Dachshund: Nutrition, character, training and much more about the Dachshund

By Roland Berger

Who doesn't know him...? the dachshund. There is much to know about a dachshund. For example, did you know that this little dog is actually a hunting dog? Hard to believe, one imagines a hunting dog to be a little bigger and stronger. And what does a dachshund hunt? This question will be answered in this guide to this specific breed of dog.

But not only that. You will learn a lot more about the dachshund. For example, how it becomes a hunting dog and what is required for this test. Furthermore, the question of whether you as a private person can and may train a hunting dog at all or whether this is only reserved for recognized hunters.

The content of the book is:
- The dog breed dachshund
- Upbringing and training of a dachshund
- Healthcare and nutrition of the dachshund
- The dachshund as a hunting dog
- Character, training and much more

How did the dachshund originate and where did it come from? Surely you have seen many dachshunds and thought about the very different appearance. That's right... there are different breeds of dachshund. You will also find answers to this and much more information.

Have fun reading, browsing and learning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: May 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9783986463540

Book preview

Introductory

D

he dachshund... what a cute little dog. But before you get a dachshund in the house, you should deal with the ownership rights of one, because he has high ownership rights:

If he likes something, it's his!

What he once had in his mouth is his!

If he takes something away from you, it belongs to him!

What he once owned a long time ago is his!

If he has bitten something into small pieces, all the pieces are his!

If he saw something first, it's his!

Everything on the floor belongs to him!

Only if something is broken, it's yours!

Still convinced a dachshund would be the right dog for you? Well... he will definitely beautify your home a lot and dachshunds also have something that unfortunately many people in this world lack: gratitude, loyalty and a lot of character.

Now learn more about this wonderful breed, it offers much more than you think, and maybe soon you will have such a beautiful animal by your side.

The dog breed of dachshund

U

riginally, the Dachshund was bred as a hunting dog. He is considered very adventurous, temperamental and curious. The best qualities to accompany its owner on the hunt. The best known breeds are the shorthaired dachshund, the longhaired dachshund and the roughhaired dachshund. They differ mainly in the coat texture. The characters can also be quite different, so you should get to know each individual breed so that you can find your Dachshund. But where does this little dog actually come from? Read on and you will find out.

The history of the dachshund - Where does it come from?

The first dogs, very similar to the dachshund, were already known in the Middle Ages, about the years 500 to 1500. Perhaps, however, such dogs existed far before our era, because a statue was excavated from the time of the Pharaohs, on which a dachshund-like dog is depicted. It dates back to about 1486 BC. So this breed could be much older than previously thought.

The small quadrupeds, usually short-haired dachshunds, used to protect a farmer's chickens and geese from badgers and foxes. A dachshund has very short legs, but this circumstance owes to it that it could excellently enter the burrow of a badger or fox to put them. It is proved that this small dog originated from crossbreeding of so-called Bronze Age dogs (turf dogs) with Lowland dogs and Molossian dogs. From this developed the Bracke, which is similar to the Teckel. In general, the so-called Keltenbracke is considered the forefather of all Dachshunds.

Queen Victoria of England began to introduce the first dachshunds in her country in the 19th century, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the little dogs also arrived in France.

Now throughout Europe the dachshund was bred in three different breeds. From the shorthaired dachshund came the longhaired dachshund and the roughhaired dachshund. It was not long before the Dachshund became a popular breed dog in America as well.

The breeding register of longhaired dachshunds was created only at the very beginning of the 20th century, although this breed is much older. At that time, longhaired dachshunds in reddish color appeared at exhibitions again and again, and thus very quickly became known and extremely popular.

The Roughhaired Dachshund also looks back on a long history of origin. This breed was created by mating a shorthaired dachshund with an English terrier. Breeding attempts were also made with a Sky Terrier and a Yorkshire Terrier. Due to these different crossings, the Roughhaired Dachshund did not have a uniform outer appearance for a long time, each dog looked different. Therefore, in the 20th century, it was decided to increasingly crossbreed the shorthaired dachshund again, so that the roughhaired dachshund was clearly recognizable as such.

The first standard for this breed was established in 1879. It is now bred in three sizes: Normal Puppy, Dwarf Dachshund and Rabbit Dachshund. There is evidence that the Roughhaired Dachshund has been used as a hunting dog in Germany since the Middle Ages.

