Where the Dachshund came from
Dachshunds come from Germany. The name means badger dog, and that was the job: following a badger down its tunnel. Foresters and hunters wanted a dog with a long body, short legs and a loud voice.
German breeders made different sizes for different prey. The standard size went after badgers, and smaller types were used on rabbits and other small game underground. Coat types came along too: smooth, longhaired and wirehaired.
Today most Dachshunds are family dogs. They still dig, still bark to tell you things, and still think they are bigger than they are.
- 1700s Early German hunting books describe badger-crawling dogs
- 1885 The AKC recognizes the Dachshund
- 1895 The Dachshund Club of America is founded
- 1972 A Dachshund named Waldi is the mascot of the Munich Olympics
The job a Dachshund was bred for
The work was solo and underground. The dog had to find the den, go in alone, and keep facing the badger while making enough noise for the hunter to find them. That left a dog who digs, trails smells with great focus, barks a lot, and makes their own decisions.
Sports that fit a Dachshund
- Scent work. Their nose and independence are exactly what this sport rewards.
- Tracking. They will follow a trail with real determination.
- Earthdog. Built for tunnel work, so this lets them do the original job safely.
- Trick dog. Smart, food-motivated and fun to teach.
Training tips for a Dachshund
- Teach a strong recall early and practice it with great treats, because their nose will often win over your voice.
- Give them a legal place to dig, like a sandbox, and reward digging there.
- Keep sessions short and fun. Independent dogs quit when they get bored.
- Teach barking on cue and a quiet cue, using treats for the quiet.
Body and health
The long back makes disc problems a real risk. Avoid jumping off furniture, stairs all day and high-impact jumping sports, and keep them lean.
Fun fact. A Dachshund named Waldi was the first official Olympic mascot, at the 1972 Munich Games.
Breed is where we start
A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Dachshund is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.
Looking for a different breed? See what 75 breeds were bred to do.