The Sausage Dog!

The Dachshund, pronounced ‘dak sund’ and also known as the sausage dog is a clever, lively and amusing dog. They originated in Germany in the early 1600’s. They were bred to hunt small such as rabbits and badgers. With their shortened legs they were able to chase their prey into their burrows where they would fight until the death. They are very brave little dogs, being known to take on foxes and otters. Their population dropped during World War 1 but were quickly rejuvenated once being imported into the USA.
Today they are am extremely devoted family pet but need strict and correct training immediately. Training is difficult but not impossible. A Dachshund requires an owner who will always be in charge and remain the pack leader. At any point the Dachs thinks he may have the upper hand is when behaviour problems will arise, and these can be difficult to break. Some well-known problems can include separation anxiety, guarding furniture, food, toys and other objects. They can then become unpredictable with children and adults that they don’t know and if they get extremely uncontrollable can become unpredictable with their owners. They are recommended for families with older children, this way it is a lot easier to maintain the ‘pack leader’ as the humans and keep that strict training under control. With proper leadership, they can get along well with children and are generally ok with other pets although can get jealous easily and are very quick to bite, again this is where the correct training is needed. These negative traits are not Dachshund traits but simply ‘small dog syndrome.’ This simply means most dog owners treat their smaller dogs like babies, instead of giving them leadership. This gives the owners comfort but the opposite effect on the dog. Once they realise they have the upper hand is when this kind of negative behaviour will begin.
Outside of this, with the right training, the Dachshund truly is a great companion. There are 3 varieties of Dachshund, short haired, wire haired and long haired. Within the 3 varieties are varying sizes also. The Dachshund is strikingly noticeable due to their body being longer then it is tall and it’s stocky, muscular short legs. They are quite an active dog requiring daily walks or play times in the park. Due to their body structure, they are prone to spinal damage so jumping should always be discouraged.
The Dachshund is an ideal dog for someone with a great understanding of the breed and the time and effort to put into their training.

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