Glamor may not be a word usually associated with the dachshund, but New York socialite Iris Love has worked — or partied — hard to change that perception.
Each year during the Westminster Kennel Club Show, Love takes over one of Manhattan’s trendiest spots for a bash in honor of her breed. This year’s party took place at Central Park’s Tavern on the Green restaurant and featured a guest list that included Liza Minnelli and Henry Kissinger. Previous celebrity guests have included newswomen Barbara Walters, Liz Smith and Diane Sawyer, designer Geoffrey Beene and director Mike Nichols.
"Dachshunds are courageous to the point of brashness," Love said to the New York Times in 1996, explaining her affection for the long, low-slung dogs. "They’re also good strategists and very affectionate, although they can be a bit of the snob, too."
Love is not the only woman of means to fall under the dachshund’s spell. Fellow high society matron Brooke Astor and actress Isabella Rossellini are also dachshund lovers. England’s Queen Victoria developed an affection for dachshunds shortly after her new husband, Prince Albert, brought the dogs with him from Germany. She owned dachshunds for the rest of her life, having tiny tombstones and statues erected whenever one of her beloved friends died.
Something about this breed attracts the limelight. Dachshunds have slurped champagne poolside at the Hollywood homes of movie stars John Wayne, Carol Lombard and Clark Gable; served as muses for artists Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol; and provided inspiration for playwright Noel Coward and author E.B. White.
Dachshund Lovers Unite
You don’t have to be rich and famous to be a dachshund lover. Dachshund aficionados are everywhere, and like Ms. Love, they often show support for their favorite breed. Manhattanites not invited to the Tavern on the Green might well be found at the semiannual gatherings of the Dachshund Friendship Club, which often draws more than 1,000 of the Big Apple’s most ardent dachshund enthusiasts. In Soldotna, Alaska, dachshunds celebrate their status as the town’s favorite pooch by marching in the annual "Weenies on Parade." In Richmond, Virginia, the yearly "Bark in the Park" draws dachshund lovers from as far away as New York and Indiana. Members of the San Diego Dachshund Club pay homage to their favorite canines at the Dachshund’s Picnic, held each year at the city’s Mission Hills Park.
Something for Everybody
There’s something about the dachshund that makes the dog popular with everyone. The answer may be variety. A veritable smorgasbord of canine characteristics, the dachshund comes in three distinct types and two different sizes. The smooth dachshund – the most familiar type – features a short, shiny coat. The wirehaired dachshund is covered with a uniform thick, short outer coat. Bushy eyebrows and a beard give the wirehaired an appearance that is strikingly different from other dachshunds. In the longhaired dachshund, a long, sleek, wavy coat provides an elegant appearance.
Dachshunds are bred and shown in two sizes — standard and miniature. The American Kennel Club (AKC) does not consider miniature dachshunds to be a separate classification; however, they do compete in a separate class division for dogs 11 pounds and under at 12 months of age or older. Weight of the standard size is usually between 16 and 32 pounds.
If variety isn’t the answer, then the key to the dachshund’s popularity must be stature, for the dachshund is a small dog only in size. Bold, curious and intelligent, the dachshund often acts with the courage and determination of dogs several times larger. New owners will soon learn of the dachshund’s oversized personality, for it is a breed that insists on being involved in every aspect of its owner’s life.
The Long and Short of It
The key to understanding the dachshund’s prominent personality is in its history. Developed by the foresters of Germany to track and kill a variety of game, the dachshund has possessed, from the start, the soul of a fearless hunter.
Sources list the modern smooth dachshund as originating in the 1700s from the mixing of the French braque, a small pointer type, and the pinscher, a vermin killer of terrier type. It is possible that smooth dachshunds were later crossed with spaniels and the German stoberhund, a gundog, to produce the longhaired variety. Most modern wirehaired dachshunds were developed around the end of the nineteenth century by crossing smooth dachshunds with German wirehaired pinschers and the Dandie Dinmont terriers.
Whatever the origin, we know the dachshund was developed and refined by the German foresters into an excellent tracker and fearless hunter. The dog’s long, low body enabled it to enter and move freely inside a tunnel or den without sacrificing jaw and body shape, while its fluid, smooth gate provided agility and endurance. Over time the dachshund’s hunting abilities were further refined: smooth dachshunds were used primarily for going to ground, while the strong dense coat of the wirehaired protected it from thick underbrush; longhairs had an advantage when working in water, and miniatures were especially useful against smaller game such as rabbits.
