Each person chooses a dog for themselves. Taking an active animal, for example, to an adult is, at the very least, irresponsible. The same statement also applies to the dachshund. It is very difficult for her to live in an apartment and “suppress” her hunting instincts. It is important to clearly understand that any pet is not a toy and requires a responsible attitude.
The decorative appearance of the dog is deceptive, it is an excellent hunter
History of the breed
The dachshund is one of the oldest hunting breeds. There are no reliable facts proving where the species came from. The first documentary mention of the breed dates back to the 16th century; Germany is considered its homeland.
From official sources it is known that the direct ancestors of dachshunds are marriages. These are hounds, hunting dogs with an excellent sense of smell and colossal endurance.
The species received maximum development thanks to the active work of breeders.
After crossing a dog with a spaniel, the long-haired dachshund was created. On a note! The Russian Terrier is the most similar species in terms of natural skills. Their joint drawing can be found in ancient literature.
Price range
White dachshunds rarely appear in nurseries and are regarded as a breeding marriage. Therefore, their cost is relatively low: from 10-15 thousand rubles, sometimes a little higher.
However, breeders often sell white albino puppies for more than standard-colored puppies with documents, and then the cost of a white dachshund can reach 35-40 thousand rubles or more..
Description of the breed
The hairy dachshund has distinctive external qualities from standard representatives of the species. Its description can be endless. The beautiful dewlap and rich feathering on the paws make it the most decorative breed.
On a note! The long-haired dachshund can literally charm anyone with its hair.
But at the same time, the long-haired dachshund dog has not lost its main purpose - it was, is and will be a real hunter.
The shaggy dachshund also has another distinctive feature - it is calmer and more reserved than its smooth-haired counterparts. The shaggy dachshund puppy shows character at an early age and strives to protect its owner.
The appearance of the long-haired dachshund is strikingly different from the smooth-haired variety.
Reviews
Lyudmila: “While our Linda was a puppy, she managed to ruin her slippers, tore the wallpaper and scratched the furniture. When the dog frolicked, things flew in all directions. But the dachshund was so cute that we didn’t give up our pet. Now this is a well-behaved mother. Linda recently gave birth to some cute puppies and is looking after them.”
Boris: “When I bought a hunting rifle, my friends gave me a long-haired dachshund. At first I was offended by them, mistaking them for a joke. But the very first foray into the forest brought good luck - the Hussar quickly found a hole and extracted a hare from it. I think now a gun is superfluous for hunting.”
Olga: “When I saw a dachshund, I fell in love with this breed. The dog is so beautiful, elegant, and looks with an intelligent look. Now Marquise is pregnant and I ordered a puppy from her.”
If you want to have a loyal friend with four legs nearby, long-haired dachshunds will be an excellent choice. The pet's docile, playful character will bring a special atmosphere to your home.
Breed characteristics
During the existence of the species, neither the character nor the appearance of dogs of this breed changed practically. Smooth-haired dachshund or with wool - it doesn’t really matter. The main thing is that both types have literally outstanding qualities:
- The dog can easily endure any difficulties.
- The fluffy dachshund has a lively disposition.
- It is better to train a dog from an early age.
- Bonds to only one owner.
- The shaggy dachshund breed looks very funny.
Features of grooming
When a long-haired dachshund dog lives in the house, every owner must master the secrets of grooming or systematically seek help from professionals. This process includes:
- bathing;
- combing;
- hair cutting.
As for bathing and haircuts, these procedures are carried out as needed.
Dog after grooming procedure
Advantages and disadvantages
Before you get a dachshund, you need to understand that as much as a dog can bring joy, it can also cause as much grief.
The main advantages of a dog include:
- Well developed intellect.
- All commands are captured on the fly.
- Loves children.
- The most playful creature.
- Neat and clean.
- Devotion to the owner is extremely developed.
Disadvantages include:
- Very touchy.
- Prone to stress.
- Gets sick often.
Character
The dachshund is a family dog; it easily gets along with all family members, while it considers one member to be the owner and obeys only him. He likes to be constantly with him and has a hard time withstanding loneliness. She has a good memory: if you punish her strongly, she will change her attitude. He is not tolerant with children: he may bite if he doesn’t like something. Distrustful of strangers. He is friendly with other pets, but may view strangers as prey.
