What type of animal is a "dachshund"?

A dachshund is a dog, specifically a short-legged, long-bodied hound breed that originated in Germany.

The name comes from German: “Dachs” means badger and “Hund” means dog. Dachshunds were bred to follow scents, chase badgers, and flush animals from underground burrows. Their long bodies, short legs, strong digging paws, and loose skin helped them work in narrow tunnels.

Dachshunds come in smooth-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired varieties. They are also commonly called “wiener dogs” or “sausage dogs” because of their distinctive shape. Smaller dachshunds were developed to hunt animals such as rabbits.

A common mix-up is thinking “dachshund” refers only to a coat color or a nickname. It is the name of a dog breed, although individual dachshunds can look quite different depending on their size, coat, and markings.