If you are a dog lover and have been considering buying a dachshund to become part of your family, it is probably a good idea if you know a little bit about not only their personalities but also a little bit about their history.
Knowing as much about this little guy will help you figure out whether or not he or she will be suitable for you and home.
The dachshund has been one of the most popular dog breeds in our country probably since the 1950's.
The cute little guy we know today came from Germany where they call it the Teckel.
The breed was developed very slowly over a 100 years or more and was mainly bred for hunting badgers.
The German word dachshund literally means badger dog and no matter what the size of the dachshund today they still have that fearless hunter in them.
In fact these little guys are found to be totally fearless and will even fight a dog double or triple it's size.
Unlike most hunting dogs that are trained just to retrieve the prey, dachshunds were bred to retrieve and kill.
So this is why when you happen to give toy or squeaky toy to them they will attack and "kill" the toy by making sure the squeaker inside is destroyed if possible.
This is an important factor that you need to understand about the behavior of these cute little dogs.
Even though these little pets can be wonderful little dogs and can make a wonderful companion for many, they are not always best for everyone.
Of course all dogs have their own personalities but some of the traits of the dachshund that are very common for the entire breed.
One thing you will notice that because it is inbred for them to hunt you are going to discover that they are extremely stubborn little dogs.
This could lead to excessive barking along with having a problem house breaking problems especially if they don't get good training.
So training and good training is a must, especially for a dachshund.
The dachshund may not be the ideal pet for a family with children especially if the children have never been taught how to treat a dog.
Because of their hunting instincts they might see the small child as prey and begin chasing them, barking at them maybe even nipping them.
This is not done in a vicious manner but just a response to the hunting instinct within them.
However; if your child is taught how to behave around them and how to physically handle them so they don't injure them, the relationship could be one of great love and enjoyment.
Because of their great courage, this little breed has no fear, not even of dogs that could swallow them up in one gulp, it is vitally important that if you live in the city that your dachshund is always on a leash, even in a dog park, a dachshund should never be allowed to roam free.
Another thing that is mandatory is that the yard that you provide them needs to be secured at all times.
One really cute trait they exhibit is their love for burrowing, they just love going under the bed covers and pillows.
They also love to be around other dachshunds, so it is often a good idea that the dog owner have at least two dachshunds so that they can have that companionship they long for.
They love curling up together and sleeping with each other and they are very affectionate with each other and their owners.
They will always want to snuggle up with you, kiss you a lot and they will insist upon having their tummies rubbed often.
They tend to be over eaters so you really need to be able to control their diet.
They will go to any length to get extra food from giving you that cute look at the dinner table to getting into the trash to see if you left anything of interest for their taste buds.
It is very important that this little dog is not extremely over weight because it will cause damage to their delicate spine.
If you have a lot of patience and love, the affection, silliness and even the stubbornness of this dog could be just what you are looking for.
When man and dachshund click there is probably no greater dog or bond that you can experience except with this little German gem.
Knowing as much about this little guy will help you figure out whether or not he or she will be suitable for you and home.
The dachshund has been one of the most popular dog breeds in our country probably since the 1950's.
The cute little guy we know today came from Germany where they call it the Teckel.
The breed was developed very slowly over a 100 years or more and was mainly bred for hunting badgers.
The German word dachshund literally means badger dog and no matter what the size of the dachshund today they still have that fearless hunter in them.
In fact these little guys are found to be totally fearless and will even fight a dog double or triple it's size.
Unlike most hunting dogs that are trained just to retrieve the prey, dachshunds were bred to retrieve and kill.
So this is why when you happen to give toy or squeaky toy to them they will attack and "kill" the toy by making sure the squeaker inside is destroyed if possible.
This is an important factor that you need to understand about the behavior of these cute little dogs.
Even though these little pets can be wonderful little dogs and can make a wonderful companion for many, they are not always best for everyone.
Of course all dogs have their own personalities but some of the traits of the dachshund that are very common for the entire breed.
One thing you will notice that because it is inbred for them to hunt you are going to discover that they are extremely stubborn little dogs.
This could lead to excessive barking along with having a problem house breaking problems especially if they don't get good training.
So training and good training is a must, especially for a dachshund.
The dachshund may not be the ideal pet for a family with children especially if the children have never been taught how to treat a dog.
Because of their hunting instincts they might see the small child as prey and begin chasing them, barking at them maybe even nipping them.
This is not done in a vicious manner but just a response to the hunting instinct within them.
However; if your child is taught how to behave around them and how to physically handle them so they don't injure them, the relationship could be one of great love and enjoyment.
Because of their great courage, this little breed has no fear, not even of dogs that could swallow them up in one gulp, it is vitally important that if you live in the city that your dachshund is always on a leash, even in a dog park, a dachshund should never be allowed to roam free.
Another thing that is mandatory is that the yard that you provide them needs to be secured at all times.
One really cute trait they exhibit is their love for burrowing, they just love going under the bed covers and pillows.
They also love to be around other dachshunds, so it is often a good idea that the dog owner have at least two dachshunds so that they can have that companionship they long for.
They love curling up together and sleeping with each other and they are very affectionate with each other and their owners.
They will always want to snuggle up with you, kiss you a lot and they will insist upon having their tummies rubbed often.
They tend to be over eaters so you really need to be able to control their diet.
They will go to any length to get extra food from giving you that cute look at the dinner table to getting into the trash to see if you left anything of interest for their taste buds.
It is very important that this little dog is not extremely over weight because it will cause damage to their delicate spine.
If you have a lot of patience and love, the affection, silliness and even the stubbornness of this dog could be just what you are looking for.
When man and dachshund click there is probably no greater dog or bond that you can experience except with this little German gem.