Today, the Dachshund is classified as a German breed. The first club for this dog breed was founded in 1888 as Deutscher Teckelklub. Today it is considered the second oldest dog breeding club in Germany and is a member of the VDH, the FCI, the JGHV and the WUT.

The Dachshund is of course listed as a pedigree dog at the FCI. Here, however, he appears under the name Dachshund. It is divided into three sections in Group 4: Standard Dachshund, Dwarf Dachshund and Rabbit Dachshund.

The basset hound as a hunting dog

The Dachshund, also called badger dog, is an exceptionally good hunting dog. The hunting instinct is ingrained in his genes and his small size allows him to be used primarily in fox and badger hunting. He is very fond of retrieving, which also benefits him in hunting. A shot duck often needs to be retrieved from a body of water and the Dachshund does this task with joy and dedication.

Dachshund breed portrait - the profile

The Dachshund is a small breed of dog that grows about 20 cm to 26 cm. He is a hunting dog and the instinct to do so is innate. Therefore, you need to pay special attention in the education. If the dachshund is not to be used as a hunter, you must provide him with an appropriate occupation and absolutely try to contain or control the hunting instinct, so that your four-legged friend does not get lost during your walks because he has tracked down a rabbit or something similar.

The Dachshund is endowed with great intelligence and shows great willingness to learn. He is courageous, which he should be as a hunting dog, and very strong-willed to achieve his goal. In addition, he is equipped with a but very naughty nature, which makes this little dog but again very popular. Since he demands little space from his owner, he can also be kept well in smaller apartments and is also useful as a family dog.

The Dachshund, as already mentioned, is bred in three different sizes and with three variations of coat. In Germany, different colors are allowed, but no white markings are allowed. Also a completely black color is not desired. There it looks in the USA already somewhat more colorful. Here there is even a tiger dachshund, which has the so-called merle coloring. This is caused by a mutation of the genes, as it also occurs in the Australian Shepherd.

Character and nature of the dachshund

As you have already learned, the Dachshund is a hunting dog. You will not be able to simply train away this instinct. Do you have other pets in your home? Then you should think twice about acquiring a dachshund, because he might regard them as prey. If you still do not want to do without a dachshund, you must create opportunities to keep smaller pets away from him. 

You can also use a dachshund as a guard dog. He is very attentive and alert. Furthermore, the little guy is equipped with a healthy distrust and will indicate everything that does not belong in his garden by barking. In addition, he shows little respect for conspecifics.  He makes his position clear to stranger dogs, who far outnumber him in size, by yapping. The Dachshund is a very courageous little fellow.

During the education of your dachshund you will certainly be confronted with his stubbornness and obstinacy. Here you must be especially consistent and not allow any exceptions. If you take this to heart, you will have a loyal and loving companion at your side, who will be happy to get his cuddles and will also become a good entertainer for your children.

However, do not confuse a perceived stubbornness with the innate behavior of a hunting dog. To outsiders, the Dachshund's ability to make its own decisions can often appear as if it is stubborn. This is not so in this case. The ability to act independently also means that the Dachshund will question given commands. He must think they make sense for him to obey them.

The education and training of a dachshund

S

ou have already read several times that your Dachshund is a hunting dog that requires particularly consistent training. From the beginning, you should face him in a way that shows him that you are the pack leader and thus the alpha animal. Show and tell him in a friendly, yet firm manner what is allowed and what is not. Otherwise, the little rascal will quickly get on your nerves.

Never shape your education with punishments and certainly not with violence. This would only encourage stubbornness, but never get to the real goal.

Work with positive reinforcement and lots of rewards. This way you show your stubborn dachshund that it is worthwhile to obey your commands.

Show a lot of patience in the process, however; no master has yet fallen from the sky. Above all, you should always finish a particular training or exercise when it has succeeded. If it does not work once, go back a step and repeat what you have already learned. This way you will keep your dog motivated.

Always choose short, concise words for your commands. They must be understood by your dog and if you come to him with long sentences, he will not know what to do with them. As a result, he will ignore your command. 

How you can now tackle education with positive reinforcement, you will learn during the next lines.

Positive everyday reinforcement

Positive reinforcement in training and educating a dog excludes any violence and punishment. Therefore, it can be classified as extremely animal-friendly and you will achieve much more with this method. Your dog will not be submissive and fearful towards you, but open-minded and ready for any outrage. Because here he learns that it is worthwhile for him to listen to you.

