The Dachshund – Feisty Badger Dog of Germany

By Linda Cole

The Dachshund may not look feisty, but this short-legged dog is a badger's worse enemy. This breed was created to hunt – a job they are extremely good at – and is the only AKC recognized breed that was developed to hunt above and below ground.

The Dachshund is the smallest member of the Hound Group, even though he was bred to go to ground after his prey, like a terrier. In 1874, the Dachshund was recorded as a German Badger Hound in the English stud book, which started a somewhat heated debate – is the Dachshund a hound or a terrier? A breed expert was quoted in 1906 as saying, “That it is used occasionally as a hound in the sense that it follows rabbits and hares by scent as does a beagle, does not alter the fact that it is essentially a dog that goes to earth and is therefore a terrier.”

Dog historian Edward Ash also got in on the debate in 1927 saying, “A Dachshund is, in fact, a terrier with very crooked legs, but possessing in a very great degree both the appearance and fine nose of the beagle.” Needless to say, this breed has fine qualities of both the hound and terrier!

The Dachshund was created in Germany in the early 1600s, but illustrations of dogs with short legs and elongated bodies hunting badgers have been found dating back to the 1400s, and writings from the 1500s mention the “earth dog,” “dachsel,” and “badger creeper.” In Germany, this breed is known as the Badger Dog, and the Teckel. The German word for badger is “dachs,” and “hund” means dog.

How Some Popular Dog Breeds Got Their Name

Cocker Spaniel

By Linda Cole

Deciding on the perfect name for a new puppy or dog isn't always easy to do. You want to pick one that fits his personality and is easy to learn. Now imagine coming up with a name for a new dog breed. The history of dog breeds is an interesting story. The history behind naming some of our popular dog breeds is also an intriguing tale.

Cocker Spaniel

Spaniels date back to the 14th century; they evolved over the years with some working on land and others working as water retrievers. These dogs were highly prized by English hunters for their outstanding ability to flush out and retrieve a large, short legged and bulky wading bird called a woodcock. This nocturnal bird spends most of the day hiding in dense cover. People started calling the dog “cocker,” and the name caught on.

Labrador Retriever

Newfoundland is the land of the Labrador Retriever, not Labrador. Fishermen around the Canadian province used a small water dog that was bred with Newfoundland dogs to produce a first-class swimmer called the St. John's Water Dog, the ancestor of the Labrador. The breed had webbed feet and was used to retrieve fishermen's nets from the icy waters and bring them back to shore. In the early 1800s, the Earl of Malmesbury saw one of the dogs in action and imported it to England. He trained his dogs to retrieve ducks and called them “Labrador dogs.” Even though the Earl was confused about which province his dogs came from, the name stuck as the dog became more popular.

Cairn Terrier

Cairn Terrier

This little dog was developed on the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. Farmers wanted a small, feisty dog with lots of courage, determination, intelligence and the ability to go to ground when necessary after prey. The Cairn Terrier was bred to hunt badger, otter, fox, rabbit and other vermin. They were especially good at digging prey out from under cairns, which are mounds of man-made piles of stone used in the Scottish Highlands as grave site memorials and boundary markers. People started calling the dogs Cairn, and that's where the breed name came from.

Meet the 2013 PAWS Petchitecture Dog Idols

By Linda Cole

PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) is a San Francisco based non-profit organization dedicated to giving support and aid to seniors and people with disabling illnesses that make it difficult for them to feed and care for their pets. The PAWS-sponsored Petchitecture is an annual fundraiser to benefit PAWS clients and their pets. Last year's event brought in $225,000. Jason Izmirian and Michael Jennings, pet parents to the 2013 Petchitecture Dog Idols, Carmela and Chloe, had the winning bid of $7,800 on a prize package donated by CANIDAE for the auction. Part of the prize includes being featured on CANIDAE marketing materials. I spoke with Jason to find out more about the “girls” and his determination to win the CANIDAE prize package.

“We thought a prize package that would showcase just how adorable our Ladies are made sense to us. We are fans of all natural, USA made food for animals and the CANIDAE prize package was a no brainer from our perspective. We also love PAWS and what they do for the San Francisco community.” Jason and Michael are San Francisco residents; Jason leads the Talent division of a software startup company and Michael runs Global Information Technology for a business networking company.

