What Dachshunds Were Bred for (And How It Explains Their Behavior Today)

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)

Where and How Dachshunds Used to Hunt

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.

As mentioned, the Dachshund was developed to hunt small game. Let’s take a closer look at the environments they hunted in and how they actually hunted their prey.

The hunting environment

The Dachshund hunted in three primary environments.

These are:

1. Forests and dense underbrush – thick forests with plenty of cover, loose soil, and obstacles like downed trees.
2. Farmlands and fields – cropland, grass fields, and barns and outbuildings associated with farming like barns and grain silos.

Both of these scenarios required a dog that could chase prey in open terrain and follow them into underground tunnel systems.

The Dachshund’s hunting process

Most of us understand what “hunting” is – helping humans locate and dispatch prey – but many people don’t understand what that process actually looks like in practice.

The general steps involved in a complete hunting sequence for Dachshunds is as follows:

Step 1: Scent Tracking – sniffing until they locate the scent of prey and then following that scent to the animals den or hiding place.

Step 2: Digging If the tunnel entrance was blocked or too small, or the prey was hiding in a tight space, the Dachshund would dig its way in.

Step 3: Tunnel Entry – if the prey was in an underground tunnel network, they would enter it and navigate in near darkness, often without guidance from humans or other members of their hunting pack.

Step 4: Barking to Signal – while underground, they’d bark loudly and with a deep voice so their handler aboveground could track their location and know if prey had been found.

Step 5: Confront or Flush Out Prey – If it was small prey, they’d flush it from the den. With badgers or foxes, Dachshunds would corner or fight the animal until it was forced out or the handler could dig down to help.

Understanding both the environment Dachshunds hunted in and the skills they needed to do it is important in understanding your dog. Both their behavior and physical and mental needs are driven by this origin.

Their Hunting Instincts Drive Their Personality

Selective breeding emphasized some genes and personality traits and minimized or eliminated others.

Even though your Dachshund is more likely to be burrowed under your blanket than in a badger hole, their instincts are still alive and well.

Here’s how their hunting past can show up in modern life:

• Digging in beds or couches (burrowing simulation)
• Barking at every sound (the alert system they were bred to use underground)
• Chasing squirrels, rabbits, or birds (their strong prey drive in action)
• Independent thinking and a tenacious streak (described as stubbornness by some – necessary for solo work in dark tunnels)

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 all or most of the 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 (hunting dog vs companion pet), 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.

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!