About Dachshunds as Pets

Call them "wiener" dogs, if you must, but don't call them late for dinner. If you do, you will have proof of their keen instinct for the hunt, their insatiable determination, and their ability to look so pathetically cute that you will feed them more than they are supposed to get.

Don't let their looks fool you. Under their affable and comical fascade they are cunning manipulators of their human "masters." Their fierce loyalty and devoted companionship will have you trained before you can say "Jack Russell." Many people discover that once they own a dachshund (or are owned by one), no other pet will do.

As dogs go, dachshunds tend to be pretty smart. They are especially adept at reading the moods and habits of their humans. They also make frequent attempts to re-engineer their environment. Evidence of this is left in the forms of
escavation projects- digging, often with the apparent goal of creating a foundation for later high-rise construction,
building projects- moving and arranging blankets, pillows and even small furniture items to conform to a grander blueprint,
general re-purposing of objects- almost anything that can fit in a mouth can become a chewtoy,

Dachshunds are very social creatures, and do best when they can spend lots of time with humans, even if the time involves just sitting in the same room while the human does something else. Dachshunds also generally do better if they have other pets to share the time that their humans are not around.

Dachshund Varieties

Dachshunds come in three varieties, determined by their coat.

The dachshund that comes to mind to most people is the smooth or shorthaired dachshund. These fellas are especially easy to groom. Dunk 'em in water, towel them off, and they're clean. There's not much else to do, since they don't have enough fur to really brush. Trimming their nails is about the only other grooming required. If you're into low maintenance and

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