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# Bred to Fight Badgers: The Real Doxie Origin Story
- URL: https://www.doxiereport.com/what-were-dachshunds-bred-for/
- Published: 2026-08-27T02:20:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-27T02:21:18.000Z
- Author: Stefan Lenassi
- Tags: Doxie Life

> Dachshunds were bred in Germany to hunt badgers — the name literally translates to "badger dog" (Dachs = badger, Hund = dog). Originally called the "Dachs Kriecher" (badger crawler) or "Dachs Krieger" (badger warrior), these dogs were engineered with short legs, a deep chest, and a fearless temperament to follow badgers into underground tunnels and either flush them out or fight them. The original dachshunds weighed 31 to 40 pounds — nearly double today's standard — and hunted not just badgers, but rabbits, foxes, and even wild boar.

Here's something that might change the way you look at the furry sausage currently asleep on your couch:

Your dog was designed to kill things.

Not fetch things. Not herd things. Not sit politely while someone takes a photo.

Kill. Things. Underground. In the dark. Alone.

I know... I know. You're looking at your doxie right now and thinking: "This one? This one can't even make it outside in the rain without giving me a look like I've betrayed everything we've built together."

But that stubborn, opinionated, fearless little creature sleeping on your pillow? Every single one of those traits traces straight back to the job they were built for.

And honestly? It's one of the most fascinating origin stories in the entire dog world.

## What Does "Dachshund" Actually Mean?

The name itself tells the whole story.

"Dachshund" is German. ["Dachs" means badger. "Hund" means dog.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) Badger dog.

But their original names were even better.

In the earliest references, they were called the ["Dachs Kriecher" — badger crawler — or "Dachs Krieger" — badger warrior](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com). Before you had one breed name, you had two job descriptions.

Crawler or warrior. Depending on the day and the badger.

If you're German, you might call yours a "Dackel" or "Teckel" — both still in use today. In America, they became "wiener dogs." Which is honestly a little disrespectful when you know the backstory.

## When Were Dachshunds First Bred?

This is one of those questions where the experts actually disagree — and the disagreement itself tells you something interesting.

The [AKC says dachshunds were bred as far back as the 15th century](https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/dachshund/?ref=doxiereport.com). The [Dachshund Club of America says the first verifiable descriptions appear in the 18th and 19th centuries](https://www.dachshundclubofamerica.org/dachshund-history/?ref=doxiereport.com). And the first verifiable book reference comes from [*Der vollkommene teutsche Jäger* (The Complete German Hunter), published between 1719 and 1724](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com).

References to "badger dogs" and "hole dogs" go back further — but those likely describe a purpose, not a specific breed. What we do know: by the late 1600s, the dachshund was beginning to take shape as a distinct breed, and by the 1700s, [German foresters and hunters were breeding them consistently](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/dachshund-history-badger-dog-breed/?ref=doxiereport.com).

So somewhere between 300 and 600 years of engineering went into the animal napping on your lap.

Either way — a long time.

## What Did the Original Dachshund Look Like?

Forget what you're picturing.

The original German dachshunds weighed [between 31 and 40 pounds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) — nearly double the modern standard size (16-32 pounds per the AKC). They had longer legs, more muscle, and came in two varieties: straight-legged and crook-legged. The modern dachshund [descends from the crook-legged line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com).

These were not lap dogs.

These were working animals built to do something terrifying: crawl into a hole where a 30-pound badger with razor claws was waiting, and either flush it out or fight it face-to-face in the dark.

Every physical trait your dachshund has was engineered for that job:

- **The long, low body** — designed to fit inside tunnels and burrows
- **The deep, barrel-shaped chest** — more lung capacity for stamina underground
- **The paddle-shaped paws** — built for digging
- **The loud, booming bark** — so the hunter above ground could track the dog's location below ([and yes, it still works](https://www.doxiereport.com/why-do-dachshunds-burrow/))
- **The long, tapered tail** — deliberately bred as a handle to pull the dog back out of the hole
- **The floppy ears** — keep dirt and debris out of the ear canal while digging

And that [stubbornness you know so well](https://www.doxiereport.com/are-dachshunds-easy-to-train/)? That's independence — the ability to make life-or-death decisions underground where no human could help.

## What Else Did Dachshunds Hunt?

Badgers were the headline act, but they weren't the only one.

Dachshunds were also used for [hunting rabbits and foxes, locating wounded deer, and — in packs — taking down game as large as wild boar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com).

