In 1891 I exhibited Pterodactyl (24,854) at Spa under a German judge, who awarded him first prize in his class, but he was not permitted to compete for the prix d"'honneur; and Pterodactyl was one of the most successful prize winners in England.

That Dachshunds of very different types do win prizes under our different judges is only what occurs in nearly every breed of dog; but since the Teckel-Klub published its scale of points there has been a decided effort on the part of English breeders to breed more on the lines of the best of the German dogs, and with this object several of the winning dogs at the trials and shows have been imported during the last few years.

I think the greatest harm that is now being done to the breed in England is to change the nature of the dog, from being a hardy, keen, sporting little dog, quite able to hold his own with any dog of his size at field sports, into the ladies' pet dog we now find him. Instead of being a merry, bold, active dog in the ring, we find half of them are so shy that they cannot be induced to walk, and some will not even stand up.

That the Dachshund in his native country is a game sporting little dog will be admitted by all who have seen the trials under ground at foxes and badgers at Continental shows. Nearly all the prize winners were good workers, and some were excellent under ground.

I think it is a far more serious matter to change this sporting little companion from a hardy, courageous dog into a pet dog, nervous, delicate, and shy, than to have a difference in the scale of points."

No less interesting and practical are the opinions expressed by another well-known breeder of the variety, Mr. J. F. Sayer. That gentleman, in his review of the breed in the Kennel Gazette of January, 1903, states that: -

"What we want now is a few good German-bred dogs for mating with our houndy bitches to produce better stamina and courage, better legs and feet, tails, skin, and colour. The body and chest we have fairly right, and even the head, as to skull, etc., but stronger jaws are required. I have been much impressed when judging by the comparatively fewr Dachshunds that are really sound on their legs and able to stand evenly on their feet. Many can stand without knuckling over; but soundness demands something more exacting than this - namely, strong (sound) feet, not too long, outspreading, and not twisted. The twisted foot is oftenest observed, and no dog with such a fault can be considered absolutely sound. Then, again, another striking fault, though not, I believe, so damning as unsoundness, is the loose shoulder - out-at-elbow - a sign of weakness in a most vital part of a Dachshund. How rarely one sees a good level back, with proper loin development! A great number of present-day winners dip behind the shoulders, and perhaps more are higher on quarters than at shoulder.

Muscle is absolutely at a discount, and its place is taken by beefiness. I wonder how many of our show dogs get more than the minimum allowance of exercise, to say nothing of work. . . . Sterns must not be neglected - curly tails, sausage tails, crooked tails, etc., are all only too apparent; but the correct tail - not too long, strong at base, tapering gradually to the top, and moderately feathered underneath - how few do we see! Skin of the right texture we neglect, or perhaps I should say we are losing it, in spite of ourselves, by inbreeding. The Dachshund should have plenty of thick skin, but it should be thick and covered with hair that, on being stroked the wrong way is resisting to the touch, instead of soft and yielding. Colour is rapidly fading. Red dogs are nowadays chiefly yellow, shading to whitish fawn. The beautiful cherry-red is rarely seen, and the black-and-tan is almost conspicuous on the benches on account of its unusual colour! Even the black-and-tan is losing its rich tan markings, and a lot of half-and-half colours are cropping up. Colour is certainly a minor point; but it helps to illustrate my contention that an outcross is desirable. We have long ago exploded the theory of classifying Dachshunds by colour, but there is much to be said for the care with which the Germans have preserved the colour pure. I think that we might with advantage take a leaf out of their book by classifying our dogs by weight, for the variation in size and weight of our leading winners is most extraordinary, and must be very bewildering to beginners, and even to older hands. . . . The right size and weight for a Dachshund is about 181b. for bitches, and a couple of pounds heavier for dogs."

Fig. 55. - Miss A. M. Pigott's Dachshund Champion Prime Minister.

The practical breeder will do well to carefully digest what Mr. Sayer has written with regard to the Dachshund, for they are words of wisdom, though uttered none too soon.

Though the Dachshund (Fig. 55) in this country is not called upon, as a rule, to "work," yet occasionally we find an owner who takes a wholesome pride in those qualities that so endear the breed to its Continental admirers. We have more than once seen the working qualities of the variety put to practical test. To the fact that as a mere ornament it is of greater monetary value than as a utility animal must be ascribed the apathy exhibited by owners with regard to its working qualities; for to develop the latter to the full would be to put the dog out of court for show-bench honours. The Dachshund, taken generally, makes an ideal companion and house-guard; while it is one of the easiest of dogs to keep in first-class condition.

The matter we have quoted from Mr. J. F. Sayer's very practical contribution to the periodical above referred to sufficiently indicates the lines that the novice should go upon when selecting a dog, especially when taken in conjunction with the description of the breed furnished by the Dachshund Club and given below and the illustration that accompanies this chapter. "Vert," in his contribution at the beginning of this chaper, disapproves of the Rough-haired Dachshund; and the only addition that calls for mention in connection with the Club's description is the fact that dappled specimens are occasionally found and special classes provided for them at the larger shows.