Their dogs, Carmela and Chloe, are Tweenie Dachshunds, a size in between miniature and standard. Carmela (dapple) and Chloe (black and tan) are also sisters. When Jason first saw them at a Denver breeder’s they were three months old, racing around and playing with each other. Jason explained, “Initially, we were only going to adopt one, but when I heard there were two available, I figured if we were going to clean up poop for one pup, we might as well clean up poop for two.”

About five years ago, Carmela became a special needs dog when a Lake Tahoe vacation turned into a scary and frantic trip home for emergency surgery after Carmela jumped off a chair and ruptured a disc in her back. Not knowing what to expect or how it would affect her future, Jason and Michael did everything possible to help her through rehabilitation. Jason was in between jobs and concentrated on Carmela's needs. For six months he chauffeured her to water treadmill therapy and an acupuncturist, and worked with a therapist on her motor skills. “Our hope was she wasn't going to need wheels to help her get around, so we are grateful her determination and ours got her to where she is today. She walks a little like a ‘drunken sailor,’ but she gets around,” said Jason.

The Best Dogs for Less Active Families

By Anna Lee

If you and your family are not very active, but you want to get a dog, you need a breed that will work well with your particular lifestyle. If your family is more laid back and easygoing, you probably shouldn't get a high energy dog that needs a lot of exercise, such as a Springer Spaniel, Golden Retriever or German Shepherd.

Perhaps you have a physical limitation when it comes to taking a walk. You would still like to walk your dog, so what kind of dog would be best? Do you prefer to sit inside on the weekends and cozy up on the sofa with a good book? You want a dog that would not mind being right there on the sofa with you. You can have some popcorn while your dog enjoys some CANIDAE® treats!

In cases such as those what is not needed is a dog breed that requires action, like a Border Collie, or the aforementioned Springer Spaniel. One thing I noticed in doing research is that most of the dogs requiring less exercise are the small breeds. Although some breeds require a less-than-normal amount of exercise, they still require some exercise. A daily walk and some play time will keep them happy. The politically correct term for this group of dogs is “lower exercise demand dogs.” Here are some of my picks for this category.

Bichon Frise: the Bichon is happy to be with you and stay by your side. They do not require a yard but do need a daily walk and a little play inside. The Bichon is a gentle dog that is easy to train. The Bichon loves everyone, from children to adults. At 7 to 12 pounds, this breed is the perfect size to sit on your lap for hours!

English Bulldog: His appearance makes us fearful of him, but he is one of the gentlest dogs and is excellent with children. The Bulldog will get along fine with other family dogs, but have been known to be a little scrappy with unfamiliar dogs. They tend to snore quite loudly but if your spouse’s snoring doesn’t bother you, the bulldogs won’t either! They are physically inactive and great for someone who wants company in the house instead of company running a marathon. Weight averages 51 pounds for females and 55 pounds for males.

Dachshund: these little guys are clowns, and I have personal knowledge of that. A few years back we entered our lab in a dog contest sponsored by the Mandrel Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN. The first year Abby won first prize. The category? The Loudest! She out-barked several other large dogs. The second year we ran into some heavy competition and she lost to a Dachshund. It was a little embarrassing for poor Abby! The new champion had been trained to put on quite a show which included the loudest and shrillest bark I’ve ever heard. Dachshunds prefer families with older children and they require at least a daily walk. If you have a fenced yard they enjoying running free. The standard size hits about 11 pounds top weight.

Pekingese are small dogs that are very affectionate with their owners. They will try to dominate you. Therefore, you must show them that you are the boss. A daily walk is all the exercise they require. The smallest variety is 6 pounds for a ‘sleeve’ Pekingese. Average weight for the regular Pekingese is 10 pounds.

Toy Poodles are happy-go-lucky dogs, although they have a tendency to bark too much. They will play and run outdoors, but are happy to return back to the comforts of home! If you have a fenced yard you can let them play until they tire out. The Toy Poodle hits 9 pounds top weight.

Read more articles by Anna Lee