Of Karma’s Legacy

     The name “Dachshund” comes from German “dachs” – badger and “hund” – dog, but in Germany, its country of origin, the breed is known as “Teckel”. Early German documents from the 16th century refer to some little dogs breed for hunting badgers, following them into their underground burrows, dragging them out and killing them.
     The original Dachshunds were smooth coated. Longhaired variety came later, followed by the wire-haired variety near the end of the 18th century. The first Teckel stud book was created in Germany in 1890 and it refers to all three varieties of teckel.
     The wire-haired variety was developed by crossing with some German Pinschers with harsh hair and some terriers, the result being a coat with a harser texture, very functional while hunting underground.
     Dachshunds are clever, lively and corageous. They need a lot of exercises and movement daily due to their activ temperament. They are happy to live in places where they can hunt, but adapt well to urban life. They have a strong voice and they are often vocal. They are trainable, lovable, loyal to their family and very careful with children.

     Dachshunds have traditionally been viewed as a symbol of Germany. During the World War I the Americans reffer to them as “liberty pups”. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was known for his passion to breed dachshunds. But since in that time nothing connected with Germany was liked, dachshund’s popularity out of the country was very low.

     In 1972 a dachshund was choosen to be the first official mascot for the 1972 Summer Olympics, with the name Waldi. The breed was again very popular and liked all over the world.

DACHSHUND
FCI-Standard No 148/13.07.2001

ORIGIN: Germany
UTILIZATION: hunting dog abobe and below ground.
CLASSIFICATION FCI: Group 4 Dachshund; With working trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: low, short legged, elongated but compact build, very muscular with cheeky, challenging head carriage and alert facial expression. His general appearance in typical of his sex. In spite of his legs being short in relation to the long body, he is very mobile and lithe.
IMPORTANT PROPORTION: with the distance above ground level of about one third of the height at withers, the body lenght should be in harmonious relation to height at withers, about 1 to 1.7 – 1.8.
BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: friendly by nature, neither nervous nor aggressive, with even temperament. Passionate, persevering anf fast hunting dog with an excellent nose.
HEAD: elongated as seen from above and in profile. Tapering uniformly towards the nose leather yet not pointed. Superciliary ridges clearly defined. Nasal cartilage and bridge of nose, long and narrow.
CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: rather flat, gradually merging with the slightly arched nasal bridge.
Stop: only indicated.
FACIAL REGION:
Nose: leather well developed.
Muzzle: long, sufficiently broad and strong. Can be opened wide, split to level of eye.
Lips: taut fitting, covering the lower jaw well.
Jaw/Teeth: well developed upper and lower jaw. Scissor bite, even and closing firmly. Ideally, complete set of 42 teeth according to requirements for a dog’s mouth with strong Canines exactly fitting into each other.
Eyes: medium size, oval, set apart, with clear energetic yet friendly expression. Not piercing. Colour bright, dark reddish brown to blackish brown in all coat colours. Wall, fish or pearl eyes in dapple dogs are not desired but may be tolerated.
Ears: set on high, not too far forward. Sufficiently long but not exaggerated. Rounded, not narrow, pointed or folded. Mobile with front edge lying close to cheek.
NECK: sufficiently long, muscular. thight fitting skin on throat. Lightly arched nape of neck, carried freely and high.
BODY:
Upper line: blending harmoniously from neck to slightly sloping croup.
Withers: pronounced.
Back: behind the high withers, topline running from the thoracic vertebrae straight or slighty inclined to the rear. Firm and well muscled.
Loins: strongly muscled. Sufficiently long.
Croup: broad and sufficiently long. Slightly sloping.
Chest: sternum well developed and so proeminent that slight depressions apprear on either side. The ribcage, seen from the front, is oval. Seen from above and the side, it is roomy, giving plenty of space for the heart and lung development. Ribs carried well back. With correct lenght and angulation of shoulder blade and upper arm, the front leg covers lhe lowest point of the sternal line in profile.
Underline and belly: slight tuck up.
TAIL: not set on too high, carried in continuation of topline. A slight curve in the last third of the tail is permitted.
LIBMS:
Forquarters: strongly muscled, well angulated. Seen from front, clean front legs, standing streight with good strenght of bone; feet pointing straight forward.
Shoulders: pliant muscles. Long sloping shoulder blade, fitting close to chest.
Upper arm: equal in length to shoulder blade, set almost at right angle to same. Strong boned and well muscled, close fitting to ribs but free in movement.
Elbows: turning neither in nor out.
Forearm: short, yet so long that the dog’s distance from the ground is about one third of its height at whiters. As straight as possible.
Pastern joints: slightly closer tohether than the shoulder joints.
Pastern: seen from the side, should be neither steep nor noticeably inclined forward.
Front feet: toes close together, well arched with strong, resistant, well cushioned pads and short strong nails. The fifth toe has no function but must not be removed.
Hindquarters: strongly muscled, in correct proportion to forequarters. Strong angulation of stifles and hock joins. Hindlegs parallel standing neither close nor wide apart.
Upper thigh: should be of good length and well muscled.
Stifle (joint): broad and strong with pronounced angulation.
Lower thigh: short, almost at right angle to upper thigh. Well muscled.
Hock joint: clean with strong tendons.
Hock: relatively long, mobile towards lower thigh. Lightly curved foreward.
Hind feet: four close knit toes, well arched. Standing firmly on strong pads.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: movement should be ground covering, flowing and energeting, with far reaching front strides without much lift, and strong rear drive, movement should produce slightly springy transmission to backline. Tail should be carried in harmonious continuation of backline, slightly sloping. Front and hindlegs have parallel movement.
SKIN: tight fitting.
COAT:
SMOOTH-HAIRED:
Hair: short, dense, shiny, smooth fitting, tight and harsh. Not showing any bald patches anywhere.
Tail: fine, fully but not too profusley coated. Somewhat longer guard hair on underside is not a fault.
Colour:
a) Whole-coloured: red, reddish yellow, yellow, all with or without interspered black hairs. A clear colour is preferable and red is of great value than reddish yellow or yellow. Even dogs with strongly interspersed black hairs are classed as whole-colour, not as other colour. White is not desired but single small spots do not disqualify. Nose and nails black; reddish brown is also permissible but not desirable.
b) Two-coloured: deep black or brown, each with tan or yellow markings („brand”) over eyes, on sides of muzzle and of lower lip, on inner edge of leathers, on forechest, on inside and rear side of legs, also on the feet, round and vent and from there reaching to about one third or one-half of the underside of the tail. Nose and nails black in black dogs, brown in brown dogs. White is not desire but single small spots do not disqualify. Tan or yellow marking too wide spread is undesirable.
c) Dappled (Tiger-brindle, brindle): the basic colour is always the dark colour (black, red or grey). Desired are irregular grey or beige patches (large patches not desired). Neither the dark nor the light colour should be predominant. The colour of a brindle Dachshund is red or yellow with dark brindle. Nose and toenails are the same as the whole- and two-coloured.

