They used to be bigger than they are now, too. They always had the short legs, but they were larger and heavier. Just like Pomeranians. In the Victorian era, the average Pom weighed about 25 pounds. They've been bred down for size pretty dramatically.

I love dachshunds. They have such cute faces, and they tend to be pretty smart. I don't think I'd want to own a purebred because they have so much trouble with their spines. (A friend of mine just dropped over 2 grand to get his dachsy some kind of spinal surgery.)

However, they mix quite well. My family had several members of a litter of dachshund/wire haired terrier mix, and they were AWESOME. Short legs, but very strong and healthy. Not to mention cute.

Hmmm... I wonder. If kobolds really had existed, do you think the Germans would have bred a koboldhund? I could see adventurers spending good gold on some of those...

You should look into the history of the bulldog sometime. ;)

I trust you are familiar with Peter Himmelman's "Dixie the Tiny Dog"?

http://sipsydoodle.vox.com/library/audio/6a00cdf39ebc52cb8f00cdf3a39595cb8f.html

Next... we will tell you why the Rat Terrier is called a Rat Terrier :P

Dachsunds also make excellent pets for disabled people and folks with chronic medical needs. They're very alert to their people's moods and well-being and take readily to training to, for example, nag someone to take medication and the like. If I didn't already have my cat, a dachsund would have been a really serious pet contender for me.

i did a home stay with a family in Germany that had one, wiry-coated, a real sweetheart. i asked (since this was the first one i had met), "Is he a dachshund?" and the owner replied "No, I use him to hunt foxes."

I grew up with dachshunds for 30 years - they are such a fantastic breed. Their tails are strong and meaty so you can pull your dog back out of a sett if you need to. They were bred for independence of action, because in a sett it's just you and the brock, baby. This independent, stubborn streak is not necessarily such a great idea in an animal, so it's a good thing they're not any larger. The author of a book on canine intelligence said, "I would rather teach a zebra to juggle than try to persuade a dachshund to do anything."

Come to think of it, ferrets are a lot like dachshunds, which might be part of the appeal for me!