Is it cruel to buy a sausage dog? As Germany inches closer to banning dachshunds, vets warn our obsession with ‘stubby’ legs means the breed now endures a ‘lifetime of suffering’

With their adorable paws and affectionate temperament, it’s no surprise that Dachshunds are such popular housemates.

But in Germany, their native country, they could soon be banned as the dogs lead a life of pain and suffering.

For hundreds of years, dachshunds – also called sausage dogs – have been bred to accentuate harmful characteristics, such as a long, sausage-like torso, to make them appear “cute.”

Unfortunately, they suffer from severe back problems due to their long spines and bent, stubby legs, which may prevent them from walking.

Jana Hoger, senior campaigner at PETA, claims that buying a dachshund supports so-called ‘torture breeding’ – the deliberate breeding of unhealthy traits in a dog, causing it to suffer a lifetime of pain.

Dachshunds have been found sketched in ancient Egyptian walls and in records from South America and China, but the one we recognize was developed in Germany about 400 years ago.

Initially used for hunting, hunters needed a sturdier creature that could track animals underground and in dense vegetation, which explains the underbelly.

The dachshund once had better functioning legs and a neck more proportionate to its size, but thanks to human breeding, these characteristics have been largely lost.

Their backs and necks are stretched out and their legs are so shrunken that it makes it difficult for them to maneuver over obstacles inches from the ground – but the breed is still a favorite of celebrities like Adele.

‘Dachshunds usually suffer from various breed-specific diseases over the course of their lives, such as hernias, intervertebral deformities or bow leg pain,’ Ms Hoger told MailOnline.

‘This means that at a certain point dachshunds no longer want to walk or can only do so with pain.

‘For this reason, from an animal welfare perspective, only adopting a dachshund from an animal shelter is acceptable.’

PETA welcomes the planned tightening of rules in the new draft of Germany’s animal welfare law, although Hoger said it could take up to 15 years before it is enforced.

“This is too much time and would mean that many dogs and many other animals would continue to be affected by reproduction for a very long period of time, causing a lifetime of suffering or, in the worst case, death.” , she added.

Dr. Dan O’Neill, professor of animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, said the short legs and sausage-like body “may be cute for us to look at, but they’re not cute for the dog.”

As a result of centuries of human breeding, dogs suffer from ‘extreme conformation’, where an exaggerated body shape, structure or appearance can negatively affect their health and well-being.

Dr. Dan O’Neill advises against purchasing any type of dog – Dachshund or otherwise – with any kind of extreme conformation.

“We would love to own these dogs with extreme conformation, but those dogs may not like living in a body where they have much higher health and welfare issues,” he said.

According to the expert, “banning the breed does not solve the problem,” partly because some dachshunds are more affected than others.

“If we were to ban dachshunds, if someone were to breed a healthy dachshund that did not have extremely short legs and long backs, that dachshund would also be banned,” he said. “That’s one of the complications of banning the breed.”

Dachshunds of any breed are known to be at the highest risk for intervertebral disc disease, in which the intervertebral discs that separate the bones of the spine degenerate.

The condition is a common cause of back pain in dogs and can cause paralysis, resulting in expensive treatment for owners.

Philippa Johnson, an associate professor at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, said the dachshund’s anatomy predisposes him to disc displacement.

‘In this condition the intervertebral discs have moved up into the spinal canal and there is compression of the spinal cord,’ she told MailOnline.

‘In many cases this requires expensive surgery and rehabilitation to treat, and many dogs will develop further hernias in the future.

‘In my clinical experience, the Miniature Dachshund is the most likely breed to have intervertebral disc displacement and in my clinical practice I see several come in for surgery every week.

“That said, there are types of dachshunds that don’t exhibit the same likelihood of being displaced.”

Bill Lambert, director of health, welfare and breeder services at The Kennel Club, said: ‘Dachshunds have seen a spike in popularity in recent years, largely because they are the breed of choice for advertisers, celebrities and on social media.

‘Unfortunately, this has led to more people breeding these dogs without prioritizing their health, simply to meet high demand.

‘Potential owners are looking for certain exaggerated examples of the breed that look ‘cute’, when in fact this could mean they are more prone to back pain and disease.

‘It is vital that potential owners do their research and find a good breeder who puts health absolutely first and uses the relevant tools to produce the healthiest puppies.’

Lambert continues: ‘While breeders and potential owners should avoid exaggerated physical characteristics that are harmful to health, we are concerned about any legislation that would result in certain breeds being banned.

‘An outright ban is not only difficult to enforce and implement, but is also not a solution to prevent poor breeding practices or the complex health problems that can affect certain breeds.

‘In fact, it could further fuel the ongoing crisis of irresponsible breeders, illegal puppy smuggling and uninformed puppy buyers, and by encouraging underground breeding it could even worsen the problems it seeks to address.’