The Dachshund was used as a tracker of badger in medieval Europe, and was once larger than it is today.  His size eventually became smaller because it was purposefully bred down in size to hunt foxes and rabbits.  It has an excellent sense of smell and a bold and fierce temperament that allowed it to tangle with its sometimes difficult prey.

Size:  The Dachshund comes in two sizes: standard and miniature. The standard-size Dachshund is approximately 9 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs 12 to 24 pounds. The miniature stands 5 to 6 inches at the shoulder and weighs under 12 pounds.

Description:  The Dachshund has a superior scenting ability and may be stubborn, dominant, and somewhat resistant to training. Nevertheless, the Dachshund is very personable and can make a great companion. 

There are three types of coats with this breed; long and short.. The smooth is usually alert, bold, and friendly.  The long-haired is usually more timid and reserved with strangers and requires a more patient training technique. The wire-haired tends to be the most active of the three and, though friendly, is the most stubborn.

The smooth coat is short, glossy, and shedding and requires little maintenance.  The long-haired coat, also shed- ding, is of medium length, shiny, silky, slightly wavy, and of low maintenance, requiring brushing twice a week. The wire-haired coat is rougher and harder, almost terrier-like in texture, medium-length, and shedding.

Training:  The Dachshund requires consistent obedience training and early socialization. His great sense of smell will often lead it astray, so make sure you develop a firm training attitude. The "come" command can be difficult to teach to this breed.  Don't pamper your Dachshund because it may get spoiled. It may be small, but it is very pushy and will take over if given the chance. This breed can be a barker and will make a good watchdog.