The official origin of the Dachshunds can be traced to Germany in the 15th Century. The two sizes of dachshunds were bred primarily for hunting. The Standard Dachshund was bred for sniffing and flushing out badgers while the miniature Dachshund was bred for hunting rabbits.
The name Dachshund literally means “badger dog“ in German.
Click this link to learn more of their history.