What Dachshunds Were Bred for and Why It Matters

The Dachshund dog was selectively bred for hunting, which required certain traits and characteristics.

Although Dachshunds are not typically used for hunting anymore, at least not in the United States, people around the world have fallen in love with this quirky breed with a unique look and keep them as companions.

While their living environment drastically changed as people started to keep them as household pets, their genetics and instincts did not change.

It’s extremely important to understand their needs so we, as the ones responsible for their happiness and wellbeing, can help them fulfill their needs, thus preventing behavior issues.

Read on for a little more information about how the Dachshund came to be, what they were originally used for, and how to use this information to help your Dachshund cope with their “new living reality.”

The Dachshund Breed History

The Dachshund, also known as “sausage dog”, “wiener dog”, or a multitude of other nicknames, originated in Germany in the early 16th century.

These dogs were bred to hunt badgers and other burrowing animals by entering their underground dens and tunnels.

The breed was created by crossing a variety of different breeds, including the Basset Hound, the Bloodhound, terriers, and the Pinscher, and were officially recognized as as their own unique breed by the German Kennel Club in 1879.

Although they were initially used for hunting, over time they became popular as companion pets as well.

Dachshunds were first imported to the United States in the late 19th century, and quickly gained popularity. They were recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885, and have been one of the most popular breeds in the United States ever since.

Dachshunds come in three different coat types: smooth, wirehaired, and longhaired. They also come in two size varieties: standard and miniature (read about the difference HERE)

Their Hunting Instincts Drive Their Personality

As wild dogs were domesticated and then genetically bred to perform different tasks, they developed very specialized skills and characteristics. They were artificially selected to be really, really good at some things and not so good at others.

This selective breeding altered their genes (well, most accurately, turned some on and some off but this isn’t a biology lesson). Their genetics and instincts, in large part, drive their behavior, desires, wants, and needs.

Think about the Dachshund personality and the most common behaviors in the context of hunting.

• Lively and playful – they needed a lot of energy, and a positive attitude, in order to track game through the woods over sometimes long distances.

• Barking, specifically alert barking – Dachshunds ran ahead of their owners, and often got out of sight, to find and flush out game like badgers, foxes and rabbits. They alerted their owners to their find by constantly barking until their hunters located them.

• Tenacious and relentless – they were bred for what is called gameness, which is the desire to keep going even when they were losing or facing an adversary that was larger than them and fought back.

• Independent thinkers (described most often as “stubborn” by pet owners) – when Dachshunds found their prey, they entered the underground den of the animal. In that situation, they were tasked with out-smarting said prey. Also, they alone were responsible for their survival, so they had to learn to make their own decisions and think quickly.

As you can see, most of a Dachshund’s innate personality is caused by the task they were bred for and their genetics. They were amazing at their jobs!

But the problem today is, we’ve taken this dog that is bred for stamina, independent thinking, and hunting prowess and asked them to hang out in the house all day.

Now that you understand the job that Dachshunds were created to do, you may start to look at some of your dog’s behaviors in a new light.

Unfulfilled Dachshunds = Behavior Issues

Just because we changed a Dachshund’s “job” from hunting companion and varmint extinguisher, to a house-bound companion, doesn’t change their genetics. It didn’t extinguish their original drives and needs.

Instead, they must learn to suppress these needs to make us happy and for their “survival” (so we continue to let them live in our home, feed them, etc.). They must learn what you deem as appropriate ways to fulfill these needs and what will get them in trouble.

Honestly though, the average pet Dachshunds doesn’t get many opportunities, if any, to fulfill their needs.

Many traits and characteristics that made Dachshunds great hunters can result in undesired behaviors, or behavior issues, when living as a companion animal in your home.

According to Emily Strong, CDBC, SBA and Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA in their book Canine Enrichment for the Real World, “When you don’t meet [your dog’s] needs, you get maladaptive behaviors.”

Maladaptive behaviors occur because a dog is removed from its natural setting (as a wild animal in general and it’s breed purpose) and mean a dog is failing to adapt in a way that is well suited for their current environment or situation.

These behaviors can be signs that a dog is stressed, frustrated, and failing to “keep their sh*t together” and include:

• Abnormal repetitive behaviors – these are behaviors that are repetitive and ritualized, but seem to have no function like chasing shadows or reflections.

• Fear – fear can lead to aggression, reactivity, and responses such as restlessness, pacing, hiding, shivering, or panting when they are triggered.

• Separation anxiety – an over-attachment to their owners, which often results in stress and panic behaviors when they are separated from their humans.

• Resource guarding – sometimes called possession aggression, this behavior manifests as aggressive or defensive behavior when they are in possession of something they want to keep (of high value) and a person or another animal approaches them.

