Dachshunds are the animal-ambassadors of Germany. Because of this association, their popularity plummeted in the United States during World War I and to a lesser extent during World War II. But by 2016, dachshunds ranked again 13th of the most popular dog breeds in the United States.
FROM OUR HOUSE … TO YOURS – Dachshund Holiday Greetings. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2018. www.walled-in-berlin.com
What Dachshunds looks like
In a nutshell, dachshunds are half a dog high and two dogs long. They are short-legged, long-bodied and have a long snout. Their front paws are disproportionately large and well suited for digging, and their deep chest gives them hunting stamina. The name translates to badger hound because dachshunds were originally bred to flush badgers from their burrows. They can track a scent that is more than a week old. In the United States, they are often nicknamed wiener dogs. Although “dachshund” is a German word, in Germany the dogs are known as Dackel or Teckel.
History of Dachshunds
The exact origin of dachshunds is unknown. Depending on the source, it is said to go as far back as ancient Egypt because similar mummified dogs were discovered in burial urns. In their modern incarnation, however, German breeders created the breed from German, French and English hounds and terriers during the 15th to 19th centuries. The short-haired dachshund eventually gave rise to both the long-haired and the wire-haired varieties.
Types and Temperament of Dachshunds
Dachshunds come in three sizes: standard (16 to 32 lb), miniature (less than 12 lb) and kaninchen (8 to 11 lb) and in three coat varieties: short-haired (smooth), longhaired, and wirehaired. The dogs have a wide variety of colors and patterns, the most common one being red, followed by black and tan. Dachshunds are clever, lively and courageous. Their temperament and body language give the impression that they do not know or care about their relatively small size. They are playful, burrow by nature, like to chase, and they have a huge sense of humor. Above all, they are known for their devotion and loyalty to their owners.
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Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