WIRE-HAIRED:
Hair: with exception of muzzle, eyebrows and leathers, perfectly even close fitting, dense wiry topcoat with undercoat. The muzzle has a clearly defined beard. Eyebrows are bushy. On the leathers, the coat is shorter than on the body, almost smooth.
Tail: well and evenly covered with close fitting coat.
Colour: dominantly light to dark wild boar colour as well as colour of dey leaves. Otherwise same colours as described under Smooth-haired a-c.

LONG-HAIRED:
Hair: the sleek shiny coat, with undercoat and close fitting to body, is longer at the throat and on underside of body. On leathers the hair must extend beyond the lower edge of ears (feathering). Distinct feathers on rear side of legs. Achieves its greatest on underside of tail and there forms a veritable flag.
Colour: as described in Smooth-haired a-c.

SIZE AND WEIGHT/IMPORTANT MEASUREMENTS:
Dachshund: circumference of chest 35cm. Upper weight limit about 9kg.
Miniature Dachshund: circumference of chest from 30 to 35cm measured when al least 15 months old.
Rabbit Dachshund: chest circumference up to 30cm measured when al least 15 months.
Weight: standard Dachshund up to about 9kg.

FAULTS: any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

• M3 (Molar 3) are not to be considered when judging. Lack of 2PM1 (Premolar 1) is not to be penalised. The absence of PM2 should be regarded as a fault, if other than M3, no other teeth are missing, also a departure from the correctly closing scissor bite.

SERIOUS FAULTS:

• Weak, long-legged or body trailing on ground.
• The absence of teeth, other than those described among „faults” or „eliminating faults”.
• Wall eye in any colour other than dapple.
• Pointed, very folded ear leathers.
• Body suspended between shoulders.
• Hollow back, roach bach.
• Weak loins.
• Marked running up at rear (croup higher than withers).
• Chest too weak.
• Flanks with whippety-like tuck up.
• Badly angulated fore- and hindquarters.
• Narrow hindquarters, lacking muscle.
• Cow hocks or bow legs.
• Feet turning markedly inwards or outwards.
• Splayed toes.
• Heavy, clumsy, waddling movement.

FAULTY COAT:

SMOOTH-HAIRED DACHSHUND:
• Coat too fine or thin. Bald patches on leathers (leather ear), other bald areas.
• Coat much too coarse and much too profuse.
• Brush like tail.
• Tail partly or wholly hairless.
• Black colour without any marking.

WIRE-HAIRED DACHSHUND:
• Soft coat, whether long or short.
• Long coat, standing away from body in all directions.
• Curly or wavy coat.
• Soft coat on head.
• Flag on tail.
• Lack of beard.
• Lack of undercoat.
• Short coat.

LONG-HAIRED DACHSHUND:
• Coat of equal lenght all over body.
• Wavy or shaggy coat.
• Lack of flag (tail).
• Lack of overhanging feathering on ears.
• Short coat.
• Pronounced parting in coat on back.
• Hair too long between toes.

ELIMINATING FAULTS:
• Very anxious or agressive nature.
• Overshot or underhot mouth, wry mouth.
• Faulty position of lower canines.
• Absence of one or more canines; absence of one or more incisors.
• Lack of other premolars or molars. Exceptions: the two PM1, one PM2 without consideration of M3, as mentioned under Faults.
• Chest: sternum cut off.
• Any fault of tail.
• Very loose shoulders.
• Knuckling over in pasterns.
• Black colour without markings; white colour with or without markings.
• Colours other than those listed under „Colour”.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.