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upper arm. Th e shoulders should be well laid back and form a right angle with the return of upper arm. Th e shoulders and upper arm should be of equal length so that the elbow falls directly below a verti- cal line dropped from the withers. We find that, as with many breeds, Dachshunds often have problems with their fronts, due either to straighter shoulder angle, or to short upper arm, which restrict the reach needed for proper movement. While hold- ing my right hand on the withers I run my left hand from in front of the fore legs to the end of the keel, which should extend well beyond the front legs and blend into the underline. Lack of adequate keel is a serious structural fault. I then put my hands on either side of the ribs to feel how capacious they are and move them back to the last rib. Th e ribbing should extend well back, about ⅔ the length of the dog, in order to provide support for the long back. If you are not checking forechest, front angulation, length of keel and ribbing, you are not doing a breed-specific examination! Th ere should be a waist at the strong loin. My left hand moves to the base of the tail and my right runs the
length of the tail, checking for placement and kinks or abnormalities. Th e rear should be strong with angles of the hip, thigh and second thigh corre- sponding to the front angles and, again, bones of equal length. Th e hocks should be well let down and perpendicular. I also like to feel the rear muscles, as the Dachshund is a hunting dog and should have good muscle tone. !"#$!$%& We have examined on the table; now we need to judge the dog on the ground as it moves. On the down and back, you want to see the whole rear pad facing you; this connotes proper rear drive. Th e legs should move paral- lel. Bouncing, eggbeater movement or sidewinding indicate that the front is under angulated in relation to the rear. As the dog returns to you, you want to see the wrap-around front with the fore legs curved and narrower than the shoul- ders, with no appearance of daylight between the elbows and the chest. Lack of wrap-around leads to a wide, rather stilted and nearly rolling motion. On the
go-around the gait should be e ff ortless, smooth without rolling or bouncing. You want to see good reach in front without any extraneous lift. Th e extension of the rear legs must equal their forward reach, forming a virtual equilateral triangle. '"(&) Th ere are three varieties of coat: smooth, long and wire. Th e smooth coat is short, smooth and shining. Th e tail should not have a brush nor be par- tially or wholly hairless. Th e long coat is long, sleek and glistening, often wavy, with hair that is longer on the chest, the underside of the body, the ears and behind the legs. On the tail, the hair reaches its greatest length and forms a flag. Too profuse a coat that masks type is undesirable. Th ere are recessive long- hairs shown. If there is longer hair on the ears, behind the legs and on the tail, it is acceptable. Th e wire coat should be a harsh outer coat with a softer under- coat. With the exception of a beard and eyebrows, the body should be covered with a uniform, tight, short, rough, hard outer coat with a softer undercoat. Th e absence of an undercoat is a fault, as are a soft outer coat, or curly or wavy hair on the body. From a distance the wire should resemble a smooth. While correct structure is of prime importance, coats distinguish the varieties and are impor- tant indicators of type. '"*"+ Acceptable colors and patterns are described in the standard. In 2006 the membership of the Dachshund Club of America (“DCA”) voted to remove the double-dapple (double-merle) pattern from the standard and also voted not to
-.//.$0'#$%'1223, 236 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J UNE 2014
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