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General Appearance
Low to ground, long in body and short of leg with
robust muscular development, the skin is elastic and pliable
without excessive wrinkling. Appearing neither crippled, awkward,
nor cramped in his capacity for movement, the Dachshund is
well-balanced with bold and confident head carriage and
intelligent, alert facial expression. His hunting spirit, good
nose, loud tongue and distinctive build make him well-suited for
below-ground work and for beating the bush. His keen nose gives
him an advantage over most other breeds for trailing. NOTE:
Inasmuch as the Dachshund is a hunting dog, scars from honorable
wounds shall not be considered a fault. Size, Proportion,
Substance - Bred and shown in two sizes, standard and miniature,
miniatures are not a separate classification but compete in a
class division for "11 pounds and under at 12 months of age
and older." Weight of the standard size is usually between
16 and 32 pounds.
Head
Viewed from above or from the side, the head
tapers uniformly to the tip of the nose. The eyes are of medium
size, almond-shaped and dark-rimmed, with an energetic, pleasant
expression; not piercing; very dark in color. The bridge bones
over the eyes are strongly prominent. Wall eyes, except in the
case of dappled dogs, are a serious fault. The ears are set near
the top of the head, not too far forward, of moderate length,
rounded, not narrow, pointed, or folded. Their carriage, when
animated, is with the forward edge just touching the cheek so
that the ears frame the face. The skull is slightly arched,
neither too broad nor too narrow, and slopes gradually with
little perceptible stop into the finely-formed, slightly arched
muzzle. Black is the preferred color of the nose. Lips are
tightly stretched, well covering the lower jaw. Nostrils well
open. Jaws opening wide and hinged well back of the eyes, with
strongly developed bones and teeth.
Teeth
Powerful canine teeth; teeth fit closely together
in a scissors bite. An even bite is a minor fault. Any other
deviation is a serious fault. Neck - Long, muscular, clean-cut,
without dewlap, slightly arched in the nape, flowing gracefully
into the shoulders.
Trunk
The trunk is long fully muscled. When viewed in
profile, the back lies in the straightest possible line between
the withers and the short very slightly arched loin. A body that
hangs loosely between the shoulders is a serious fault.
Abdomen
Slightly drawn up.
Forequarters
For effective underground work, the front must be
strong, deep, long and cleanly muscled.
Forequarters in detail
Chest
The breast-bone is strongly prominent in front so
that on either side a depression or dimple appears. When viewed
from the front, the thorax appears oval and extends downward to
the mid-point of the forearm. The enclosing structure of the
well-sprung ribs appears full and oval to allow, by its ample
capacity, complete development of heart and lungs. The keel
merges gradually into the line of the abdomen and extends well
beyond the front legs. Viewed in profile, the lowest point of the
breast line is covered by the front leg.
Shoulder Blades
Long, broad, well-laid back and firmly placed
upon the fully developed thorax, closely fitted at the withers,
furnished with hard yet pliable muscles.
Upper Arm
Ideally the same length as the shoulder blade and
at right angles to the latter, strong of bone and hard of muscle,
lying close to the ribs, with elbows close to the body, yet
capable of free movement.
Forearm
Short; supplied with hard yet pliable muscles on
the front and outside, with tightly stretched tendons on the
inside at the back, slightly curved inwards. The joints between
the forearms and the feet (wrists) are closer together than the
shoulder joints, so that the front does not appear absolutely
straight. Knuckling over is a disqualifying fault.
Feet
Front paws are full, tight, compact, with
well-arched toes and tough, thick pads. They may be equally
inclined a trifle outward. There are five toes, four in use,
close together with a pronounced arch and strong, short nails.
Front dewclaws may be removed.
Hindquarters
Strong and cleaned muscled. The pelvis, the
thigh, the second thigh, and the metatarsus are ideally the same
length and form a series of right angles. From the rear, the
thighs are strong and powerful. The legs turn neither in nor out.
Metatarsus
Short and strong, perpendicular to the second
thigh bone. When viewed from behind, they are upright and
parallel.
Feet
Hind Paws
Smaller than the front paws with four compactly
closed and arched toes with though, thick pads. The entire foot
points straight ahead and is balanced equally on the ball and not
merely on the toes. Rear dewclaws should be removed.
Croup
Long, rounded and full, sinking slightly toward
the tail. Tail - set in continuation of the spine, extending
without kinks, twists, or pronounced curvature, and not carried
too gaily.
Gait
Fluid and smooth. Forelegs reach well forward,
without much lift, in unison with the driving action of hind
legs. The correct shoulder assembly and well-fitted elbows allow
the long, free stride in front. Viewed from the front, the legs
do not move in exact parallel planes, but incline slightly inward
to compensate for shortness of leg and width of chest. Hind legs
drive on a line with the forelegs, with hocks (metatarsus)
turning neither in nor out. The propulsion of the hind leg
depends on the dog's ability to carry the hind leg to complete
extension. Viewed in profile, the forward reach of the hind leg
equals the rear extension. The thrust of correct movement is seen
when the rear pads are clearly exposed during rear extension.
Feet must travel parallel to the line of motion with no tendency
to swing out, cross over, or interfere with each other. Short,
choppy movement, rolling or high-stepping gait, close or overly
wide coming or going are incorrect.
The Dachshund must have agility, freedom of movement, and
endurance to do the work for which he was developed.
Temperament
The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to
the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground
work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness
is a serious fault.
Special Characteristics of the Three Coat Varieties
The Dachshund is bred with three varieties of
coat: (1) Smooth; (2) Wirehaired; (3) Longhaired and is shown in
two sizes, standard and miniature. All three varieties and both
sizes must conform to the characteristics already specified. The
following features are applicable for each variety:
This information comes from the Dachshund Club of America
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