Dachshund - the wiry hair variety / Teckel, Tekkel, Wiener Dog/Hotdog, Weenie Dog

Breed history:

 It is a breed of newer German origins and was developed in the 19th century through the crossbreeding between the short-haired Teckel with the Schnauzer and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. 

Description:

 The only difference between the short-haired variety and this one, is represented by the fur. It has bushy eyebrows, moustache and a small beard and the head is covered with a double-layered fur, with a fluffy and soft inner layer and a very rough outer layer. The hair on the head and ears is shorter. The frequent colours are similar to those of wild animals; the black and fawn variety is rarely met. Dogs with red or chocolate-coloured fur can seldom appear.

Personality:

 It is an intelligent, lively, skillful, obedient, very brave dog, with a strong sense of smell, it is active and tenacious curious and sometimes dominant. The family, in the middle of which it lives, comes first in its life, due to its strong attachment. It is quite reserved with strangers. It must be socialized from an early age with children and with other dogs or other animals, otherwise, when it grows up, its hunting instinct can make it see playing with another animal (especially the cat) as a hunt. Some specimens may have an overly brave, uncautious behaviour towards other larger dogs. 

Grooming:

 This dog's fur must be trimmed 2-3 times a year. The claws should be cut very short. Most of these dogs have the tendency to eat a lot, becoming obese. The ideal weight for them is 6,5-7 kg but they can get to 14 kg. An obese dog is a sick dog. Because of the very long spine they can have problems with the intervertebral disks. They should not be allowed to climb stairs, to jump on a chair or to become obese. A mini harness is recommended instead of a dog collar to protect the spine. 

Living conditions:

 It is a dog that adapts to the offered living conditions - outdoors or indoors. The dwarf variety is ideal for an apartment, on condition that it has the possibility of daily exercise. It needs socialization and training.

Training:

 The training of this dog must be done by a person with experience, preferably within a training school because it is a dog which has tendencies of domination and independent thought. But, with patience, with a positive, firm, consistent attitude, without being too severe (it suffers if it is punished) good result can be obtained and it learns a lot, even if doesn't always follow commands. It needs exercise, walks, running (the master should take care, because it can run off if something which incites its hunting instincts appears) to keep in shape. 

Usefulness:

 It is an excellent hunter of small burrow animals and even of larger animals (foxes, boars). It has great perseverance in chasing the prey, being able to keep searching for even 48 hours. It is a good watchdog for the house and a devoted companion. It is also used by the police for tracking.