The Dachshund. Long, low and loveable. Stretchy, sophisticated and sausagey!
The Dachshund hails from Germany, where they were originally bred over 300 years ago to hunt badgers. Their name literally means "badger dog" in German (Dachs = badger, Hund = dog). Their elongated bodies and powerful paws were perfect for digging underground into badger dens, while their fearless temperament made them formidable hunters. Over time, they were bred in different varieties to hunt different kinds of prey.
There are two sizes of sausage – standard and miniature - and they can have smooth, long, or wirey hair. The smooth haired sausages were the originals but they were likely bred with other small breeds to obtain the longhaired and wirehaired varieties.
As a working breed, Dachshunds love scentwork, but because they were bred to dig underground, their footwork is also pretty spectacular! They’re great at manipulating enrichments toys using their paws to find the hidden treasure. At Paws and Pause we like to hide treats in toys such as Kongs to let our Dachshunds use their feet to hold and manipulate the toy while their keen noses and tongues locate the food! We also provide lots of digging enrichment, such as scrunching up bits of newspaper and putting inside a box with toys and a sprinkling of kibble for our Dachshunds to dig and sniff out.
Dachshunds also love to dig in dark places given their genetic heritage, so we hide treats in snuffle mats or wrapped-up blankets as an endorphin haven for them. These behaviours are so intrinsically rewarding for them to perform!
Despite their short legs, Dachshunds enjoy both physical and mental stimulation. It’s important to ensure their exercise doesn’t involve too much jumping or bending of their back due to health risks. We love doing agility with our Dachshunds at Paws ad Pause, luring them up little steps and slopes with a toy to help build their confidence and physical awareness.
Did you know the sausage dog came before the hot dog? Sellers of hot dogs originally called them ‘dachshund sausages’ because of the resemblance to the small, long-bodied Dachshund. Over time, the more popular term became ‘hot dog’.
So, who run the world? Dachshunds Do!
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