‘Listening is not the dachshund’s strong point’: Learn more about the smart and sassy ‘sausage dogs’ with their tiny legs and big personalities

Dachshund.

Dachshund overview

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Life expectancy: 12 to 16 years

Size: 9-inches (standard); 6 inches (miniature);

Coat: Smooth, wirehaired or longhaired

Temperament: Playful, stubborn, independent, lively

Exercise needs: 30 minutes to an hour

Origin/native country: Germany

Dachshund means “badger dog” in German and that’s because they were bred to be small, low and capable of getting into burrows. But while they are the smallest of the hound breeds, they actually come in two sizes – one, the standard, being a little larger than the other (the miniature). These scent hounds also have different coat types and come in 15 different colors.