Category: Conformation

dachshund conformation then and now

12/28/2013

The renowned "Danish Blue Plates" collectibles have featured nearly all breeds of dogs through the years. I came upon a website today that pictured a number of the dachshund blue plates. And I could not help but notice the difference in the body types of the dogs from earlier editions to later ones.

I wish I could post these as larger files, but I increased the original thumbnails to 131% as it is, that's about as far as I could go.

But simply see the overall body types and outlines.

Top row are earlier versions of standard longhair, miniature longhair, and wirehair.

Bottom row are later versions of same sizes and coats.

First, it is obvious that the dachshunds have become longer. Second, it is easy to see that they have also become lower. Finally, you might notice that that they were taken out of the woods!

Unfortunately, it is an all too real depiction of what has been happening to this breed.

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specialty winners bengel and andrea

12/22/2013

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I found this picture of your Mom and me...didn't know if you had it or not. We were at the Midwest Dachshund Club Specialty Show, Aug. 19, 1977. How well I remember that day, Bengel took a 5 pt. Major under judge Peter Monks. - Shirley Menard, ND

Shirley, left, with her Dorndorf's Bengel Long who was Winners Dog, Best of Winners, and Best of Opposite Sex. My mother, Emma Nance, right, showed Bengel's mother CH Dorndorf's Andrea L to Best of Variety.

Thank you, Shirley, for the photo! I will try to find out who the guy in the middle is.

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excellent taya

11/16/2013

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Two of us have similar expressions!

Today in eastern Maryland, Taya's conformation was V rated (rated Excellent) by DTK judge Andreas Tornau from Germany. Herr Tornau evaluated the conformation of 30 dachshunds at the fall zuchtschau of the North American Teckel Club. As some readers know, the DTK (German Dachshund Club) requires an official conformation evaluation of Excellent or Very Good before a dachshund can be approved for breeding. So this was the next step on the path to having puppies from Taya in the spring. I plan for this litter to be dual registered with both the AKC and DTK.

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Critical mass: size in dachshunds

11/27/2012

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Houston, we've had a problem here.

In fact, all across the United States, we've had a problem. A big problem.

There is no question that US exhibitors, breeders, and judges care about this breed.

The question that I find myself having to ask is - do US exhibitors, breeders, and judges KNOW this breed? Well, we are supposed to know! The information is available. And it is more easily accessible than ever before. Unfortunately, many statements being posted on the internet, and even published in magazines, is surprisingly misleading and simply not congruent with facts.

For all intents and purposes, two more questions underlie the one above.

1. Is the dachshund an earthdog? I really do not know anyone who would say no.

2. Is size important in the dachshund aka earthdog? Well now, here comes the dichotomy of all dichotomies. It is absolutely amazing how many LONG TIME exhibitors, breeders, and judges assert that it is not!

"A good dachshund is a good dachshund." Well, what makes a dachshund GOOD? In part, it is the ability to do the WORK of a dachshund. And not a thing about a dachshund's structure helps him "do the job" more than his size!

Why is it, pray tell, that so many of us talk and act like dachshund size is totally irrelevant, when it is COMPLETELY relevant! I tell you this thing, there is not a badger or fox hunter in the world who will say otherwise.

This longhaired bitch is one of a mother/daughter pair of bitches that is regularly and successfully used to hunt the European badger (aka Eurasian badger) in Finland. Guess how big she is and hold that thought. We will come back to it.

Please see below each of 20 different earths, nearly all entrances. Entrances! If a picture is worth 1000 words, then maybe we can consider this little album a virtual encyclopedia on earthdog size. All photos were taken by me in an 11 hour badger hunt with three men, another woman, and three standard longhaired bitches in Finland on August 10, 2010. Earthwork photos are not unique. There are many like them on the internet. But, ahem, apparently American dachshund enthusiasts are not looking at them!

Note that with one exception I have not included photos with badgers or the evidence of the taking of badgers. The singular purpose of this post is to give the reader clarity, in pictures, on what seems to be a very muddied (ha!) concept of earthdog size. I sincerely hope that it helps do that. If not, well I tried. I really tried!