Well oriented in space, quickly switches from one task to the next. Curious and quite sensitive. The character is balanced (unlike the wire-haired one). He has good intuition and can make decisions independently (for example, during burrow hunting). Gambling and emotional, dexterous and flexible.
Representatives of the breed often run away, so experts recommend purchasing special targeted tags for your pet.
Despite its size, this is a brave animal, it can get into a fight with a dog that is larger in size. While walking, you should take this fact into account. In addition, the dachshund is a territorial dog: it fiercely defends its territory.
Breed standard
Only those dogs that fully comply with generally accepted standards are allowed to participate in competitions and exhibitions.
Head
The skull resembles a wedge in appearance; points are not allowed. The occipital zone is highly developed. The transition from the forehead to the muzzle is weakly expressed.
Jaws and teeth
The teeth are strong and close together tightly. The jaws are well developed and endowed with excellent muscles.
Nose
The nose has a clear narrowing towards the lobe and is shaped like an oval. Pigmentation may be black or brown.
Eyes
Oval eyes are very expressive. The dog has a so-called rabbit look. The iris can be brown or caramel.
Attention! The exception is dogs with marbled coat color. Their eyes may be cream or blue.
Ears
The ears are long and shaped like an isosceles triangle. The ends are rounded.
Neck
The neck is set high, withers and scruff are clearly defined.
Frame
The chest is oval, maximally developed in front. The back is long, the croup is sloping. The stomach is taut.
Limbs
The short legs look a little crooked. The hind legs are set wide apart. The brushes are strong and packed as tightly as possible.
Tail
The tail may hang or rise. It all depends on the dog's mood. According to the rules, it should be located below the line of the vertebrae.
Wool
The long-haired dachshund has a two-layer coat. The top one is smooth, the bottom one is fluffy. Lengthening begins near the throat and lower torso.
Color
The long-haired black dachshund is the standard. Pure color is more valuable. But the presence of a second color is acceptable. These can be tan marks of red or fawn shades.
On a note! The red long-haired dachshund looks very impressive. Its copper shade literally shines under the sun.
Gray or beige spots are acceptable, but only for merle and brindle colors.
Unusual color also applies to breed standards
White dachshund
Each living creature, by its nature, may differ in appearance, color or other criterion from its relatives. This applies to both people and animals. People often wonder why people are born with an absolutely transparent – pale skin color and meeting them can bring various emotions, such as rejection or, conversely, interest and delight. After all, such individuals stand out from the crowd. This abnormality is accompanied by a deficiency in the body of a substance such as melanin. You can see a person with severe and complete albinism, or you can also see a person with partial skin pigmentation. Strabismus, in its essence, is also one of the features of incomplete albinism. This anomaly also occurs in the animal world, but quite rarely. So what is it: individuality or disease? Are albino dogs any different from their counterparts? Maybe they are stronger, faster, have good immunity, all senses are well developed, or, conversely, do they perceive the environment more painfully?
Disqualifying faults
A dog’s defects can manifest themselves not only in appearance, but also in the dog’s behavior.
External defects include:
- The length of the fur is equal on all parts of the body.
- Excessive waviness or shaggy appearance.
- Short coat length.
- Visible parting on the dog's back.
The following can also lead to rejection:
- Undeveloped body.
- Weak back.
- White is the color of the dog.
- Irregular angles of the limbs.
- Incomplete set of teeth.
Non-standard colors
There are other color options for dachshunds. Often these puppies are bought precisely because of their non-standard color. But they, as a rule, already have health problems, and their risk of contracting infectious diseases is higher.
Double marble (double merle)
What types of dachshunds are there?
The double merle color name refers to the presence of a color on the body similar to merle, but with large white spots. Such species often suffer from eye and hearing diseases.
Note! The color is obtained by mating two marbled dogs.
Unusual double merle color
Marble color
Black or brown spots against a background of a lighter shade give a similar pattern. This color is allowed by the standard, but under certain conditions. The color should not be double and the eye color should be dark. Each dog has a unique coloring - you won’t find another one like it.
For your information! Sometimes on the RuNet you can see such a name as the French dachshund. It is worth understanding that there is no dachshund breed with this name. If you delve deeper into history, their origin is more closely associated with southern Germany.
Thus, dogs of these breeds can be not only dark brown, but even white. But no matter what color their fur is, by nature they are all stern hunters and faithful companions.
