There are three types of coats with this breed; long and short.. The
smooth is usually alert, bold, and friendly. The long-haired is
usually more timid and reserved with strangers and requires a more
patient training technique. The wire-haired tends to be the most
active of the three and, though friendly, is the most stubborn.
The smooth coat is short, glossy, and shedding and requires little
maintenance. The long-haired coat, also shed- ding, is of medium
length, shiny, silky, slightly wavy, and of low maintenance, requiring
brushing twice a week. The wire-haired coat is rougher and harder,
almost terrier-like in texture, medium-length, and shedding.
Training: The Dachshund requires consistent obedience training and
early socialization. His great sense of smell will often lead it
astray, so make sure you develop a firm training attitude. The 'come'
command can be difficult to teach to this breed. Don't pamper your
Dachshund because it may get spoiled. It may be small, but it is very
pushy and will take over if given the chance. This breed can be a
barker and will make a good watchdog.
Copyright 2006 by Jay Jennings. All rights reserved.
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