Evening star., 1940-06-23
KEEPING TAB ON THE DOG WORLD
News of Leaders in Dogdom and Their Master Comments
Breeds; Notes Shows Here and Elsewhere
BY X. X. Taynf0n.

DV H. H. UvUtOUs
For the sixth consecutive year the
biggest entry at the largest dog show
in the world, Morris and Essex, was
the dachshund entry. When one
considers that just 25 years ago this
breed was almost completely ostra-
cized in this country, that its name
was changed to badger dog, that 1t
was the symbol and prototype Of
"the enemy the present popularity
of the dachshund is amazing.
In the final analysis, the popular
ity Of this dog is due to its innate
character. 1t is a convenient size,
an easy subject to care for, clean In
its habits, not unduly noisy and suf-
flciently distinctive In shape and
color to make his owner feel pride
OF ownership. In disposition and
intelligence the dachshund COM
pares favorably with most other
breeds. While he has a will Of his
own, he may be taught easily, is
fond of children and his own folks,
and Is spunky enough to act as a
guard and to take care of himself
In a scrimmage.
To Go After Badgers.
While many OF its fanciers make
out a very good case for the an
tiquity of their favorite breed-dogs
OF similar conformation have been
found sculptured and pictured in the
tombs OF the ancient Pharoahs Of
Egypt, In the ruins of Peru and
Mexico, mentioned in the tombs of
ancient Greece-there is no real
proof that these dogs are the same
breed as the modern dachsllund.
1t Is more likely that similar types
OF dogs developed in the widely
separated countries simultaneously
because the same type of work was
found for them. In other words. the
dachshund, which translates liter
ally into badger dog, was developed
and bred to find and go after bad
gers. He is a dog with a keen sense
OF smell and a shape that makes
him an earth turnover.
In every respect but that of ears
which he inherits from hound an
cestry, he is terrier. He digs
IN the ground. He has the DISPOSE
ton and fire and courage OF a ter
rler. He will fight his prey to the
death. Small. earth-dWelling game
abounded in every country in which
dogs of the general dachshund type
have been found, and the type
naturally developed there.
However. beginning with the 18th
century, the modern type of dachs-
hund came to light. Old woodcuts
dating from that time show dogs
that may definitely be called the
forerunners of the dachshund or
teckel we know today. In 1840, the
first volume of the official German
stud book, the Deutches Hunde
Stammbuch. was published, and il
contained the names of 54 dachs-
hunds. From that time until 1885
when that stud book was closed by
official order, the dachshund led in
registrations in Germany.
Coat Variations.
For all practical purposes, dachs-
hund is a generic name for six diff
ferent breeds of dogs-a smooth, a
wire-haired and a long g-haired dog
of standard size weighing about Is
or l6 pounds, and the same three
coats in a miniature size weighing
under pounds. In Germany there
are four different weight classes for
all three coats. ranging from S to IS
pounds. Judging is further comph-
Gated by the fact there are color
classifications as well as size di-
visions. At present the most popu-
lar colors are red and black and tan
but chocolate, dappled and tiger are
recognized.
There is occasional word Of a
white puppy that is not an albino
and there is said to be a strain OF
Siberian dachshund that Is white
with a black mask. However, these
exotic variations are of little practi-
cal concern to the American breed
of dachsies. The coat question does
sometimes concern him as occasion
ally as long haired or wire-haired
puppy will crop up in a litter that
has been pure smooth breeding fol-
as many as 10 generations.
While nobody definitely knows the
origin of these coat variations, and
while old woodcuts show that the
same variations existed in medieval
times, it is suspected that the long
hair is due to a spaniel cross and
the wire hair to terrier cross
possibly a Scottish terrier.
Groups Consolidated.
Although the standard for the
dachshund was first set up in Ger
many in 1879 and has remained
virtually unchanged since. and
although the first Teckelclub was
established in Germany in 1888, ii
was not until 1915 that pedigrees
in the stud book were required to
designate the coat and size of the
dogs named in the pedigree. In
1885 the various organizations for
the promotion of the dachshund