Do you have a Dachshund? These cute little pups may be a bit more cylindrical than many of our other patients, but they are super lovable and lots of fun. A local Ellicott City, MD vet goes over a few things you may not have known about Fido below!
Fido’s Origin Story
Fido has actually been charming us for over 600 years. The Dachshund originated in Germany, where they were trained to hunt badgers. This is actually much more harrowing than you may think: badgers are definitely not known for being friendly!
Dog On The Job
Dachshunds are cute and affectionate, but they also have a very serious side. They are very astute trackers. In fact, they used to go into holes in search of the aforementioned badgers. That takes a lot of guts for a little dog!
Nickname
Many of our canine patients have nicknames. These adorable pooches are also called weiner dogs, sausage dogs, doxies, and, of course, hot dogs.
Record Breakers
As it turns out, these small dogs have had a pretty big impact on history: they’ve earned several slots in the Guinness Book of World Records. Interestingly, Fido keeps winning the slot for the longest living dog. One of the champs, Chanel, lived over 21 years, while two others, Lady and Otto, both lived over 20 years.
Sacred Sites
If you’re a fan of these adorable ‘hot dogs’ you may want to put visiting Tauranga, New Zealand, on your bucket list. There you will find bronze statues of the Dachshunds from Author Dame Lynley Dodd’s Hairy MacLary children’s books. Passau, Germany, may also be of interest: it’s the home to the world’s first and only Daschund museum. Once inside, you can view more than 4500 Dachshund-themed items.
Olympic
Did you know that the very first ever Olympic mascot was a Dachshund? That pup, Waldi, was the icon for the ill-fated 1972 games, which took place in Munich.
The Long Road To Success
Fido has never won the Westminster Show, but one of his close cousins, the Wirehaired Dachshund, did take the top spot at Crufts in 2020. That pup, Maisie, beat out a whopping 26,000 other dogs. That’s definitely worth celebrating!
Do you have a Dachshund? Feel free to ask us for advice on keeping Fido happy and healthy. As your Ellicott City, MD animal clinic, we’re here to help!
