Dog Breed Guide
Wire-Haired Miniature Dachshund
Profile
- Size
- Small
- Country of origin
- Germany
- Origin
- 19th century
- Bred for
- Hunting rabbits and other small game
- Height
- about 15 - 20cm (6 - 8in)
- Weight
- around 5kg (11lb)
- Life span
- 12 - 16 years
A Dachshund of miniature size with a harsh, wiry, bristly coat and an impressive mustache, beard and eyebrows. Its whiskery face gives it the droll look of a little old man. Colors include wild boar (a brown and black mix like a wild boar's coat), black and tan, and red.
Of the three coat types of Dachshund, the wire-haired is said to be the most terrier-like in temperament: cheerful, mischievous, curious and brave. It is affectionate with its family.
The harsh coat sheds relatively little and is kept in shape by stripping out the dead hair from time to time. Like other Dachshunds, it needs weight control and care with steps and stairs to avoid straining its spine.
Good to know
The wire-haired is the newest of the three types of Dachshund. It is thought to have been created by crossing Dachshunds with wire-coated pinschers and terriers to protect the skin when hunting in thorny brush and on rough ground.
The miniature size was created by selecting smaller dogs so they could go down the burrows of rabbits, which are smaller than badgers. In Germany Dachshunds are still divided into three sizes by chest circumference: Standard, Miniature and Kaninchen (for rabbit hunting).
In Germany, its country of origin, the wire-haired is still popular as a working hunting dog, loved for its toughness and hardiness.