4 Facts About Dachshunds That Might Surprise You

4 Facts About Dachshunds That Might Surprise You

Sausage dogs, dachshunds, doxies, wiener dogs… While they might have lots of different names, that unique dachshund shape makes them one of the most recognizable dogs around. Dachshunds are also incredibly popular, often ranking high among the top breeds in the country. 

Many sausage dog fans love their cute appearance and small stature, while others praise their feisty spirit and fierce loyalty. But how much do you know about wiener dogs? Keep reading to learn some fascinating facts about dachshunds! 

1. Badgers Beware!

One of the most surprising dachshund facts is that this breed was custom-made to dig its way into badger dens and chase them out. In fact, ‘dachshund’ means ‘badger dog’ in German, with a breed history that dates back around 600 years.

Their low, long bodies made dachshunds perfect for tracking scents and squeezing through badger burrows. But, they didn’t just hunt badgers. Over the centuries, breeders also created smaller versions, with mini dachshund facts explaining that these were bred for hunting rabbits, hares, and foxes. 

2. Little, Loyal, and Loud

With their stubby legs and long sausage-like bodies, dachshunds aren’t made for strenuous exercise. But don’t let that cute wiener dog packaging fool you. While dachshund fans will love these adorable wiener dog gifts, anyone who’s owned a sausage dog will know how loyal and protective they can be. 

As for their big-dog bark, another of the most interesting facts about dachshunds is that breeders made sure their bark was loud enough to resonate from inside the badger dens. Nowadays, this makes wiener dogs perfect for scaring away intruders. 

3. Dachshunds Inspired the First Olympic Mascot

With their big personalities and admirable qualities, it’s no wonder that the wiener dog was the inspiration for the first official Olympic mascot.

We can thank German graphic designer Elena Winschermann this, who created a rainbow-colored dachshund called Waldi as the symbol for the Munich 1972 Olympic games. As well as being a cheerful and positive symbol of Germany’s past and future, Waldi represented desirable athletic qualities like agility, resistance, and tenacity.

4. The Wiener Came Before the Wiener Dog

If the other wiener dog facts on this list surprised you, how about getting your head around this one – wieners were named after dachshunds long before dachshunds were called wiener dogs.

Now, we all call dachshunds wiener dogs or sausage dogs because their long bodies resemble hotdogs. But the original name for the hotdog was a dachshund sausage, so-called because it looked like the dog breed. Later, the name hotdog became more popular while the name wiener dog stuck when referring to dachshunds. 

Fascinating Facts About Dachshunds

Which of these facts about dachshunds surprised you the most? 

Even if you’re a dachshund lover or a proud doxie parent, you might not have realized how much of a long history this dog breed has. Or indeed, that every part of a dachshund, from their low body to their loud bark, was fine-tuned for hunting. 

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