as adopted by the American Kennel Club; May 27, 1992
Hound Group
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.
Temperament
The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering
in above and below ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of
shyness is a serious fault.
Special Characteristics of the Three Coat Varieties
The Dachshund is bred with three varieties of coat: (1) Smooth; (2) Wirehaired; (3)
Longhaired and is shown in two sizes, standard and miniature. All three varieties and
both sizes must conform to the characteristics already specified. The following features
are applicable for each variety:
Smooth Dachshund
Coat--Short, smooth and shining. Should be neither too long nor too thick. Ears not
leathery. Tail--Gradually tapered to a point, well but not too richly haired. Long sleek
bristles on the underside are considered a patch of strong-growing hair, not a fault. A
brush tail is a fault, as is also a partly or wholly hairless tail.
Color of Hair--Although base color is immaterial, certain patterns and basic colors
predominate. One-colored Dachshunds include red (with or without a shading of
interspersed dark hairs or sable) and cream. A small amount of white on the chest is
acceptable, but not desirable. Nose and nails--black.
Two-colored Dachshunds include black, chocolate, wild boar, gray (blue) and fawn
(Isabella), each with tan markings over the eyes, on the sides of the jaw and underlip,
on the inner edge of the ear, front, breast, inside and behind the front legs, on the
paws and around the anus, and from there to about one-third to one-half of the length
of the tail on the underside. Undue prominence or extreme lightness of tan markings is
undesirable. A small amount of white on the chest is acceptable but not desirable. Nose
and nails--in the case of black dogs, black; for chocolate and all other colors, dark
brown, but self-colored is acceptable.
Dappled Dachshunds--The "single" dapple pattern is expressed as lighter-colored
areas contrasting with the darker base color, which may be any acceptable color.
Neither the light nor the dark color should predominate. Nose and nails are the same as
for one and two-colored Dachshunds. Partial or wholly blue (wall) eyes are as
acceptable as dark eyes. A large area of white on the chest of a dapple is permissible.
A "double" dapple is one in which varying amounts of white coloring occur over the
body in addition to the dapple pattern. Nose and nails: as for one and two-color
Dachshunds; partial or wholly self-colored is permissible.
Brindle is a pattern (as opposed to a color) in which black or dark stripes occur over the
entire body although in some specimens the pattern may be visible only in the tan
points.
Wirehaired Dachshund
Coat-- With the exception of jaw, eyebrows, and ears, the whole body is covered with a
uniform tight, short, thick, rough, hard, outer coat but with finer, somewhat softer,
shorter hairs (undercoat) everywhere distributed between the coarser hairs. The
absence of an undercoat is a fault. The distinctive facial furnishings include a beard
and eyebrows. On the ears the hair is shorter than on the body, almost smooth. The
general arrangement of the hair is such that the wirehaired Dachshund, when viewed
from a distance, resembles the smooth. Any sort of soft hair in the outer coat, wherever
found on the body, especially on the top of the head, is a fault. The same is true of
long, curly, or wavy hair, or hair that sticks out irregularly in all directions. Tail-- Robust,
thickly haired, gradually tapering to a point. A flag tail is a fault. Color of Hair--While the
most common colors are wild boar, black and tan, and various shades of red, all colors
are admissible. A small amount of white on the chest, although acceptable, is not
desirable. Nose and nails--same as for the smooth variety.
Longhaired Dachshund
Coat--The sleek, glistening, often slightly wavy hair is longer under the neck and on the
forechest, the underside of the body, the ears, and behind the legs. The coat gives the
dog an elegant appearance. Short hair on the ear is not desirable. Too profuse a coat
which masks type, equally long hair over the whole body, a curly coat, or a pronounced
parting on the back are faults. Tail--Carried gracefully in prolongation of the spine; the
hair attains its greatest length here and forms a veritable flag. Color of Hair--Same as
for the smooth Dachshund. Nose and nails--same as for the smooth.
The foregoing description is that of the ideal Dachshund. Any deviation from the above
described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation keeping in mind the
importance of the contribution of the various features toward the basic original purpose
of the breed.
Disqualification
Knuckling over of front legs
Approved April 7, 1992
Effective May 27, 1992
American Kennel Club
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Dachshund Breed Standard
