Editing Dachshund (section)

== History ==
[[File:olddachshund.jpg|thumb|An old-style dachshund showing the longer legs]]
[[File:Deiker Jagdbare Tiere 1093210.jpg|thumb|Illustration of a dachshund baying a [[European badger]]]]

The dachshund is a creation of German [[Dog breeding|breeders]] and includes elements of [[Germany|German]], [[France|French]], and [[England|English]] hounds and [[terrier]]s. Dachshunds have been kept by royal courts all over Europe, including that of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]], who was particularly enamored of the breed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dachshund History Queen Victoria |url=http://smalldogbreedsinformation.com/dachshund/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140531034424/http://smalldogbreedsinformation.com/dachshund/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 May 2014 |work=Dachshund History Sub Category |access-date=3 May 2014 }}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=January 2024}}

The first verifiable references to the dachshund, originally named the "'''Dachs Kriecher'''" ("badger crawler") or "'''Dachs Krieger'''" ("badger warrior"), came from books written in the early 18th century.<ref>Der vollkommene teutsche Jäger (The Complete German Hunter), Johann Friedrich von Flemming, 1719–1724, Leipzig.</ref> Prior to that, there exist references to "badger dogs" and "hole dogs", but these likely refer to purposes rather than to specific breeds. The original German dachshunds were larger than the modern full-size variety, weighing between {{convert|14|and|18|kg|abbr=on|lbs}}, and originally came in straight-legged and crook-legged varieties (the modern dachshund is descended from the latter). Though the breed is famous for its use in exterminating badgers and [[badger-baiting]], dachshunds were also commonly used for [[rabbit]] and [[fox]] hunting, for locating wounded [[deer]], and in packs were known to hunt game as large as [[wild boar]] and as fierce as the [[wolverine]].<ref>{{Cite journal|date=October 14, 1875|title=THE CHAMPION DACHSHUND, MANN|journal=Forest and Stream; A Journal of Outdoor Life, Travel, Nature Study, Shooting, Fishing, Yachting (1873–1930)|pages=149|via=ProQuest}}</ref>

There are huge differences of opinion as to when dachshunds were specifically bred for their purpose of hunting badger, as the American Kennel Club states the dachshund was bred in the 15th century, while the Dachshund Club of America states that foresters bred the dogs in the 18th or 19th century.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Double-dapple dachshunds, which are prone to eye disease, blindness, or hearing problems, are generally believed to have been introduced to the United States between 1879 and 1885.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.easypetmd.com/doginfo/dachshund|title=Dachshund Breed Information: History, Health, Pictures, and more|website=www.easypetmd.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327023802/http://www.easypetmd.com/doginfo/dachshund|archive-date=27 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dachshundbreedcouncil.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/dach-facts-dapple1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327023841/https://dachshundbreedcouncil.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/dach-facts-dapple1.pdf |archive-date=2018-03-27 |url-status=live|title=Dach-Facts: Double Dapple Health Risks|website=www.dachshundbreedcouncil.org.uk}}</ref>

The flap-down ears and famous curved tail of the dachshund have deliberately been bred into the dog. In the case of the ears, this is to keep grass seeds, dirt, and other matter from entering the [[ear canal]]. The curved tail is dual-purposed: to be seen more easily in long grass and, in the case of burrowing dachshunds, to help haul the dog out if it becomes stuck in a burrow.<ref name="AHR">{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Adverd|title=A Brief History of the Breed|url=https://twodogzoo.com/brief-history-of-dachshund-breed/|access-date=28 October 2009|work=TwoDogZoo.com}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=January 2024}}
The smooth-haired dachshund, the oldest style, may be a cross between the [[German Shorthaired Pointer]], a [[Pinscher]], and a Bracke (a type of [[bloodhound]]), or to have been produced by crossing a short [[Bruno Jura Hound]] with a pinscher.<ref name="DCA">{{cite web|title=History and Development |url=http://www.dachshund-dca.org/faq.html#development |work=Dachshund Club of America |access-date=16 June 2009}}</ref> Others believe it was a cross from a miniature French pointer and a pinscher; others claim that it was developed from the [[Bloodhound|St. Hubert Hound]], also a bloodhound, in the 18th century,<ref name="5star">{{cite web |title=Dachshund Dog Breed Origins |url=http://www.5stardog.com/dog-breeds-dachshund.asp |work=5StarDog |access-date=16 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909152551/http://www.5stardog.com/dog-breeds-dachshund.asp |archive-date=9 September 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and still others believe that they were descended from [[Basset Hound]]s, based upon their scent abilities and general appearance.<ref name="Sheilds">{{cite book|editor-last= Shields |editor-first= George O. |title= The American Book of the Dog |last= Loeffler |first= William |chapter=Dachshunds | pages= 217–239 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=14JCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA217 |publisher= Cassell and Co |location= University of California |year= 1891}}</ref>

The exact origins of the dachshund are therefore unknown. According to William Loeffler, from '' The American Book of the Dog (1891)'', in the chapter on dachshunds: "The origin of the Dachshund is in doubt, our best authorities disagreeing as to the beginning of the breed."<ref name="Sheilds" /> What can be agreed on, however, is that the smooth dachshund gave rise to both the long-haired and the wire-haired varieties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dachshund History: The Badger Dog's Fascinating Past |url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/dachshund-history-badger-dog-breed/ |access-date=June 20, 2024 |website=American Kennel Club}}</ref>

There are two theories about how the standard long-haired dachshund came about. One theory is that smooth dachshunds would occasionally produce puppies which had slightly longer hair than their parents. By selectively breeding these animals, breeders eventually produced a dog which consistently produced long-haired offspring, and the long-haired dachshund was born. Another theory is that the standard long-haired dachshund was developed by breeding smooth dachshunds with various land and water spaniels. The long-haired dachshund may be a cross among any of the small dog breeds in the spaniel group, including the [[German Spaniel|German Stoeberhund]], and the smooth dachshund.<ref name="DCA" />

The wire-haired dachshund, the last to develop, was bred in the late 19th century. There is a possibility the wire-haired dachshund was a cross between the smooth dachshund and various hard-coated terriers and wire-haired pinschers, such as the [[Schnauzer]], the [[Dandie Dinmont Terrier]], the [[German Wirehaired Pointer]], or perhaps the [[Scottish Terrier]].<ref name="DCA" />