The Dachshund or Sausage Dog: 7 SURPRISING Facts!

Richard Thomas
Over 15 years handling, testing, and restoring pocket, fixed-blade, and Damascus steel knives across hunting and everyday-carry disciplines.

Dachshunds, affectionately known as Doxies or sausage dogs, are famous for their adorable and fun shape.

But their long bodies and short paws aren’t just there to make humans fall in love with them. Here are some interesting and sometimes surprising facts you didn’t know about these adorable balls of fur 🐶

1. The Famous Sausage Dog Comes in 3 Sizes

Breeders originally created (15th century) two different sizes of dachshunds:

The standard dachshund and the miniature dachshund.

The standard dachshund can weigh up to 10 kg and is still used for hunting badgers and wild boars. The miniatures weigh up to 6 kg or less.

The newest addition to the breed is a smaller format weighing up to 3.5 kg, which is none other than the kaninchen dachshund (or rabbit dachshund).

All 3 sizes are recognized by the FCI (World Canine Organization) group 4 with working trials.

2. The Dachshund Breed Has 3 Different Coat Types

Dachshunds can have a smooth (short), wire-haired, or long-haired coat.

In the past, all dachshunds had short coats, and this variety of fur remains very popular in breeding.

These magnificent pets also come in a multitude of coat colors, from solid to merle! There is truly something for everyone 😍

Below, an incredible long-haired merle dachshund, also known as dapple.

3. The Dog, Not the Hotdog, Came First

😜 Read our article: 19 reasons (not) to adopt a dachshund.

Dachshunds are sometimes called sausage dogs because their long bodies resemble a hotdog 🌭

But would you believe that the original name for the hotdog was the dachshund sausage?

This deli product was named that way because it looked like the dog breed. The name was later shortened to hotdog!

4. Dachshunds Were Temporarily Renamed During World War I

Dachshunds were associated with Germany during World War I because they were used in a lot of propaganda and Emperor “Wilhelm II” was known for his love of sausage dogs.

This association led to a decline in the breed’s popularity in America. To counter this effect, the AKC (American Kennel Club) tried to rename dachshunds “badger dogs,” a translation of their German name, or “liberty pups.”

5. Two Dachshunds as the World’s Oldest Dog

Dachshunds generally live from 12 to 16 years, which is longer than most dog breeds.

Out of the 23 dogs that have held the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog, two were dachshunds and one was a dachshund mix.

A Doxie named “Chanel” held the record until 2009, when she passed away at 21. A 20-year-old dachshund-terrier mix named “Otto” then held the record until 2010.

In 2013, another sausage dog named “Scolly,” who also lived to be 20, held the title 😊

6. The First Cloned Dog in Great Britain Was a Sausage Dog

The first British dog to be successfully cloned was a dachshund named “Winnie.”

Winnie’s owner entered a contest to win the chance to have her dog cloned, a procedure that usually costs over 60,000 euros.

Scientists took a skin sample from Winnie and created Mini-Winnie. Her owner claims that Mini-Winnie looks exactly like Winnie did as a puppy. Mini-Winnie is healthy and expected to live a long life.

According to our research, dog cloning is possible in the USA or South Korea.

7. There Are Dachshund Races

Sausage dog racing began in Australia in the 1970s and has since spread around the world.

The “Wienerschnitzel Weiner Nationals” have been held annually in Southern California since 1995.

It’s not a very serious sport, since dachshunds were never designed to be racing dogs (they are hunting dogs), but it’s a real treat for some owners to see them stretch their paws! 🐶

The Shop team – 💚 Last modified on 26/12/25