Dachshunds often referred to as Doxies are known for their cute, funny, and adorable shape. However, their large body and short legs are designed to do more than make people be drawn to them. Here are some fascinating facts that you didn’t know about Dachshunds:

Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Aro... Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Around

What Do Dachshunds Hunt?

Dachshunds are able to hunt raccoons and squirrels as well as prairie dogs, pheasants, the opossum, and more.

1. They Were Bred to Hunt Badgers

The term “Dachshund” is actually German for badger dog. Dachshunds are a breed of dog with short legs. They keep them low to the ground to follow scents and their slim bodies permit them to dig into burrows searching for badgers. Despite their small size Dachshunds are incredibly brave and tough. In the course of time, they were bred into various breeds to hunt different types of prey.

2. They Come in Two Sizes

Breeders developed two sizes of Dachshunds: miniature and standard. The standard Dachshunds can weigh between 35 and 40 pounds, and were used for hunting badgers and wild boars. Miniatures weigh 11 pounds or less.

3. They Have Three Different Types of Coats

Dachshunds can be spotted with smooth, wirehaired, and longhaired coats. All Dachshunds were once smooth coats. However, the smooth coat is the most well-known. Breeders likely combined silky Dachshunds with other breeds of dog to create two different coat styles.

4. The Dog, Not the Hotdog, Came First

Dachshunds can be referred to as wiener dogs because their bodies are long and look like hotdogs. Would you believe that the name originally used for the sausage was Dachshund sausage? The deli’s name was chosen due to its resemblance to dogs. Later, the name was changed to hotdog.

5. They Were Temporarily Rebranded During WWI

Dachshunds were often associated with Germany in World War I because they were featured in a great deal of propaganda. Kaiser Wilhelm II had a popular love for Dachshunds. The association resulted in an eroding of the popularity of the breed in America. To mitigate this the AKC attempted to rebrand Dachshunds as “badger dogs,” the meaning to the German title, or “liberty pups.”

6. A Dachshund Was the First Olympic Mascot

The official mascot for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games was a vibrant Dachshund called Waldi. It marked the first occasion that the Olympics had an official symbol. Olympic officials actually planned the marathon route that year with the form of Dachshunds.

7. There Are Dachshund Races

Dachshund races began in Australia around the year 1970, and have since spread across the globe. In the United States, Wienerschnitzel Weiner Nationals are held each calendar year throughout Southern California since 1995. It’s not an extremely serious event, as Dachshunds aren’t designed to race, However, it’s fun to watch.

8. Two Dachshunds Have Been the “World’s Oldest Dog”

Dachshunds generally live between 12 and 15 years, which is longer than the majority of dog breeds. Of the 23 breeds that keep the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog, two were Dachshunds as well as one Dachshund-Doxie mix. One Doxie called Chanel kept the title until the year 2009, which was the year she passed away at age 21. A cross of a 20-year-old Dachshund-Terrier named Otto was the next to hold it until 2010. In 2013, a Dachshund, called Scrolly who was also alive to be 20years old, held the title.

9. Britain’s First Cloned Dog Was a Dachshund

One of the first British dogs successfully copied was one Dachshund called Winnie. Winnie’s owner took part in a contest for the chance of having her dog cloned, a process that normally costs over $60,000. Scientists took a sample of skin from Winnie and made Mini-Winnie. The owner of Mini-Winnie says that she looks exactly the way Winnie did when she was a puppy. Mini-Winnie is healthy and will be able to live for a long time.