220 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



Chest. No other breed of dogs shows such depth and 

 breadth of chest as does the Dachshund, the chest-bone 

 standing out of the body, and on a good specimen the 

 chest fills out nearly the entire space to or within an inch 

 or inch and a half of the knees. The chest hangs so low 

 as to be only from three to four inches from the ground. 



Legs and feet. The fore-arms, strong-boned and well- 

 muscled, run inward so that they almost form a right-angle 

 with the lower extremities. At the knees, the legs come 

 together, then are vertical for about an inch, and from here 

 the feet take a side and outward course and form the long 

 and flat paws. 



Toes. Long and flat; have very long claws, which in 

 black-and-tan dogs should be black, and in reds a dark 

 brown or black. A white claw is a defect. It is a question 

 of great interest as to how the formation of such shaped 

 legs originated, or was developed. It may have come from 

 some freak of nature; but if so, it has been by careful 

 breeding kept up, and is now one of the most marked 

 features of the breed. 



The hind legs are longer than the fore legs, thus giving 

 the long body an inward curve, commonly called saddle- 

 back. In nearly all good specimens, well-developed dew- 

 claws can be found; but these are often removed, as they 

 are liable to annoy the dog a good deal when wading 

 through crusty snow. The claws on these extra toes grow 

 long and in a perfect circle, and should at least be trimmed, 

 or else they grow into the flesh and cause the dog a great 

 deal of pain. 



Body. Round, long, and lithe. 



Tail. Heavy at root, and tapering; should be carried 

 high, as in the Foxhound; but under no circumstances 

 should the tail be carried in a curve over the back, which is 

 a great fault. 



Color. The most prevailing and most familiar colors 

 are black-and-tans, chestnut and tans, and solid reds 

 from a fawn -color to a beautiful deep red. Besides these 

 colors, specimens are occasionally found of black, white, 