The rewarding things for your dog here are rewards in the form of treats, toys or even petting and verbal praise. These are positive experiences for him, which he associates with the behavior he has just shown and will therefore show it more often in the future to get a reward. Thus, the correct behavior that you want is reinforced. In contrast, you will completely ignore a behavior that is undesirable. Your dachshund will not show this particular behavior over time because it does not seem worthwhile to him. After all, he will not get any reward. With this type of education, you will build a particularly good relationship of trust with your dachshund.

Pulling on the leash should serve as an example for you. You probably know it. The walk is extremely annoying because your dog is constantly pulling on the leash and thus you across the field. However, you want a relaxing walk where you can switch off from the day. An eternal pulling the dog back on the leash brings here certainly no relaxation, neither for you nor for your four-legged friend. On the contrary, it is extremely unpleasant for your dog when you pull him back on the leash, and it does not change the behavior in the slightest.

Take a different approach, namely with positive reinforcement. Surely there are moments when your dog does not pull on the leash, but looks around for you, for example, or just stands still. That's your moment... reward him with whatever - treats, petting, praise. Always do it when your four-legged friend is not tugging at the leash, but is concentrating on you. This way he learns to give you his attention and to get a reward for it. You will see, soon the pulling on the leash has an end.

You can apply this positive reinforcement to any behavior you want. No matter what you ask your dog to do, work with rewards instead of punishment. It may all take a little longer, but you will have a dog by your side that trusts you completely.

But what would you do if you worked with punishment? Here, too, an explanation is to be given to you so that you can develop understanding for it and banish this thought right away.

The consequence of punishment in the form of physical violence is that your dog will no longer be able to learn. He will suffer from severe stress symptoms that will interfere with learning. Your four-legged friend will become fearful, especially of you, but this fear could also spread to objects or other people. If the punishments do not stop, aggressive behavior may also develop and your dog might bite at some point because he does not know how to help himself in his fear. The trust relationship with you will be massively disturbed. Could you trust a person you are afraid of? Certainly not. Therefore, please refrain from any use of force.

Also such aids, which exert any stimulus on the animal, have no place in the education. Meant are especially collars that are equipped with spikes or make a noise. Likewise, you should refrain from so-called chokers. Here, too, your dog will suffer from stress and react fearfully. In the training and education of a dog they have a counterproductive effect, you will never achieve what you actually want.

Clicker Training

You have probably heard this term before. But what is a clicker and how can it be helpful in training your dog? Read on and you will find out.

The clicker is a small device that makes a clicking sound when you press it. This signal is intended to tell the dog that he is behaving correctly and that he can therefore expect a reward. This will motivate him to show this desired behavior more often in the future. 

It is important to reward the dog at exactly the right moment so that he can connect with his behavior and remember the event. But if he is not in your immediate vicinity, it is difficult with the immediate reward. This is where the clicker comes in, because you can use it immediately, signaling to your dog that he has done everything right and that he is about to get a treat. Moreover, this sound is free of emotions, unlike your voice.

But beware... using the clicker is not that simple. You need to condition yourself as well. But that, in turn, is easy to learn. Ask a second person to drop a ball on the ground. At the exact moment the ball makes contact with the ground, use the clicker. It is best to practice it several times until you can click the exact moment.

So that your quadruped now also reacts to the clicker, it must of course first be taught. This first process is called classical conditioning in professional circles. The sound you make with the clicker is the secondary reinforcement. It indicates the following reward in the form of the treat, the primary reinforcement, and thus animates your quadruped to show the behavior you want and to maintain it.

Your four-legged friend will probably hardly notice the sound of the clicker at first, because it has no meaning for him. It is best to start in a quiet place where your dog is not distracted by other things. If he now stands next to you as if by chance, let the click sound and immediately give him a treat. Repeat this several times in a row, gladly up to 20 times.

Now you can try the following: Use the clicker at a moment when your dog is busy. If he reacts to the sound and casts an expectant glance at you or even comes towards you, you have reached the goal. Your dog wants to claim his reward, which he expects with the click. To keep it that way, never misuse the clicker for other things, for example, if you just want to call your dog off. Never lose patience, even if it doesn't work right away. For sure, he will eventually respond to the clicker, because every dog likes a snack.

Respect training towards people and dogs

You want everyone you meet to treat you with respect. This should actually be a basic requirement anyway, without having to think about it.

Dogs