Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Dachshund


General Appearance
Smooth DachshundCoat--Short, smooth and shining. Should be neither too long nor too thick. Ears not leathery. Tail--Gradually tapered to a point, well but not too richly haired. Long sleek bristles on the underside are considered a patch of strong-growing hair, not a fault. Color of Hair--Although base color is immaterial, certain patterns and basic colors predominate. One-colored Dachshunds include red (with or without a shading of interspersed dark hairs or sable) and cream. A small amount of white on the chest is acceptable, but not desirable. Nose and nails--black. Two-colored Dachshunds include black, chocolate, wild boar, gray (blue) and fawn (Isabella), each with tan markings over the eyes, on the sides of the jaw and underlip, on the inner edge of the ear, front, breast, inside and behind the front legs, on the paws and around the anus, and from there to about one-third to one-half of the length of the tail on the underside. Undue prominence or extreme lightness of tan markings is undesirable. A small amount of white on the chest is acceptable but not desirable. Nose and nails--in the case of black dogs, black; for chocolate and all other colors, dark brown, but self-colored is acceptable. Dappled Dachshunds--The ''single'' dapple pattern is expressed as lighter-colored areas contrasting with the darker base color, which may be any acceptable color. Neither the light nor the dark color should predominate. Nose and nails are the same as for one and two-colored Dachshunds. Partial or wholly blue (wall) eyes are as acceptable as dark eyes. A large area of white on the chest of a dapple is permissible. A ''double'' dapple is one in which varying amounts of white coloring occur over the body in addition to the dapple pattern. Nose and nails: as for one and two-color Dachshunds; partial or wholly self-colored is permissible. Brindle is a pattern (as opposed to a color) in which black or dark stripes occur over the entire body although in some specimens the pattern may be visible only in the tan points.Wirehaired Dachshund Coat-- With the exception of jaw, eyebrows, and ears, the whole body is covered with a uniform tight, short, thick, rough, hard, outer coat but with finer, somewhat softer, shorter hairs (undercoat) everywhere distributed between the coarser hairs. The distinctive facial furnishings include a beard and eyebrows. On the ears the hair is shorter than on the body, almost smooth. The general arrangement of the hair is such that the wirehaired Dachshund, when viewed from a distance, resembles the smooth. Any sort of soft hair in the outercoat, wherever found on the body, especially on the top of the head, is a fault. The same is true of long, curly, or wavy hair, or hair that sticks out irregularly in all directions. Tail-- Robust, thickly haired, gradually tapering to a point. Color of Hair--While the most common colors are wild boar, black and tan, and various shades of red, all colors are admissible. A small amount of white on the chest, although acceptable, is not desirable. Nose and nails--same as for the smooth variety.Longhaired Dachshund Coat--The sleek, glistening, often slightly wavy hair is longer under the neck and on the forechest, the underside of the body, the ears, and behind the legs. The coat gives the dog an elegant appearance. Short hair on the ear is not desirable. Too profuse a coat which masks type, equally long hair over the whole body, a curly coat, or a pronounced parting on the back are faults. Tail--Carried gracefully in prolongation of the spine; the hair attains its greatest length here and forms a veritable flag. Color of Hair--Same as for the smooth Dachshund. Nose and nails--same as for the smooth. The foregoing description is that of the ideal Dachshund. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation keeping in mind the importance of the contribution of the various features toward the basic original purpose of the breed.

Owning
Dachshunds require minimal routine brushing to keep their coats healthy and in good condition. The longhaired and wirehaired Dachshunds may require extra grooming or help from a professional. The Dachshund is naturally free from ''doggy'' odor. The Dachshund makes a good companion whether you live in a small city apartment or the country. Dachshunds are loyal.

Temperament
The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.

Did You Know
The Dachshund was developed in Germany more than 300 years ago to hunt badgers. From 1930 to 1940, Dachshunds advanced from 28th to sixth rank among American registrations, and maintained this average rank through World War II by constructive public relations.

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