Although we may think of the dachshund as a German dog, it already had a strong following in England and the United States by the time German breeders formally organized. Queen Victoria’s interest did much to promote the breed in England, where nobles and others rushed to follow the royal lead. The dachshund found its way to America throughout the 1800s with European immigrants. Eleven dachshunds were included in the AKC Stud Book, Volume II, in 1885. The Dachshund Club of America was formed in 1895 and is the eighth oldest breed club member of the AKC.
Taming the Doxie’s Moxie
The dachshund’s hunting history is now a distant memory in America, although some are still used in field trials. It is as a family pet that the dachshund found its American niche. That isn’t to say the dachshund doesn’t enjoy a good romp through the woods. Sadly, many dachshunds lead sedentary lives. This often results in weight problems, particularly hazardous because of the stress placed on their long backs. The dachshund’s exercise requirements aren’t extensive, but that does not mean they should be ignored. It is essential to the mental and physical health of the breed that they receive moderate exercise daily.
The dachshund’s size makes it an excellent choice for the apartment dweller who is willing to exercise the dog daily. Miniature dachshunds are especially suited for living in smaller spaces. Being a hunting dog, dachshunds love the outdoors, so they are also good dogs for homeowners with a safe yard who prefer smaller dogs.
The important factor to remember for all potential owners is that the dachshund is not a quiet addition to a home.
The dachshund wants to be with you constantly — any owner should recognize the dogs demand this sort of attention. The happy dachshund owner is one who recognizes the breed’s forceful personality yet takes the time to train his or her dog. Socialize early and do not reward barking, for this breed will kick up a fuss if encouraged to do so. Longhaired dachshunds may be quieter and less terrier-like; the wirehairs may be more outgoing. Some miniatures are more prone to be timid.
A major health concern in this breed is invertebral disc disease, because of the dog’s long back. KCS, or Keratoconjunctivitis sicca — a condition where decreased tear production causes a dry eye damaging the cornea — is a minor concern. Diabetes, deafness, epilepsy and patellar luxation — an abnormally shallow groove in the knees, so that the knee cap slips in and out of position — are other minor health-related concerns.
The dachshund varieties have different grooming requirements. The smooth is odor free and sheds its coat only to a very small degree – a hound glove or soft cloth will maintain a healthy shine. The longhaired variety needs a regular brush and comb and occasional trimming of stray hairs. The wirehaired requires brushing or combing about once a week, with occasional trimming of stray hairs and stripping to remove dead hair twice a year.
Hero of the Heartland
Fans of this outgoing, affectionate breed truly are everywhere. As evidenced by the numerous annual gatherings in the dog’s honor, the dog’s popularity spreads far and wide throughout America, from New York to Alaska. Since the late 1800s, when the dachshund became one of the earliest breeds to gain AKC recognition, this mighty dog’s renown has kept a steady pace through modern times – in 1998 the breed ranked 5th in new AKC registrations, ahead of such perennial favorites as the beagle, poodle and cocker spaniel. So dachshund lovers everywhere, toast your beloved breed. You may not be rubbing elbows with the rich and famous at Tavern on the Green as you do so, but the sentiment will be the same.
The Race Is On
A recent controversy in the dog world has centered around the issue of dachshund racing. The sport took off after a Miller Lite TV ad showing nutty sports ideas, such as luge bowling, included dachshund racing. Operators of greyhound race tracks around the country picked up on the appeal of the ads and began staging similar races. Today these races are regular events at many dog tracks.
Some view the contests as entertaining diversions — many "wiener dog races" have been staged as benefits for charities and other causes. One race was even half-time entertainment at a San Francisco 49ers NFL football game. Spectators are often amazed by the dachshunds, who flex their backs, much like an inchworm, to generate surprising speeds.
Others see a more ominous side to the sport, fearing that extended racing careers could cause damage to the dachshund’s already vulnerable back. These critics also complain that dachshund racing will be viewed by profit-oriented individuals as an opportunity to deliberately breed "racing" dachshunds, thereby adding more animals to an already overpopulated world. They point to the thousands of racing greyhounds who are destroyed each year as proof that the sport of dachshund racing is anything but fun and games.
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