How sausage dogs were weaponised in the war

Short of leg but big on personality, the eccentrically shaped dachshund is one of Britain’s most beloved pets. Originally known as the ‘dachs kriecher’ (badger crawler) or ‘dachs krieger’ (badger warrior), dachshunds as we know them today can be traced back to 15th-century Germany where they were bred primarily for hunting.

With extended, sausage-shaped body, elongated snout and long whippy tail, the scent hound’s ability to flush out badgers and other smaller mammals became a highly prized trait. Sadly, these feisty creatures haven’t always been held in such high regard.

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During the first world war, ‘wiener dogs’ featured in anti-German propaganda. Although largely humorous, these poster campaigns led to a widespread disdain for the breed. In an effort to distance ‘dackels’ or ‘teckels’ from their Teutonic heritage the Kennel Club renamed them ‘liberty pups’ but the nomenclature never caught on.