Wild boar. The animal that can weigh 300 pounds and has tusks.

Packs of dachshunds hunted those.

The miniature dachshund, which appeared later, was specifically bred to hunt smaller prey — primarily rabbits — in tighter tunnel systems where even the standard size couldn't fit.

## How Did We End Up With Three Coat Types?

The [smooth-haired dachshund is the oldest variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) — the original model. The other two came later, each engineered for specific terrain.

**Smooth-coat** — the original. Likely a cross between the German Shorthaired Pointer, a Pinscher, and a Bracke (a type of bloodhound). Built for general-purpose hunting.

**Long-haired** — developed either through selectively breeding smooth dachshunds that naturally produced longer-haired puppies, or by crossing smooth dachshunds with [various spaniels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com). The longer coat provided insulation for hunting in colder climates and through brush.

**Wire-haired** — the newest variety, [bred in the late 19th century](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) by crossing smooth dachshunds with hard-coated terriers and wire-haired pinschers (possibly Schnauzers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, or German Wirehaired Pointers). The wiry coat was built for thorn-heavy terrain where a smooth coat would get shredded.

Three coats. Three terrain solutions. Same fearless engine underneath.

## How Did a Badger Hunter End Up on the Couch?

That's the real question, isn't it?

Dachshunds were [kept by royal courts across Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) — Queen Victoria was particularly enamored. Germany's last emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, had two named Wadl and Hexl. They once [killed one of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's prized golden pheasants during a visit](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/dachshund-history-badger-dog-breed/?ref=doxiereport.com) — not quite an international incident, but close.

The author E.B. White — the man who wrote *Charlotte's Web* — owned a dachshund named Fred. He once wrote that owning a dachshund made ["every sentence" about dog discipline "a riot."](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/dachshund-history-badger-dog-breed/?ref=doxiereport.com) He also famously said: "When I address Fred, I never have to raise either my voice or my hopes."

During World War I, dachshund owners in America started calling them ["liberty hounds"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) to dodge anti-German sentiment — the same way sauerkraut became "liberty cabbage."

And in 1972, a dachshund named [Waldi became the first-ever official Olympic mascot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) at the Munich games.

Somewhere between the badger tunnels and the Munich Olympics, the badger warrior became the world's most beloved couch sausage.

Today, the dachshund is the [#5 most popular breed in America](https://www.akc.org/most-popular-breeds/?ref=doxiereport.com) — its highest ranking in over two decades. Turns out, the traits that made them unstoppable underground — the courage, the loyalty, the personality that fills a room — made them even better at the job they accidentally fell into:

Being loved.

## FAQ

### Why are dachshunds shaped the way they are?

Every part of the dachshund's body was [engineered for underground hunting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com). The long, low body fits inside burrows. The deep chest provides lung capacity. The paddle paws dig. The floppy ears keep dirt out. The curved tail was a handle for the hunter to pull the dog out of the hole. The shape isn't an accident — it's 300+ years of design.

### Were dachshunds really bigger originally?

Yes. The original German dachshunds weighed [31 to 40 pounds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com) — nearly double the modern standard (16-32 lbs). They also had longer legs. The modern dachshund descends from the crook-legged variety, which was further miniaturized over centuries.

### Did dachshunds really fight badgers?

Yes — that was the entire point. European badgers can weigh up to 30 pounds, have powerful claws, and are ferocious when cornered in their own burrow. Dachshunds were bred to [crawl into the tunnel and either flush the badger out or fight it](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/dachshund-history-badger-dog-breed/?ref=doxiereport.com). This is why the breed is described as ["brave to the point of rashness"](https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/dachshund/?ref=doxiereport.com) — rashness was a job requirement.

### Why are there three types of dachshund coats?

Each coat type was developed for different terrain. The [smooth coat is the original](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund?ref=doxiereport.com). The long-haired variety was bred for colder climates using spaniel crosses. The wire-haired — bred in the late 19th century from terrier crosses — was built for thorny, rough terrain where a smooth coat wouldn't survive.

### Why is my dachshund so stubborn?

Because their ancestors had to make independent decisions in underground tunnels where no human could guide them. That [independence was essential for survival](https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/dachshund/?ref=doxiereport.com) — a dog that waited for instructions underground was a dead dog. What looks like stubbornness in your living room is [centuries of engineered self-reliance](https://www.doxiereport.com/are-dachshunds-easy-to-train/).

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