Maintenance and care
The rules for keeping a dog are the same regardless of the breed.
Even a small puppy requires constant attention and good living conditions. The pet should have its own place in the house to sleep and eat.
Hygiene
Compliance with hygiene standards for this breed is a prerequisite.
This applies not only to the mandatory combing of long hair, but also to regular visits to special hairdressing salons.
Cleaning the ears and eyes is mandatory and should be done at least once a week.
Walking, physical activity and rules of safe behavior on the street
As mentioned earlier, the dog is endowed with a hunting acumen. That is why walking should only be done on a leash and under the constant supervision of the owner.
It is recommended to load the dog as much as possible. To do this, it is better to walk the dog in special areas.
Active walks are required
Features of feeding and diet
It is recommended to feed the dog with premium food, which is designed specifically for small dogs.
Experts advise combining wet and dry food.
Feeding an adult dog
Standard long-haired dachshunds, like other varieties of these short-legged dogs, love to eat. Therefore, in order to avoid problems, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the regime, otherwise the long dachshund will also become fat.
Adult animals need to be fed twice a day. To prevent your dog from overeating, he should be given food in small portions. The dose is determined in each case individually depending on the body weight of the animal.
Important! When calculating nutrition, you need to take into account that for every kilogram of weight a dachshund needs 40 g of food.
Interesting Facts
The dog is one of the most numerous breeds. There is even a city in Germany called Gergweis, which has the unofficial status of the capital of dachshunds.
For many years, debates about the nationality of the dog have not subsided. Battles are being fought between Egyptian and German specialists.
On a note! Even songs are dedicated to the endless length of dachshunds.
The appearance of the dog attracts everyone's attention. “Long Sausage” evokes interest and affection. But it is very important to remember that this is not a toy, but a real hunter who requires an appropriate attitude.
How to choose a puppy
When choosing a puppy, you should pay attention to its appearance. A healthy dog should have clean eyes and nose, be active and inquisitive. The puppy should be free of fleas and signs of worms, as well as an overly bloated abdomen, which indicates intestinal problems. An animal older than 2 months must have a veterinary passport, which contains notes on vaccinations already done.
Long-haired dachshunds are lively and active dogs that require a lot of time from their owners for communication and cannot stand being alone. You should not get them if you are not sure that you will be able to keep your pet correctly.
New addition to the dog family: about pregnancy and childbirth
How many offspring can a dachshund produce? This breed is considered prolific. There are known cases of the simultaneous birth of 10-12 puppies from one mother! But, of course, this does not happen often. The average is from 4 to 6 kids.
At the same time, according to breeders, you definitely shouldn’t expect much in numbers from the first litter. The most fertile age is considered to be the one that fits within the framework of 4-6 years. Then, as a rule, the female gives birth to fewer puppies.
Pregnancy most often lasts 9 weeks. There is an interesting pattern: the more babies are expected, the shorter the pregnancy will last. If one or two puppies are expected, gestation can even reach, according to my observations, 68-70 days! This is the absolute norm, so I don’t advise you to worry.
During pregnancy, the dog needs frequent walking. Don’t think that if an animal is in an interesting position, it needs rest. Vice versa! Especially considering that dachshunds are prone to obesity. Which, as you know, is extremely undesirable during pregnancy.
IMPORTANT: As soon as the dachshund begins to gain weight excessively, the amount of its food must be reduced. But not at the expense of protein!
In the last weeks of pregnancy, the dog often loses its appetite. This happens because the stomach is no longer able to stretch as much as before. In this case, it is worth splitting up the food. Food should be high in calories, and starting from the 2nd month of pregnancy, it is worth enriching it with mineral supplements with phosphorus and calcium.
Breeders advise preparing a place for childbirth at least a week before this event. The dog must get used to it. The box should be spacious enough and have sides. The optimal height of the sides is 25 cm. It will allow the bitch to leave the box and at the same time prevent the babies from getting out.
The box needs to be covered with newspapers, which will need to be changed. You also need a wool or cotton blanket. Definitely clean! I would also advise you to prepare a bottle of hot water or a heating pad so that the optimal temperature is maintained in the box.
During childbirth, dogs most often lie on their side. However, Dachshunds can assume a semi-standing position. Most often, about 6 hours pass from the first attempts to the birth itself. As a rule, dachshunds cope well with childbirth - severe cases occur infrequently.
