General Appearance
Low to ground, long in body and short of leg with robust muscular
development, the skin is elastic and pliable without excessive wrinkling.
Appearing neither crippled, awkward, nor cramped in his capacity for
movement, the Dachshund is well-balanced with bold and confident head
carriage and intelligent, alert facial expression. His hunting spirit, good
nose, loud tongue and distinctive build make him well-suited for
below-ground work and for beating the bush. His keen nose gives him an
advantage over most other breeds for trailing. Note: Inasmuch as the
Dachshund is a hunting dog, scars from honorable wounds shall not be
considered a fault.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Bred and shown in two sizes, standard and miniature, miniatures are not a
separate classification but compete in a class division for "11 pounds and
under at 12 months of age and older." Weight of the standard size is usually
between 16 and 32 pounds.
Head
Viewed from above or from the side, the head tapers uniformly to the tip of
the nose. The eyes are of medium size, almond-shaped and dark-rimmed, with
an energetic, pleasant expression; not piercing; very dark in color. The
bridge bones over the eyes are strongly prominent. Wall eyes, except in the
case of dappled dogs, are a serious fault. The ears are set near the top of
the head, not too far forward, of moderate length, rounded, not narrow,
pointed, or folded. Their carriage, when animated, is with the forward edge
just touching the cheek so that the ears frame the face. The skull is
slightly arched, neither too broad nor too narrow, and slopes gradually with
little perceptible stop into the finely-formed, slightly arched muzzle.
Black is the preferred color of the nose. Lips are tightly stretched, well
covering the lower jaw. Nostrils well open. Jaws opening wide and hinged
well back of the eyes, with strongly developed bones and teeth. Teeth--Powerful
canine teeth; teeth fit closely together in a scissors bite. An even bite is
a minor fault. Any other deviation is a serious fault.
Neck
Long, muscular, clean-cut, without dewlap, slightly arched in the nape,
flowing gracefully into the shoulders.
Trunk
The trunk is long and fully muscled. When viewed in profile, the back lies
in the straightest possible line between the withers and the short very
slightly arched loin. A body that hangs loosely between the shoulders is a
serious fault. Abdomen--Slightly drawn up.
Forequarters
For effective underground work, the front must be strong, deep, long and
cleanly muscled. Forequarters in detail: Chest-- The breastbone is
strongly prominent in front so that on either side a depression or dimple
appears. When viewed from the front, the thorax appears oval and extends
downward to the mid-point of the forearm. The enclosing structure of
well-sprung ribs appears full and oval to allow, by its ample capacity,
complete development of heart and lungs. The keel merges gradually into the
line of the abdomen and extends well beyond the front legs. Viewed in
profile, the lowest point of the breast line is covered by the front leg.
Shoulder Blades--Long, broad, well-laid back and firmly placed upon the
fully developed thorax, closely fitted at the withers, furnished with hard
yet pliable muscles. Upper Arm--Ideally the same length as the
shoulder blade and at right angles to the latter, strong of bone and hard of
muscle, lying close to the ribs, with elbows close to the body, yet capable
of free movement. Forearm--Short; supplied with hard yet pliable
muscles on the front and outside, with tightly stretched tendons on the
inside and at the back, slightly curved inwards. The joints between the
forearms and the feet (wrists) are closer together than the shoulder joints,
so that the front does not appear absolutely straight. Knuckling over is a
disqualifying fault. Feet--Front paws are full, tight, compact, with
well-arched toes and tough, thick pads. They may be equally inclined a
trifle outward. There are five toes, four in use, close together with a
pronounced arch and strong, short nails. Front dewclaws may be removed.
Hindquarters
Strong and cleanly muscled. The pelvis, the thigh, the second thigh, and the
metatarsus are ideally the same length and form a series of right angles.
From the rear, the thighs are strong and powerful. The legs turn neither in
nor out. Metatarsus-- Short and strong, perpendicular to the second
thigh bone. When viewed from behind, they are upright and parallel.
Feet--Hind Paws--Smaller than the front paws with four compactly closed
and arched toes with tough, thick pads. The entire foot points straight
ahead and is balanced equally on the ball and not merely on the toes. Rear
dewclaws should be removed. Croup--Long, rounded and full, sinking
slightly toward the tail. Tail-- Set in continuation of the spine,
extending without kinks, twists, or pronounced curvature, and not carried
too gaily.
Gait
Fluid and smooth. Forelegs reach well forward, without much lift, in unison
with the driving action of hind legs. The correct shoulder assembly and
well-fitted elbows allow the long, free stride in front. Viewed from the
front, the legs do not move in exact parallel planes, but incline slightly
inward to compensate for shortness of leg and width of chest. Hind legs
drive on a line with the forelegs, with hocks (metatarsus) turning neither
in nor out. The propulsion of the hind leg depends on the dog's ability to
carry the hind leg to complete extension. Viewed in profile, the forward
reach of the hind leg equals the rear extension. The thrust of correct
movement is seen when the rear pads are clearly exposed during rear
extension. Feet must travel parallel to the line of motion with no tendency
to swing out, cross over, or interfere with each other. Short, choppy
movement, rolling or high-stepping gait, close or overly wide coming or
going are incorrect. The Dachshund must have agility, freedom of movement,
and endurance to do the work for which he was developed.