The Benefits of Dachshunds as Family Pets/Speech - Essay Example

They are popular with urban and apartment dwellers, ranking among the top ten most popular breeds in 39 of 50 major US cities surveyed by the AKC. One will find varying degrees of organized local dachshund clubs in most major American cities, including New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Chicago. If you are looking for a family pet that is lovable, easy to care for, and a joy to be around for many years then I would consider a dachshund over any other breed that I have ever had. To explain why, first we will take a look at the history of dachshunds and where they originated, second we will focus on the different breeds of dachshunds, and finally we will discuss their health and any related problems.

First let’s discuss the history of the Dachshund. Although the original breeds can be traced back to ancient Egypt, most dachshunds appear to be a European creation mixed with elements of German and French breeding. According to Lucien Guilbert, “The dachshund was bred to hunt and draw the badger, a formidable twenty to forty-pound vicious adversary. This dog possesses confidence and courage bordering on recklessness. He is well-suited physically and temperamentally to pursue his prey above the ground and also under the ground” (2003).

A translation of the German name given to this breed of dog literally means “badger dog” and reflects the original intention in developing the breed. However, there appears to be references to this type of dog in early Egyptian statuary, indicating that the breed predates by far this German origin. Despite this, the breed took on its German name because it was in Germany that the first club was organized as a means of standardizing the conformation of the dogs. This was the German Dachshund Club or Deutscher Teckelklub, founded in 1888.

There are also numerous records of the specific breed dating back as