Dachshunds

Although this breed started out to be used for eliminating badgers, the German foresters discovered this dog was an excellent hunter of fox, rabbit, and for finding wounded deer. In packs, the Dachshund could also hunt wild boar. The breed turned out to be far more resourceful than originally planned. In the early 19th century, Dachshunds first appeared in the United States. It is believed that they first came over with German immigrants. There were also imports brought from England as well. World War I almost spelled the end for the Dachshund. Anti-German attitudes made it uncomfortable to own a Dachshund but the breed survived only to once again encounter anti-German attitudes during World War II. The breed became very popular in the U.S. after the war. The American Kennel Club began to register Dachshunds in 1885. The Dachshund Club of America was organized in 1895 and carried out a successful educational campaign and the Dachshund has endured enormous popularity ever since. As a matter of fact, in the year 2000, the Dachshund was fourth in individual registrations among the 148 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. There were 54,773 individual registrations that year and 30,697 litter registrations. With that many litter registrations, the Dachshund was the second highest registered in 2000.
             The Dachshund has something no other breed has: it comes in more sizes, coats and colors than man ever created. There are three varieties of Dachshunds: the short-haired, the wired-haired, and the long-haired. With each of the varieties, there are also three sizes. There is the normal size, also known as standard. The standard size is 14 - 18 inches tall and weighs approximately 20 pounds. The second size is called miniature, or dwarf. The Miniature Dachshund stands 12 - 14 inches tall and weighs approximately 9 pounds. The third size is the smallest. Standing no more than 12 inches tall, the toy size Dachshund weighs approximately 8 pounds.