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Dachshund History
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Paintings and historical accounts from the 1400s onward reflect dogs with long bodies and stocky legs being used to hunt badgers – dogs that look very similar to the modern Dachshund. In fact, the word Dachshund is German for Badger Dog. These dogs were renowned for combining hound-like tracking abilities with a terrier's compact size and tenacious spirit, both much needed in pursuing badgers.
During the 1600s, the word Dachshund began to be used to describe these dogs, though only animals with longhaired or smooth coats were classified as such; Wirehaired Dachshunds would not be recognized until the late 19th century. As the Dachshund became recognizable, breeding between the different coat types was banned in Germany. Two different sizes emerged as the breed developed, and each size was specialized by game: dogs over 25 pounds hunted badgers and occasionally boars, while the smaller Dachshunds' forte was rabbits and foxes.
Importations into America date back in the American Kennel Club’s Stud Book to 1885, the same year that the Dachshund was recognized by the AKC. Through a misunderstanding the Dachshund was wrongly classified: the German “hund” was translated as “hound” and so the small, short-legged dogs were grouped with the hounds. By 1914, Dachshunds were among the ten most popular entries in the Westminster Kennel Club Show. Today, the Dachshund’s unique appearance and uncommon devotion has made it one of the most popular breeds in America.
