7 Fun Things You Didn’t Know About Dachshunds
You love your doxie…but do you know everything there is to know about them? We’ve compiled some of the top fun facts about dachshunds of every size, shape and personality. Like, did you know there are literally hundreds of ways for your sausage dog to appear? And that they’ve played a big role in world events, like the World Wars? No? Well, keep reading to find out more!
1. Dachshunds are the smallest hunting breed
Out of all the hunting breeds throughout the world, dachshunds are the smallest. That doesn’t mean that they’re not ferocious, though! These little guys (as you’ve probably noticed) are quite ready to defend their turf and will get aggressive toward other animals and people if you let them.
With a little good training, though, you can have them tamed out of that in no time. However, you’ll still want to keep some toys around to entertain their scrappy side — think lots of squeaky toys to indulge their killer instinct.
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2. Not all dachshunds look alike
While those who aren’t true lovers of the breed may just assume that all sausage dogs look the same, that’s not the case at all. There are actually three different sizes and three different coat types. The three sizes are the standard, miniature and “rabbit.” However, the “rabbit” size isn’t recognized in the United States or the United Kingdom.
The standard dachshund is from 16 to 32 pounds. The miniature is under 12 pounds and the “rabbit” size is eight to 11 pounds. The three coat types are wire, smooth and long, so you can pick the maintenance level that’s right for you. You can also find dachshunds in 15 different official color combinations with six different marking combinations! That’s a lot of possibilities!
3. What came first — the dish or the dog?
Some like to speculate that hot dogs were actually originally called dachshund sausages in Germany, though it hasn’t been proven. Then, some think that the dachshund got its wiener nickname after one writer had trouble spelling dachshund. Whatever the case, it’s all cute!
4. Dachshunds received quite a bit of hate during the World Wars
Because of the breed’s German roots, dachshunds were not well-liked in America during the World Wars. Many cartoonists used dachshunds to portray Germany in ads, which led to a lot of people disliking the dogs for no reason. In order to combat this, some began calling dachshunds badger dogs.
Additionally, the Nazis claimed that they taught dachshunds how to communicate with humans telepathically, as well as vocally. All of their “proof” however, is highly staged.
5. Dachshunds have been cloned!
If you’ve ever wanted to clone your favorite pup, well, we’re getting a bit closer. A woman in the United Kingdom won a contest to clone her dog. She reports that the dog is healthy, happy and gets along with its original just fine.
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6. Dachshunds are celeb and royal favorites.
Dachshunds have always gotten a lot of love from celebrities, but did you know that Queen Victoria loved dachshunds the way Queen Elizabeth II loves corgis? It’s true! In fact, Queen Victoria is credited with making the dog popular in the United Kingdom, after her husband introduced her to the breed in the mid-1800s.
7. Dachshunds live long and prosper.
The Guinness World Record holder for an oldest living dog is a dachshund, Otto. The title’s previous owner was also a dachshund, Chanel, who lived until 21. Maybe dachshunds live so long because they have that bossy bark that keeps intruders, predators and anyone who’s up to no good away!
