146 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 



of the Revue Britannique, was the first who cautioned the English dachshund fanciers 

 against confounding the dachshund with the basset, " the dachshund being quite a 

 different breed."* Nevertheless, the desire for "long ears, houndlike head, and 

 much throatiness " was going on, though one of our first and most successful 

 breeders protested in the Field f against these erroneous points on several accounts. 

 Some fanciers of the dachshund breed went even a step further, and regarded the 

 bloodhound, with its peaked skull and " drapery-like " ears, as the beau ideal of our 

 little dachshunds ! (I beg to state here that the G-ermans have never had a native 

 breed of dogs with head and ears like the present English bloodhound, and least of 

 all a breed of dachshunds.) 



In recent times those points are somewhat modified, but the desire for " hound- 

 like type" seems to prevail still. In the Field of January 13, 1877, I find published 

 a short scheme of points on dachshunds, from which I beg to quote the following 

 points : " Head thoroughly houndlike, occiput very decided, ears of good length 

 and full of fold, lips ' Hppy,' nose large with open nostrils, much throatiness, and 

 chest round without much breadth (like the bloodhound)." I suggest that the 

 author of this scheme has not at all the intention to create a new breed, but that he 

 really is desirous to find out the true type of the German dachshund. If so, I 

 am very sorry to say that those points will certainly turn out to be untenable, 

 and to be quite opposite to the opinions of most of our sportsmen and breeders. 

 Dogs of that kind are no longer " dachshunds," but " dachsbracken " J (in English 

 perhaps dachs-talbots) . 



It is much to be regretted that the advocates of the hound-like type in 

 dachshunds, who have evidently so much sympathy for these little courageous dogs, 

 are endeavouring still to support an imaginary beau ideal of the breed, which 

 neither is derived from the antecedents of the breed, nor accords in any respect 

 with the points of our present high-bred dachshunds and their chief employment 

 " underground work." 



The German dachshund is perhaps one of the most ancient forms of the 

 domesticated dog. The fact is that he has for centuries represented an isolated 

 class between the hound and the terrier, without being more nearly connected with 

 the one than the other. His obstinate, independent character, and his incapacity to 

 be trained or broken to anything beyond his inborn, game-like disposition, are quite 

 unrivalled among all other races of the dog. Regarding his frame, he differs from 

 the hound, not only by his crooked fore legs and small size, but by the most refined 

 modification of all parts of his body according to his chief task to work under- 



probably imported from Germany into Flanders, and from there to France (compare Jacques du 

 Fouilloux, " Venerie," Paris, 1573, p. 89, et Verrier de la Conterie, "Ecole de Chasse," Rouen, torn. 

 ii., p. 172). But, as the dachshund has been employed in France chiefly to hunt above ground, and 

 is crossed with most races of the French hound (chien courant), he has lost his original frame and 

 character, and has become completely a hound in course of time. HERE L. BECKMANN. 



* In the Live Stock Journal, 1875, vol. ii., No. 87. 



f May 27, 1876, and following numbers, signed " S." 



J Bracke or Braken is the old German hound (from Bracco) ; the German word Hund is 

 equivalent to dog in English. 



