Weiner dog, badger dog, Dachshund: He has the most famous profile in the dog world, and probably the most associated joke with him! This small dog breed is short-legged but tall in love – and full of fun!

Part tough guy, part brindle, part hound-like, and part terrier, the Dachshund comes in three coats, at least two sizes, and more color combinations for most other breeds. Can you say identity crisis? Naw, ask any Dachshund and he knows exactly who he is: your boss!

Short-legged dogs have originated many times throughout history. They’ve been around since at least the days of the ancient Romans, and they re-emerged in the Dark Ages. While these dogs could have been the ancestors of the Dachshund, there is not enough evidence to say.

The first recorded history of dachshunds was in the 18th century. They originated at least in part from a large hunting dog called Bracke. The smaller, short-legged version was better at facing the badger inside its den; These dogs became known as badgers or dachshunds.

By the early 1800s, smooth, Wirehaired, and Longhaired Dachshunds were recorded.

Dachshunds appealed not only to hunters, but also to German nobles. In 1839, Queen Victoria of England married Prince Albert of Germany, and it became her favorite breed.

Due to the unpopularity of anything German in America during World War I, the AKC briefly changed the name of the breed to Badger Dog. It was changed back to the Dachshund in 1923. Only 26 Dachshunds were registered by the AKC that year.

The AKC divides the Dachshund into three types: smooth, long, and wired coats. Varieties are shown separately but can be crossed.

The breed also comes in standard (over 11 pounds) and mini (11 pounds and under) sizes. Most standards weigh more than 16 lbs. Most show breeders do not bypass Mondays for fear of producing standard Small Dachshunds.

In 1950,  Fancy Pants introduced  the American audience to Miniature Dachshunds. Dachshund’s other films include  Dicky’s Demon Dachshund  (1936) and  The Ugliest Dachshund  (1966).

The AKC includes the Dachshund in the Hound group, as they are represented at dog shows by their three coat types. In Canada, six Dachshunds (three coats and two sizes) will go to the Hound group competition. And in some European countries, the breed has its own set!

Dachshunds come in red, black and tan, black, wheat, cream, crimson, piebald and merle colors and patterns.

Merle, which Dachshund breeders call dapple, refers to a pattern of irregular spots of darker color superimposed on a lighter background of the same color. It is caused by a single gene. Never breed two dogs together, as dogs born with two copies of the gene are mostly white and often have severe vision and hearing problems.

Spotted, or piebald, Dachshunds, are controversial. Although many have finished their AKC Championships, the pattern is not included in the standard and not many judges will place them. This may be in part because piebalds are so hard to tell apart from dapple dapple (Merle homozygous) Dachshunds.

The breed is known as Deckel in Germany.

Dachshunds have been the subject of much artwork, including works by Giacoma Balla, Pierre Bonnard, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Gary Larson.

The mascot for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Germany was a long-haired Dachshund cartoon called My Father.

Writers Mark Twain and P.G. Wodehouse wrote with humor about Dachshunds.

A dachshund named Brutus holds the world record for highest skydiving dog.

A dachshund named Gretl was the first obedience champion dog. The breed remains the Hound’s best obedience performer.

Dachshunds are the breed of choice for a plus-sized job, as they are called to track wounded deer.

Dachshund dog racing is very popular as a form of entertainment, but to the chagrin of the Dachshund Club in America because they fear it might not be healthy, or might encourage people to breed long-legged Dachshunds.

Dachshunds are more prone to back problems than any other breed. Their backs are not as long as the gene that causes their legs to be short, which also results in discs in the spine that are not as flexible as regular discs.

Dachshund owners include Queen Victoria, Kaiser William II, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Joan Crawford, Brooke Astor, Doris Day, James Dean, Patty Duke, David Hasselhoff, Winona Goode and Priscilla Presley.

Sorry: Plato, Cleopatra, Napoleon, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Rubens, Shakespeare, and the ancient Egyptians didn’t own dachshunds. These reports are the product of a humorous website that confuses German fact with fiction.

The Dachshund is currently the 10th most popular AKC breed, having been the 5th most popular a decade ago.

Do you own a dachshund? Have you spent time with one? Let’s hear what you think about this great item in the comments! And if you have a favorite breed you’d like us to write about, let us know too!