Teckels that are "Gebraushund"

The Germans are very precise about chest measurements as they understand that for a dog to be a "gebrauchshund" (i.e. a "useful" hunting dog), it cannot be too big to fit into a tight den, nor can it be so nose-dead as to be unable to find in the field.

Along with size and nose and gameness, a German working dachshund has to show that it is also not gun shy.

For those interested in the standard for the teckel or hunting dachshund, see >> http://www.teckelklub-berlin-brandenburg.de/usa/fci/fci.html

What is most remarkable about the FCI working teckel standard is how very precise it is about chest size -- perhaps a reaction to what happened in England and in the U.S., where dachshund chest size was allowed to balloon up to the point that show dogs now have chests as deep as the keel of a boat.

As the standard posted at the web site of the Berlin Teckel Club makes clear, the ideal chest size of a working dachshund is just under 14 inches in circumference.

This 14 inch chest measurement is the same size cited as ideal for working terriers by Barry Jones in the UK (see http://www.terrierman.com/barryjones.htm and Ken James in the U.S. ( see http://www.terrierman.com/hunting.htm ), and is about the size of the average red fox chest found the world over (see http://www.terrierman.com/foxsize.htm ).



The FCI Standard for Teckel Chest Sizes:

• Standard Teckel: Chest measurement is given as exactly 35 cm, or 13.78 inches. This is about the same size chest as the average red fox.
  
• Miniature Teckel: Circumference of chest from 30 to 35 cm measured when at least 15 months old. This is a smaller chest size which would allow the dog to follow even a very small vixen with a chest of about 12 inches or so.
  Rabbit Teckel: Chest circumference up to 30 cm measured when at least 15 months. These dogs are very small and, as their name suggests, are used for rabbiting. Many have chests that are as small as 10 inches around.

For those interested in working dachshunds in North America, see: http://www.teckelclub.org/hunting-with-dachs.htm.