| Getting to know your dog starts by getting to | | | | |
| know its breed, and that includes getting a | | | | * White |
| better idea about its appearance, | | | | |
| personality, and health requirements. Here's | | | | * Chocolate and Red |
| what you need to know about the Daschund: | | | | |
| | | | * Brown and Red |
| Known also as the "wiener dog" because of the | | | | |
| long body, the Daschund makes a great pet. | | | | In addition to the variance in colors and |
| With its low-riding body typically comes a | | | | color combinations, the Daschund would |
| laid back "low-riding" attitude. The Daschund | | | | generally have black hair intermingled on the |
| dates all the way back to Ancient Egyptian | | | | back, tail, edges of the ears, and face. |
| days. Over the years, the breed became | | | | While you will find many solid chocolate and |
| popular around Europe, specifically loved by | | | | black dogs of this breed, keep in mind these |
| royalty. | | | | are non-standard colors, meaning from |
| | | | conformance competition in the United States |
| The Daschund we know today was originally | | | | and the United Kingdom, they would be |
| called a German Daschund, which was much | | | | disqualified. |
| larger, weighing up to 40 pounds. This early | | | | |
| breed had straight and crooked leg varieties. | | | | Temperament and Personality |
| The Daschund is also famous for hunting of | | | | |
| fox and rabbit, as well as exterminating | | | | If you were looking for a fun, playful, and |
| badgers and finding wild boar and injured | | | | loyal family dog, the Daschund would make an |
| deer. The name itself translates in German | | | | excellent consideration. This breed is |
| to "badger dog" because of its amazing | | | | actually quite clever, smart, and courageous |
| hunting, chasing, and scent abilities. | | | | but also being strong-willed, they can be a |
| | | | bit on the challenging side when it comes to |
| Physical Appearance | | | | training. On occasion, a Daschund might |
| | | | appear shy which would not be a preferred |
| Today's Daschund is known for having crooked | | | | behavior. In this case, early and on-going |
| legs, a barrel shaped chest, loose skin, and | | | | socialization would help. |
| again, the elongated body. As with other | | | | |
| breeds, the Daschund is bred for a smooth, | | | | Another interesting fact about the Daschund |
| longhair, and wirehair coat. Keep in mind | | | | is that the type of temperament changes with |
| that the wirehair breed usually has shorter | | | | the type of coat. For example, a long haired |
| and wirier hair than the smooth and long | | | | breed tends to be a more relaxed dog. The |
| coat. If you plan to show, the American | | | | eyes of this breed are deep and heartfelt, |
| Kennel Club accepts a miniature and full-size | | | | making the expressions sweet. Then, the |
| version, each with a distinctive class of | | | | Daschund usually has a rich bark while making |
| height and weight. | | | | snoring type sounds due to larger lungs that |
| | | | fill the space of the barrel shaped chest. |
| To give you an idea of the difference, a | | | | |
| miniature Daschund would weigh 11 pounds or | | | | Health |
| less while a full-grown dog would be anywhere | | | | |
| from 16 to 32 pounds. This breed is also | | | | Although you might expect the Daschund to |
| available in a wide array of colors although | | | | have a lot of health issues because of the |
| the primary colors are red, and black and | | | | elongated body, the truth is most are |
| red. Other possibilities include: | | | | healthy. However, they can have problems |
| | | | with the spine, which can be aggravated by |
| * Fawn | | | | obesity. To prevent spinal problems, it is |
| | | | recommended this breed be kept from jumping |
| * Chocolate | | | | off beds, walking up and down many stairs, |
| | | | and so on. Even picking this breed up must |
| * Wild Boar | | | | be done carefully to avoid injury. For |
| | | | instance, the front and rear portions of the |
| * Cream Blue | | | | body must always be completely supported. |
| | | | |
| * Light Boar Red (copper, rust, etc) | | | | One of the most inherited of all spinal risks |
| | | | is Intervertebral Disk Disease, which can |
| * Piebald | | | | usually be treated with various medications |
| | | | and in more severe cases, corrected with |
| * Sable | | | | surgery. Alternative medicine is also used |
| | | | and found in most cases to be successful. |
| * Dapple | | | | For instance, acupuncture, chiropractic |
| | | | manipulation, and physical therapy are all |
| * Double Dapple | | | | possible solutions. |