Bramalodge Dachshunds is a dream of my Mum, Julia, born of a wanting of my Dad, Graham, inherited willingly by me, Emily. I am lucky that at this time both of them are still kicking on at 70 years old supporting me all the way. Allowing me time to still do my day job while showing the dogs and raising a few puppies here and there.
We are an animal, countryside and outside family. Always having horses and dogs and being lucky enough to live in the foothills of the glorious Derbyshire Peak District. Dad is still a walker and has been involved in country pursuits his life. Mum has worked with horses until her retirement and showed our dogs while she was well enough. And I have has the luxury of input from both of them. We have always had dogs of all sorts, but mainly lurches and terriers, until my uncle had a WHD that my Dad fell in love with… and so the madness began! In 2013 Mum found Deri, our foundation bitch, with no intention to breed. Then they imported Daisy, her half sister, still not intending to have babies! Then they got into showing them…. Still not planning for puppies…. But then, you want to have puppies off your gorgeous girls….and then you have an itch you can’t scratch!
For more information on us and what we do, please carry on reading the website, call me, or send an email. You can also have a look at our Facebook Page ‘Bramalodge Dachshunds – Standard Wires’ and our Twitter page…
Wire Haired Dachshunds…. Not just a ‘Hairy Sausage Dog’……..!
The dachshund (or Teckel) is of German origin, the name translated means ‘Badger Hound’ and they are a working and hunting breed with a long history dating back hundreds of years. In the Kennel Club they are a ‘hound group’ breed and as such should be powerful, capable, bold, tenacious and intelligent. Traditionally they have hunted rabbits, foxes, badgers of course! And tracked deer. All our wires to date have had the chance to try out blood trail tracking with grandpa and all have a very ‘good nose’. Their history and purpose should not be overlooked what considering them as a pet!
The official history of the Wire Haired Dachshund (WHD) dates back to the 19th century and it has been used profusely around the world as a working dog. It is now a breed also favoured in the show ring and has become increasingly popular as a pet over the last decade. In truth the origins of this breed go much further back. With similar types being portrayed as far back as ancient Egypt. Dachshunds also have a long association with royalty!
WHD’s should have a strong and muscular frame, be of good proportion (not too long, too short, too ‘up on the leg’ or too low to the ground!) They should have a broad deep chest and keel and a good length of neck. Straight front legs, tight feet and a loose straight freedom in their movement. They should have a harsh wiry coat with a strong definition between the tight undercoat and the top coat. There are many variations on the jacket of a Wire. The tail carriage should be down and not gay. It should be set on well and not be carried fly or have a ‘pump handle’ appearance at its attachment.
One thing that we feel is worthy of note, is that despite the obvious desire for ‘correctness’ and likeness to breed standard, in conformation, weight, and temperament - WHD’s are actually incredibly individual and unique in their physical features, colours and personalities. You only have to look at our pack (and many are related to some extent) to see how very different they all are!
Our wires are Wild Boar, Salt and Pepper and Black and Tan Brindle in colour – other colours are available! But in some cases brother and sister don’t even look like they popped out of the same mummy!
WHDs should ideally weigh between 9 and 12 kilos and measure between 20 and 27cm in height. We work very hard to breed dogs that fall within these figures naturally and when in optimum condition.
Wire haired Dachshunds will not show their final finished ‘pattern’, colour, coat and furnishings until about 12months to 18 months of age. Bodily they will continue to mature for many months after that and may not reach their mature weight and musculature until up to 3 years of age, especially males.
Our WHDs are ‘multi-purpose’ they are all kept in the home, and are adored pets. They are ‘part time show dogs’ ‘part time working dogs’ and ‘full time sofa dogs!’ We have done our very best to breed quality dogs to well represent our kennel and the kennels associated to us by breeding. Our dogs all have pedigrees going back to strong working and showing lines and are ‘multi-cultural’ in order to achieve nice clean pedigrees with no line breeding and low coefficients.
In temperament WHD’s are many things: loyal, endearing, faithful, loving, proud, extrovert, feisty, tenacious, defiant, spunky and bold…. just a few of the words you’ll hear used to describe them. They are generally very good with children as long as, like any dogs, they are introduced to them at a young age and have no bad experiences. A wonderful family dog in all ways it is, however, often the case that you WHD will choose a ‘favourite’ family member, with whom they will develop a truly special bond.
It’s is worth noting that WHDs can be noisy, cheeky and on some occasions downright naughty and destructive. Ours are no different! Wallpaper stripping, table leg and cupboard modification, digging and general gardening are some of the less endearing ‘hobbies’ we have had to ‘discourage’ in our charges! Good training, plenty of entertainment, play and exercise, will normally mean you have few or no problems in this way. But WHDs are not for the faint hearted or the lazy dog owner, and they will not suit a home where they may be left for long periods often. They thrive on company and as a general rule hate being left alone.
WHDs are very busy, active dogs, and as adults will take almost as much exercise as you can give them. They equally love cuddles, snoozing on the sofa and relaxing! The breed is not praised regularly for its obedience! but they can be trained given determination by the owner. However, many of them tend “to get nose down, bum up and off to work” when off the lead and can be ‘a little hard of hearing’ when it suits them. We have found that in most instances your WHD will come back to you, eventually, even if it seems like a lost cause! Patience, training and trust are vital! They are loyal, they just like to work. We would recommend lots of relationship building and training to get a great bond with your wire. So they want to come back to you! (pare you bored of the word ‘training’ yet?)
In general standard WHDs are not known for having many general health problems. It’s is our belief that, in the majority, when kept fit, to a good healthy weight and mentally stimulated WHDs will live long, healthy and ailment free lives. Clearly weight problems, lack of exercise and a poor diet can lead to diabetes and an increased likelihood of back problems. An overweight dog is also much more prone to heart disease, other metabolic disorders, digestive issues and joint problems. We have had few, if any issues with the health of our dogs and see very few problems where dogs are correctly managed. Our dogs are IVDD screened if they are to be bred from as soon as they are old enough.
As owners and breeders of the WHD we are advocates of keeping both males and females entire wherever possible. We have definitely seen a correlation between spaying/castration and: negative change in temperament, laziness, weight gain, skin issues and changes/loss of quality in the coat. We appreciate there are minor management considerations when keeping a dog or bitch ‘whole’ but we feel it is, on balance, worth the effort in most cases… we do understand there is always an exception to the rule. 🙂
Ultimately the decision remains yours to make, but be prepared to be much stricter with your WHDs diet if he or she ‘have their bits and pieces removed’ On average WHDs can live from 10 to 17 years.
When considering a puppy or older dog from us it is worth note that ALL our WHDs come with a contractual breeding restriction. That is not to say we wouldn’t be happy to lift it under the right circumstances. But we have very strong feelings about dogs not being bred from until they are 2 years old, for health and welfare reasons. We are also particular about how breeding lines will be taken forward as this will reflect on opinion of our dogs and kennel name, as well as yours. And on the breed as a whole. As responsible breeders we want to ensure our part in improving this breed wherever we can. WHDs make amazing mothers and are generally very capable and fertile breeders who have few complications in pregnancy, whelping and motherhood. We will be happy to discuss breeding with you if it is something you dream of for the future.
So…. In short……we think WHDs are just wonderful in every way. And we hope you do too. We have had dogs between us for a combined total of 180 years! And no breed has ever touched our hearts quite like this one.
Please contact us with any questions you may have........
