From Badger Hunter to Wiener Dog Star: The Surprising History of the Dachshund

You know the moment. A squirrel crosses the backyard, and your Dachshund goes from sleepy sausage to full-blown hunter in half a second. The bark that comes out of that little body? It belongs to a dog three times her size.

Here's the thing: she isn't being dramatic. She's being accurate. That bark, those big digging paws and that fearless streak are the result of a few hundred years of very deliberate design. Settle in with your coffee. This is the story of how a tunnel-fighting German hunter became America's favorite wiener dog – and the muse of some of the most famous artists of the twentieth century.

Germany, Late 1600s: A Dog Built for the Dark

Start with the name. Dachs is German for badger, Hund means dog. A Dachshund is, quite literally, a "badger dog."

People in Europe had used dogs to hunt badgers since at least the Middle Ages. But the Dachshund as we know it began taking shape in the late 1600s, and by the 1700s German foresters and hunters were breeding the type on purpose. Their goal was a dog small enough to follow a badger down into its burrow – and brave enough to stay there.

Look at your own Dachshund and you can see the job description. The long, low body fits tunnels. The strong front paws dig. And that big, booming voice? It helped the hunter above ground know where his dog was working below.

Three Coats, Three Characters

Dachshunds come in three coat types, and each has its own little backstory.

• Smooth is believed to be the original.
• Longhaired Dachshunds came from selectively breeding smooths with different coat lengths. Many owners describe them as the gentle, elegant ones.
• Wirehaired Dachshunds appeared in the 1800s after rough-coated terriers joined the family tree. The result: scruffy eyebrows and a clown's sense of humor.

And the miniature? That came along in the 1800s, during a boom in Germany's rabbit population. A smaller dog could follow smaller game – and today that "mini" is a very popular lap-sitter in American living rooms.

A Queen's Favorite

It didn't take long for royalty to fall in love. According to the Royal Collection, a Dachshund named Deckel arrived in England in 1845 and became the first of the breed to hold a strong place in Queen Victoria's affections. Over the years she kept several – the royal portraits of smooth-haired Dachshunds are still around today.

Which, honestly, makes sense. Once a Dachshund looks up at you with those eyes, you're done for. Even queens.

World War I: When Dachshunds Became "Liberty Hounds"

Not every chapter is a happy one. During World War I, anti-German feeling in America made life awkward for a dog with such a German name. Owners reportedly started calling their Dachshunds "liberty hounds" to stay out of trouble.

The breed was loved long before the war, and it bounced back. But it's a good reminder that these little dogs have been winning hearts through some bumpy times.

1972: A Dachshund Takes the Olympic Stage

Fast forward to the Munich Summer Games in 1972. The organizers wanted a mascot that stood for endurance, tenacity and agility – and they picked a Dachshund. His name was Waldi, and he's widely described as the first official mascot in Olympic history.

Designed by Otl Aicher, Waldi wore a rainbow-striped body with a light blue head and tail. Not a bad résumé for a dog who, at home, mostly competes for the warmest spot on the sofa.

Picasso, a Plate and a Dog Called Lump

Dachshunds have a long history with artists, and this is the story that gets us every time.

In 1957, photographer David Douglas Duncan visited Pablo Picasso at his villa in Cannes and brought along his Dachshund, Lump. Picasso fell for him at once. During that first visit he picked up a brush and painted Lump's portrait right on a dinner plate. Later, Lump even turned up in Picasso's series of paintings inspired by Las Meninas, where the artist swapped the original hound for a jaunty little Dachshund.

Lump died on March 29, 1973. Picasso followed about ten days later.

And Picasso wasn't alone. Andy Warhol shared his life with Dachshunds named Archie and Amos. And in 1995, David Hockney showed 45 paintings of his two Dachshunds, Stanley and Boodgie, in an exhibition called Dog Days. Hockney set up easels all around his house so he could paint them in the middle of ordinary life – napping, stretching, being very much themselves.

If you've ever tried to take a "normal" photo of your Dachshund, you know exactly why they inspired so many artists. Every angle is a portrait.

Still a Badger Dog at Heart: What That Means at Your House

The American Kennel Club's breed standard describes the Dachshund as "courageous to the point of rashness." Once you've lived with one, that sounds about right. Here's how the old job shows up in your living room:

• The digger. Blankets, couch cushions, the laundry pile: all of it is potential burrow. If a lump on the sofa suddenly moves, don't panic. It's just your Doxie.
• The big voice. A doorbell, a delivery truck, a leaf blowing past the window. Every single one deserves a full announcement.
• The squirrel radar. Walks are a series of urgent investigations, nose to the ground. Your dog was bred to follow a trail, and she'll do it with total commitment.
• The independent thinker. Dachshunds had to make their own decisions underground, so "stubborn" is really just a dog who has her own plan. Even famed author E.B. White wrote about his Dachshund Fred and the fine art of being ignored.
• The big-dog confidence. No Dachshund has ever noticed she's small. Please don't tell her.

If the squirrel-chasing, early-morning-digging side of your Dachshund is your favorite, our We Hunt Squirrels At Dawn tee was made for you.

Quick Dachshund History Facts

• "Dachshund" means "badger dog" in German.
• The breed took shape in the late 1600s, and German hunters were breeding it deliberately by the 1700s.
• The smooth coat is believed to be the original; wirehairs came after terriers were added in the 1800s.
• The miniature was developed in the 1800s during a boom in Germany's rabbit population.
• In World War I, American owners reportedly called them "liberty hounds."
• Waldi, the Dachshund mascot of the 1972 Munich Games, is widely described as the first official Olympic mascot.
• Picasso, Warhol and Hockney all shared their lives (and their canvases) with Dachshunds.

The Dachshund Today: A Long Dog With an Even Bigger Heart

Today, the Dachshund is one of America's best-loved small breeds. You'll find her at wiener dog races, in tiny sweaters at the farmers' market, and curled up in nearly every kind of home – from city apartments to farmhouses.

She started out as a hunter who followed a badger underground. She ended up as the dog who follows you from room to room, then fills the whole couch.

Same loyalty. Same courage. Slightly better snacks.

Love your wiener dog? Browse our Dachshund Collection for unique apparel and gifts made for every Dachshund lover. Want a ready-made gift? The Lavender Floral Reading Set (mug and bookmark) is a cozy favorite, and with the holidays around the corner, A Very Doxie Christmas sweatshirt is waiting in our Holiday Collection. Free US shipping. 🐾

Photo credits

• Hero: "crouching wiener hidden dragon" by Dan Bennett, CC BY 2.0 (cropped), via Flickr / Wikimedia Commons.
• Coat types: Canarian, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and combined), via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blanket photo: Oliver King / Pexels.

Small Dogs. Big Love.