New York Dachshund Puppies

 
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits. In the American West they have also been used to hunt prairie dogs.

 
Origin of the name

 
The name “dachshund” is of German origin and literally means “badger dog”, from Dachs (“badger”) and Hund (“dog”). Because of their long, narrow build, they are often nicknamed hot dog, wiener dog or sausage dog. Although “dachshund” is a German word, in modern German they are also commonly known by the name Dackel; in the case of the formally certified hunting and tracking rank, the name Teckel is used.

 
Appearance

 
The typical dachshund is long-bodied and muscular, with short and stubby legs. Its paws are unusually large and paddle-shaped, for efficient digging. It has skin that is loose enough not to tear while tunneling in tight burrows to chase prey. The dachshund has a deep chest to allow enough lung capacity to keep going when hunting. Its snout is long with an increased nose area that absorbs odors.

 
There are three types, classified by their coats: short-haired, called “smooth”; long-haired; and wire-haired.

 
Size

 
Dachshunds come in three sizes: standard, miniature, and kaninchen, which means rabbit. Although the standard and miniature sizes are recognized almost universally, the rabbit size is not recognized by clubs in the United States and the United Kingdom, but is recognized by all of the clubs within the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Federation) (FCI), which contain kennel clubs from 83 countries all over the world. An increasingly common size for family pets falls between the miniature and the standard size, frequently referred to as “tweenies”.

 
A full-grown standard dachshund averages 15 lb (6.8 kg) to 28 lb (13 kg), while the miniature variety normally weighs less than 11 lb (5.0 kg). The kaninchen weighs 8 lb (3.6 kg) to 10 lb (4.5 kg). According to kennel club standards, the miniature (and kaninchen, where recognized) differs from the full-size only by size and weight, thus offspring from miniature parents must never weigh more than the miniature standard to be considered a miniature as well. While many kennel club size divisions use weight for classification, such as the American Kennel Club, other kennel club standards determine the difference between the miniature and standard by chest circumference; some kennel clubs, such as in Germany, even measure chest circumference in addition to height and weight.

 
H. L. Mencken said that “A dachshund is a half-dog high and a dog-and-a-half long,” although they have been referred to as “two dogs long”. This characteristic has led them to be quite a recognizable breed, and they are featured in many a joke and cartoon, particularly The Far Side by Gary Larson.

 
Coat and color

 
Dachshunds exhibit three coat varieties: smooth coat (short hair), long hair, and wire-hair. Wirehaired is the least commonly seen coat in the US (it is the most common in Germany) and the most recent coat to appear in breeding standards.

 
Dachshunds have a wide variety of colors and patterns. They can be single-colored, single-colored with spots (“dappled”-called “merle” in other dog breeds), and single-colored with tan points plus any pattern. Dachshunds also come in piebald. The dominant color is red, the most common along with black and tan. Isabella is a silver/gray all over color with light translucent brown points or no distinct points at all. Two-colored dogs can be black, wild boar, chocolate, fawn, with tan “points”, or markings over the eyes, ears, paws, and tail, of tan or cream. A two-colored dachshund would be called by its dominant color first followed by the point color, such as “black and tan” or “chocolate and cream”. Other patterns include piebald, in which a white pattern is imposed upon the base color or any other pattern, and a lighter “boar” red. The reds range from coppers to deep rusts, with or without somewhat common black hairs peppered along the back, tail, face, and ear edges, lending much character and an almost burnished appearance; this is referred to among breeders and enthusiasts as a “stag” or an “overlay” or “sable”. True sable is a dachshund with each single hair banded with three colors: light at the base of the hair, red in the middle, black at the end. An additional, striking coat marking is the brindle pattern. “Brindle” refers to dark stripes over a solid background, usually red; if a dachshund is brindled on a dark coat and has tan points, you will see brindling on the tan points only. Even one single, lone stripe of brindle is brindle. If a dachshund has one single spot of dapple, it is a dapple.

