Things you didn’t know about the dachshund

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The dachshund, or as it's affectionately called, the doxy, is a breed of dog that is infamous for its adorable and funny shape. While many consider their long bodies and short legs mere eye candy, the breed was made for much more than eye candy. Have a look at these interesting dachshund facts so that you know a bit more about this incredible breed.

1. The dachshund is a badger hunter – The German word “Dachshund” translates to badger dog when translated to English. The dachshund’s short legs let the breed stay low to the ground in order to track scents. Its narrow body let the breed crawl into burrows while looking for badgers. Many people think of dachshunds as small and meek. However, the breed is notorious for its fierceness and bravery. The breed has since been bred to hunt many different varieties of prey.
2. Dachshunds come in two sizes – There are two sizes of dachshunds available which are known as miniature and standard. The miniature dachshunds weigh up to 11 pounds while the standard variant was used for hunting badgers and wild boards. The standard variant can weigh up to 35 pounds.
3. The dog was actually called a sausage dog – Many people call the dachshund a wiener dog. However, the original name for the dog was the Dachshund sausage. The product was actually named because of its resemblance to the dog breed.
4. Dachshunds went through an overhaul in WW1 – In WW1, Dachshunds were associated with the Germans as they were used in plenty of propaganda. This resulted in the breed losing a lot of its popularity in North America. The AKC has tried to counter this by rebranding dachshunds as “badger dogs”.
5. There are dachshund only races – In the 1970s, dachshund races were started in Australia. They were immensely popular and have since spread to other parts of the world. In fact, the Wienerschnitzel Weiner Nationals has been a regular every year in Southern California since 1995. While it isn’t taken very seriously, it is a lot of fun to watch.
6. Dachshunds hold the title of grandpa – Dachshunds are notorious for living longer than most dog breeds. In fact, they usually live for 12 to 15 years. Twenty-three dogs have held the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog. 2 of them have been dachshunds. The first was a dachshund named Chanel, who held the record until 2009. She died at 21 years old. The second was a dachshund-terrier cross named Otto, who lived to 20 years old until 2010.

As you can see, there's a lot more to doxies than meets the eye. They're a lot more than the hotdog that people make them out to be.