🐾 Dachshund

Dachshund

▶

▶ ▶

Tap a video to play it

🔍 See more videos →

Photos

✖ ❮ ❯

Who it is

• Scientific name: Canis lupus familiaris
• Family & relatives: A hound breed of dog; like all dogs it descends from the wolf and is related to other hounds.
• How to spot it: A small dog with a long body, very short legs, floppy ears, and a friendly, alert face.

Its body & abilities

• Size: Standard dachshunds are about 20 to 23 cm tall; there are smaller miniature ones too.
• Weight: Standards about 7 to 15 kg; miniatures under about 5 kg.
• Body & adaptations: Its long back and short legs were made for digging into burrows after small animals.
• Top speed: Short legs but quick and eager, it can scurry and dig with surprising speed.
• Strength: Strong and brave for its size, with a loud bark and a bold, determined spirit.
• Senses: A superb nose and sharp ears, first bred to follow scents underground.
• Growing up: Puppies are born tiny with short legs and grow to full size in about a year.

Where it lives

• Habitat: Lives as a family pet in homes and enjoys yards where it can sniff and explore.
• Where in the world: Kept as a pet worldwide; the breed began in Germany.
• Territory: Its home and yard, which it guards with a big bark.

What it eats

• Diet: A pet that eats dog food in daily meals; careful portions keep its long back healthy.
• Favorite foods: Good-quality dog food and occasional treats, kept modest to avoid extra weight.
• How it hunts: Its name means badger dog in German, because it was bred to dig into badger burrows.

How it behaves

• How it moves: Walks, trots, digs, and burrows under blankets, a favorite dachshund habit.
• When it is active: Playful and curious by day and loves to snuggle deep in cozy blankets to rest.
• Family life: Friendly and loyal, it bonds closely with its family and likes to stay near them.
• How it talks: A loud, deep bark for such a small dog, plus whines and happy tail wags.
• Babies: After about 63 days a mother has a litter of around three to six puppies, which she nurses and warms.

Its place in nature

• Role in nature: A loving companion today; once a brave helper that hunted badgers and rabbits.
• Conservation: Domestic breed, not a wild animal, so it is not counted for conservation.
• Dangers: Its long back needs care, so gentle lifting and no big jumps help keep it healthy.

Life & legacy

• How long it lives: One of the longer-living breeds, often about 12 to 16 years.
• In our culture: A beloved breed nicknamed the wiener dog or sausage dog and a favorite around the world.
• Where to see it: In homes as a family pet and at dog shows.
• Fun fact: The name dachshund is German for badger dog, the animal it was first bred to hunt.