Meet the Dachshund

My breed’s origins date back as far as the 15th century, but we really started being bred in Germany during the 17th century as hunting dogs. “Dachshund” translates to “badger dogs” which is exactly what we did – we hunted badgers! Our little legs, big chests, determination, and cleverness made us the pawfect pooches for the job. Since we’re so low to the ground, we could easily dig and burrow through tunnels to find small animals. Plus, our big floppy ears help prevent any dirt or debris from getting trapped inside our ear canals. We might be little, but we pack a mighty loud bark! This also helped us defeat our mortal enemy – the badger! Eventually, humans created two Dachshund dog sizes to fit their hunting needs. The historic standard size was used for hunting badgers, and our mini version was used for hunting hares and foxes.

We were introduced in the United States in 1885, and we were an immediate hit! But during WWI, Americans had to refer to us as badger dogs or Liberty Hounds to prevent us from being ostracized for coming from Germany. Anti-German sentiment was so strong that some of our owners were attacked on the street for owning us and most of us were killed. By 1919, only 12 of us survived in America! Doxie lovers made sure we stayed around though, and by the 1930s we increased in popularity again.

We’re also held in high regard as a symbol of athletic prowess. During the 1970s in Australia, people started racing us against each other! We’ve raced in other countries too, but some people find these races to be inhumane because they can lead to injuries. In 1972, we were used as a mascot for the Summer Olympics in Munich. A Doxie named Waldi was used to symbolize bravery, tenacity, and agility.

Dachs weren’t always that pawpular, but the more Americans found out about us, the more they wanted to own us. Between 1930 and 1940, we went from being the 28th most registered breed in the U.S. to the sixth, according to the AKC – which we’ve been registered with since 1885.