 
Temperament

 
Dachshunds are playful, but can be stubborn, and are known for their propensity for chasing small animals, birds, and tennis balls with great determination and ferocity. Some Dachshunds can be stubborn, making them a challenge to train. Dachshunds are known for their devotion and loyalty to their owners, though they can be standoffish towards strangers. If left alone, many dachshunds will whine until they have companionship. Like many dogs if left alone too frequently, some dachshunds are prone to separation anxiety and may chew objects in the house to relieve stress.

 
According to the American Kennel Club’s breed standards, “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.” Their temperament and body language give the impression that they do not know or care about their relatively small size.

 
Dachshunds may not be the best pets for small children. Like any dog, dachshunds need a proper introduction at a young age. Well trained Dachshunds and well behaved children usually get along fine. Many Dachshunds are very tolerant and loyal to children within their family, but these children should be mindful of the vulnerability of the breed’s back and not carry them around roughly.

 
A 2008 University of Pennsylvania study of 6,000 dog owners who were interviewed indicated that dogs of smaller breeds were more likely to be “genetically predisposed towards aggressive behaviour”. Dachshunds were rated the most aggressive.

 
There are many methods of dog training and many objectives, from basic obedience training to specialized areas including law enforcement, military, search and rescue, hunting, working with livestock, assistance to people with disabilities, entertainment, dog sports and protecting people or property.

 
As pack animals, wild dogs have natural instincts that favor cooperation with their fellow dogs. Many domestic dogs, either through instinct or breeding, can correctly interpret and respond to signals given by a human handler.

 
Most dogs live with people who want them to behave in ways that make them pleasant to be around, keep them safe, and provides for the safety of other humans and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own. The fundamental rule that must be remembered is that one should never apply human standards of society onto the dog with the assumption that the dog will understand. Never assume a dog is trying to insult, injure or deceive you on a personal level. Understand that it is acting as a dog naturally, innocently does, and should be met with patience and thoughtfulness, rather than forcefulness or retaliation. Many trainers treat their dogs with cruelty and irrational punishment, leading to measurably increased stress, illness, and tendency towards violence.

 
The hardest part of training is communicating with the dog in a humane way that the dog understands. However, the underlying principle of all communication is simple: reward desired behavior while ignoring or correcting undesired behavior. “Corrections” should never include harmful physical force or violence.

 
Basic pet obedience training usually consists of six behaviors:

 
• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Recall (“come”, “here” or “in”)
• Close (or loose-leash walking)
• Heel

 
Reward and punishment

 
1. Positive reinforcement adds something to the situation to increase the chance of the behaviour being exhibited again.
 
2. Negative reinforcement removes something from the situation to increase the chance of the behaviour being exhibited again.

 
When training your dog, use positive training methods. This requires positively reinforcing good behavior rather than punishing to decrease bad behavior.

 
IMPORTANT: Dogs should not be punished by being placed within a cage, crate or carrier, especially one similar to where they eat or sleep. While this may confine the dog from further disruptive behaviour, and also may seem similar to “sending a child to their room” as a form of punishment, the dog’s mind will unfortunately begin to associate the cage with punishment, and will experience anxiety if put into the container, as a result of the negative feelings associated with it. Punishment involving confinement is an unusual and confusing type of situation for a dog, and should not be used for proper punishment

 
Rewards

 
Positive reinforcers can be anything that your dog finds rewarding – special food treats, the chance to play with a tug toy, social interaction with other dogs, or the owner’s attention.

 
Punishment

 
Punishments should only be administered as appropriate for the dog’s personality, age, experience and physical and emotional condition. Some dogs may show signs of fear or anxiety with harsh verbal corrections. Other dogs may ignore a verbal reprimand. Some dogs develop an aversion or fear of water, when water is sprayed at them as an aversive.

 
Keep in mind that each dog is distinctly different. Training methods should be administered only as appropriate. As long as you remain consistent and persistent in their training, it will be well worth your effort and will be highly rewarding. Your dog will never give up on you so never give up on your dog!