142 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



Crystal Palace; 2nd, Cork; and 2nd, Brighton. 1877, 3rd, Nottingham; and 3rd, 

 Lillie Bridge. 



Bramble, bred by Mr. Wootton, is by Turpin Vic. Besides a third prize 

 at Lillje Bridge, she took first prize at Cork in 1876, and the same at Dublin in 

 1877. Since the article appeared in the Field she has taken several first prizes. 



THE DACHSHUND, OE GEEMAN BADGEE-DOG. 



This dog is generally considered in Germany to be of a pure and independent 

 breed, for a long time confined to the mountain chain and high forests of Southern 

 and Central Europe, extending through Germany and into France, where he is 

 probably the original of the basset a jambes torses. The old English turnspit 

 somewhat resembled him, but differed in his ears, which were more terrier-like, 

 and also in his nose, which had even less of the hound character than that of 

 the dachshund. 



During the last ten or fifteen years this breed has been largely imported into 

 England, where it has also been bred by the Earl of Onslow, Mr. Schweizer, and 

 Mr. Fisher (a most successful exhibitor), and to a small extent in the Eoyal as 

 well as several private kennels. Several hundred specimens have been imported 

 and sold by Mr. Schuller, and the breed has been well tried in England as badger 

 dogs, as well as for hare hunting. Opinions differ as to their merits in these 

 capacities, some declaring, with Mr. Barclay Hanbury, that they are inferior to our 

 own beagles and terriers; while others, including Mr. Schweizer whose German 

 proclivities may, however, render him partial maintain that a good one will face 

 any badger with as much pluck as our gamest terrier.* The balance of evidence 

 in my possession is, however, strongly against this last opinion, and I think it 

 may be alleged that any of our terriers will beat him in going to ground to fox 

 or badger. As to nose, I am induced to believe that it is, on the average, 

 better than that of our modern beagles, who certainly do not equal in that 

 respect the old miniature southern hounds, which in my young days used to be 

 commonly met with throughout England. 



Dr. L. J. Fitzinger, in his book on dogs, mentions twelve varieties of the 

 dachshund, but it is generally believed that all but one of these are cross-bred. 

 The one pure strain is that described by him as der Tcrummbeinige, or crooked-legged, 

 which is known in this country as the dachshund par excellence, and will be alluded 

 to here only. This dog, in proportion to his height and weight, possesses great 

 strength ; but his muscular power can be better displayed in digging than in 

 running, wherein his remarkable short and crooked fore legs render his gait 

 ungainly and rolling to a degree amounting to the ridiculous ; hence his use in 

 Germany is mainly to mark the badger or fox to his earth, for which also his keen 

 nose is well suited; and, as the entrance to the sleeping chamber of the former 

 is kept as small as is consistent with his size, the dachshund is able to dig away 

 the earth, so as to reach the exact spot, which his tongue at the same time serves 

 to show his master, and thus enable him to dig down to it. In the extensive 