• Excessive barking – constantly being on watch and barking at any little noise, whether you hear it or not.

• Inappropriate elimination – accidents in the house, especially when feeling scared or unsure, like when they are separated from you or there is a lot of stress and turmoil in the house.

Sound familiar? This list could have been called top reasons that Dachshund owners complain about their Dachshunds and hire a trainer!

Look, I am not blaming owners for their Dachshund’s behavior problems. We all do the best that we can to make sure that our dogs are happy, healthy, and fulfilled.

Unfortunately, the situation most pet Dachshunds find themselves living in now are so far removed from their natural environment, there is no way we can fully address every one of their instinctual needs.

But we can try to do better!

How to Improve Your Dachshund’s “Job” Satisfaction

While what we expect of our pet Dachshunds is different than the job that they used to perform, we can help them adapt to their new “duties” by providing appropriate outlets for their instinctual needs.

I’ve written several articles on how to do this, so I will refer you to those articles instead of going into detail here.

Please read:

• Why Unmet Needs Manifest as Naughty Behavior (and how to change it)
• What is Enrichment and Why is it Important
• 15 Enrichment Ideas for Dachshunds

I guarantee you that implementing some of these ideas will transform your relationship with your Dachshund and vastly improve their quality of life.

Some Extra Information About the Unique Dachshund

Why Are Dachshunds Shaped Funny?

Their unique elongated body shape, with a long back and short legs, was specifically developed to allow them to navigate through narrow burrows and dens.

Their characteristic looks are due to chondrodyspasia, also known as canine dwarfism, which is a recessive genetic defect found in some purebred dogs.

This disorder causes the abnormal growth of cartilage and results in the disproportionate growth of a dogs limbs which causes short legs.

Note: This means a Dachshund is not a dog with regular legs and a long back but instead is a dog with a regular length back and disproportionally short legs.

The long back and short legs allow them to easily enter and maneuver through the small underground tunnels, while the short legs also help them to maintain balance while doing so.

Additionally, their long back also make them a perfect hunting companion for flushing out small game from narrow holes and dens.

The name for the hotdog was actually inspired by this long and low “sausage dog” breed. First called “Dachshund Sausage,” the term was shortened to hotdog and it’s stuck ever since.

What Did Dachshund Originally Look Like?

The original Dachshund came in only one size and was closer in weight to what we think of as standard Dachshunds today (typically 16-32 lbs).

They had a short, smooth coat that was usually a variety of solid colors such as red, black, and tan. Different coat types and sizes were developed as the breed evolved in the 19th century.

The wirehaired Dachshund variety was developed to have a wiry coat that could protect them from the burrows and dens they hunted in.

The longhaired variety was developed to have a longer, silky coat. It’s thought that the Dachshund was crossed with a long-hair spaniel to get the long hair.

It’s thought that the smooth Dachshund was crossed with a wire terrier to get the wirehair Dachshund.

The smaller, miniature Dachshund variety was also developed in the 19th century by breeding the standard Dachshund with smaller dog breeds.

Are Dachshunds Still Used For Hunting?

Dachshunds are not widely used for hunting today as they traditionally were. They are primarily kept as companion animals.

However, some people still use them for hunting small game, such as rabbits, and they can also be trained to hunt other animals like raccoons or badgers.

Some Dachshunds have also been taught to track a hunter’s wounded game.

The most common type of Dachshund I see used for hunting and tracking is the standard wirehair.

They are also used in some specific hunting competitions and events, such as Earthdog Trials, where they compete in simulated hunting tests that evaluate their instincts and abilities to track and locate prey in underground tunnels.

Final Thoughts

Many people buy a Dachshund because they think they’re cute, without knowing much about the breed, if anything.

It’s crucial to understand what the Dachshund was originally bred for because it can explain many of their traits, characteristics, and potential behavior issues.

For example, one major complaint about Dachshunds is that they bark a lot. But that was literally part of the “job” they were created for. The hunters wanted their dogs to go ahead of them, track vermin, and alert bark when they found something.

That instinct is still there despite the fact that they have lived as pets in our homes for decades.

During the hunt, a Dachshund used it’s keen smell to track game and expended a lot of energy doing so.

But now, because we keep them as companions, they rarely get to use their nose to find things. And because many owners fear back issues (which the breed is well-known for having), they treat them as if being active will break them.

Hopefully, this article gave you some perspective on why Dachshunds do what they do and how what we see as behavior issues is simply their attempt to cope in a world that no longer resembles their “natural habitat”.

You can be your dog’s hero by providing some healthy outlets for their natural instincts!