Don’t get me wrong! Like most dachshund owners I love the little rascals and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but…
Did anyone ever really pit dachshunds against badgers? I know the name means “badger dog” and every history of the breed states that they were bred to hunt badgers but just because an idea is widespread doesn’t mean it’s right!
My limited knowledge of badgers is that they are mean, ferocious, vicious and generally nasty. They easily outweigh a small dog and have sharp teeth and claws, a nasty disposition and loose skin to foil predators. My personal experience with dachshunds is that they are courageous (“to the point of recklessness”), tenacious and great diggers, but any contest between a badger and my two dogs would end very quickly with a score of Badger 2, Dachshunds 0.
Two possibilities spring to mind: 1) The modern breed is the “wimped down” version, with most of the ferocity, strength, etc. bred out so they are better companions than hunters; or 2) When hunting badgers they didn’t really engage in battle but were just used to find them, lure them and/or dig them out and then leave the killing to the guy with the gun.
Can anyone give me the straight dope? My personal guess is that they were more often used to hunt smaller mustelids, like weasels or ferrets, and badger hunting is a slight exaggeration. (Who would want a “weasel dog”?)
BTW, this question arose from watching some nature show which showed a wolf tangling with a badger. The wolf retreated.
“non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem”
I don’t specifically know about Dachsunds, but I think if a wolf couldn’t easily manage a badger, then your beloved doggie would become your dearly departed doggie. (no offense)
Along the same lines could be releasing doves for falconry, and using ferrets to hunt rabbits (both of these seem to be European endeavors mostly). - MC
“O.K. I want you to get me a badger. A real mean one. One that’ll kick a wolf’s ass.
Pluto’s already got the dachsund.
Now, get me some chain link fence. Oh, 'bout 20 feet or so.
Whaddaya think? Five, ten bucks a ticket?
He wants facts? We’ll give 'im facts!”
Isn’t this the general role of a hunting dog? Retrievers don’t actually catch the birds. Bloodhounds don’t actually catch the foxes. I would have assumed this role rather than thinking that they were actually used to kill.
From the phrase “hunt and draw the badger” I am assuming that the dachshund was used to flush the badger out to where the hunter could get it as opposed to the dachshund attacking the badger itself.
“You can’t run away forever; but there’s nothing wrong with getting a good head start.” — Jim Steinman
I would still doubt it would flush a badger. Badgers, at least European ones (and I’m assuming the dachshund got its skills in Europe) live in extensive tunnel systems known as setts. Some setts can be hundreds of years old and inhabited by generation after generation of extended badger families. My point being, we’re not talking about a simple tunnel here, but an entire underground lair with multiple badgers living in it and ample wide spaces to turn and make a good fight. I’m putting my money the badger.
“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”
You’re assuming that the badger would retreat into its tunnel and let the hounds dig at the opening unmolested. Badgers got much of their reputation for their tendency to scrap it out. I can easily imagine a handful of daschunds riling a badger to the point he moves just far enough out of the hole to get a clear shot.
Personally, I marvel at the cajones basenji show in the workplace.
I can’t find my German/English dictionary, right now, but are we sure that “dachs” literally translates to “badger” and isn’t in fact a word that describes any large rodent?
I have no definitive answer to this question. I merely offer a question:
Is it possible that the name “dachshund” (“badger hound”) does not mean that the dogs were useful in HUNTING badgers, so much as it means they had the attributes of badgers (Good at tunnelling, surly disposition)?
Actually, I was assuming that you’d find a sett and send the dog down there to go get you a badger. Badgers are big beasties so I figured the dog could get down there without digging. At which point, it’s one dog against numerous badgers on (or in, rather) the badgers’ home turf.
'Course, why anyone would want to catch a badger is beyond me. You can’t eat it, it smells bad and I don’t think the pelt is overly attractive. But I guess someone gets a kick out of hunting badgers.
“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”
While I was stationed in England, I remember seeing a documentary on BBC1 about badger hunting. What they showed was a small pack (four or five) of dogs were sent down a hole. The dogs would corner the badger and while doing so make a lot noise. The hunters would then start digging until the badger popped out of the hole they dug and BANG! Why they were hunting it, I don’t know. I think it was considered a pest by the people hunting it.
As for what type of dogs I don’t remember seeing any Dachshunds it was a mixed pack and the narrator called them terriers.
By the way mine tends to look a little overweight is that normal?
The american people are very generous people and will forgive almost any weakness, with the possible exception of stupidity.—Will Rogers
put your dachsie on a diet! one of my heartbreaks growing up was when we had to put our dachsie down because he was so overweight, his back gave out, paralyzing the hind-quarters.
if the dachsie looks like a sausage, it’s overweight. there should be a definite hour-glass shape: broad chest, narrow middle, broader hindquarters.
Yep he is on a diet. We inherited him from my wife’s uncle when he died. He was an overweight, alchoholic, weiner dog named Muffin. Talk about self esteem problems.
Had him on a diet and exercise program ( 7 yr old daughter ) for about two months. Now he has a waist and lots more energy.
I sense that no one here thinks a dachshund would ever really take on a badger. That’s what I thought. I think the designation as a “badger dog” is more romantic than scholarly, and the whole badger hunting scenario is a 19th century UL. If anyone has any definitive evidence to the contrary, please let me know.
In the mean time I’ll continue to let our dogs relive their heritage by chasing squirrels, which is good exercise and harmless to the squirrels because they will never in a million years catch one. But being dachshunds (German for “I never learn dog”) they will never give up trying!
Pluto
“non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem”
– William of Ockham