These little dogs can go into the earth after any fox, and are not long in giving tongue when Reynard is in the ground, and if several of these little dogs are at work on one fox they are not long in causing him to bolt, or settle the dispute by underground combat. With the badger—always a formidable antagonist—these little dogs are said to be equally game, usually fighting to a finish. A few sportsmen have made use of Dachshunds for driving rabbits out of cover, but they have no particular qualification in this respect, and are decidedly inferior to the Beagle, or a pack of Beagles for this purpose.
It is a variety of dog not the easiest to rear, distemper being, as in most other breeds, accountable for the high mortality amongst them.
The colour of Dachshunds varies considerably, but the chief ones are, deep red, chocolate and tan, fallow-red, black-and-tan, and dapple.
White on the body is objectionable, less so on the feet.
The so-called "Tiger Dachs," or steel-blue and tan-colour is uncommon, though it gives the animal a very handsome appearance. At the London Kennel Club shows there is a class for dappled dogs and bitches. As a rule, the crossing of a black-and-tan Dachs with a red one, produces puppies true to type, i.e., some are black and tan, others red, and not a mixture of these two colours. A red dog and bitch, will, however, sometimes throw a black-and-tan puppy; or a black-and-tan sire and dam produce a whole-red puppy. This is precisely what happens with certain other varieties.
There are really three varieties of coat, viz.:—
(a) The Smooth.
(b) The Rough.
(c) Wire-haired.
The coat should be short and thick and the skin remarkably loose—a characteristic feature of the breed, and one that undoubtedly affords the animal a degree of protection during combat.