Dachshund

THE WEDDING
Von Schlegels Lil Fannie May-MW owned by Jo-An Kenny- IL.
Champion Von Schlegels Dear Watson-MW-CGC, NA, NAJ, NAP, NJP, OJP, OA, OAP, AXP, TBAD, TIAD, TG1, TG2, UAG1, UAG2
Owned & showed by Sharon Ehr-IL.
Von Schlegel's Miniature Dachshunds

CHAMPION VON SCHLEGELS LIL DEVA-MW
pictured winning major points under breeder/Judge Monica Canestrini
handler Marietta Singleton
Aug 27, 2006
breeder/owner Pat Slagal
Von Schlegel's Miniature Dachshunds

Von Schlegels Lil Etta-MW
owned by Tony Keys
North Carolina
Von Schlegel's Miniature Dachshunds

Von Wolff Miniature Dachshund Kennel

In medieval Europe, in the areas surrounding present-day Germany, there are records of a breed of dog called the Teckel that was bred for hunting purposes. The Teckel, with its long torso and short legs, is considered to be the ancestor of today's Dachshund. With "dachs" meaning badger and "hund" meaning dog, the name Dachshund comes from what the breeds were originally developed for, which was to chase badgers and foxes down into their burrows.

Illustrations dating from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries show badgers hunted by dogs with elongated bodies, short legs, and hound-type ears-some with the bent front legs of the Basset, some with the heads of terriers, and some with indications of smooth and long coats.

Since World War II, management of the breed in Germany has reverted to the Deutscher Teckelklub (whose registrations are accepted by the American Kennel Club) and the Gebrauchsteckelklub. The balance of breeding for hunting and symmetry which advanced the breed for 25 years before the war was altered after the war to stress hunting, with a more terrier-like conformation. It is unlikely that one in a thousand Dachshunds are used to hunt these days.

The Dachshund is bred and shown in two sizes. The Miniature is for dogs 11 pounds and under at 12 months of age or older. The Standard is for dogs over 11 pounds. The Standards are usually between 16 and 32 pounds at full growth.

The Dachshund also has three different coat varieties, the smooth, wirehaired and the longhaired. The smooth Dachshund has a smooth shiny coat. The base color of the dog is immaterial, certain patterns and basic colors are predominate. Single colored Dachshunds can be red (with or without shading of interspersed dark hairs or sable), and cream. A small amount of white on the chest is acceptable. Two colored Dachshunds include black, chocolate, wild boar, gray (blue), and fawn (Isabella), each with tan markings over the eyes, on the sides of the jaw and underlip, and on the inner edge of the ear,front breast, inside and behind the frong legs, on the paws and around the anus as well as about one-third to one half of the length of the tail on the underside. A small amount of white on the chest is acceptable.

The "single" dapple pattern is expressed as lighter-colored areas contrasting with the darker base color, which may be any acceptable color. Neither the light nor the dark color should predominate. Nose and nails are the same as for one and two-colored Dachshunds. Partial or wholly blue (wall) eyes are as acceptable as dark eyes. A large area of white on the chest of a dapple is permissible.

A "double" dapple is one in which varying amounts of white coloring occur over the body in addition to the dapple pattern. Nose and nails: as for one and two-color Dachshunds; partial or wholly self-colored is permissible.

Brindle is a pattern (as opposed to a color) in which black or dark stripes occur over the entire body although in some specimens the pattern may be visible only in the tan points.

Wirehaired Dachshunds have a uniform tight, short, thick, rough, outer coat with a finer and softer undercoat everywhere dsitributed between the coarser hairs. The most common colors are wild boar, black and tan, and various shades of red, all colors are admissible. A small amount of white on the chest, although acceptable, is not desirable.

The longhaired Dachshund has a sleek, glistening often slightly wavy coat that is longer under the neck and forechest, and on the underside of the body as well as behind the legs. Thier coloring is the same as the smooth Dachshund.

Grooming is very simple for the smooth coated -- Just a bath as needed as well as a nail trim and ear cleaning on a regular basis is usually all that is required for this breed. Long coated types may need to be taken to a professional groomer when needed.

The Dachshunds are very clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness. They adore their families and crave to be near them.

Health concerns include thyroid problems, urinary stones, epilepsy, heart disease, and back problems. Blues are prone to color mutant alopecia and double dapples may have hearing and vision problems.