History and origin of the Dachshund

 The authentic origin of the Dachshund as a breed can be traced to Germany during the years 1550-1850 when German foresters, gamekeepers, and sportsmen first selected their dogs because of their affinity to go underground and fearlessly fight the badger, a vicious, saber-clawed antagonists weighing anywhere from 25 to 40 pounds.

Dachshunds were bred as hunting dogs. They would go into the dens of a badger or fox and chase it out. This required some iron determination to prevail. In fact, the name dachshund means "badger dog." .The primary purpose for which the Dachshund was developed was to hunt the badger. The Dachshund (translation: Badger Dog)  required specific traits such as courage, stamina & perseverance beyond what is usually expected of any other hunting dog.  The breed's deep sonorous bark is a special advantage, for it enabled the hunter to determine what was going on down in the badger hole.