The Dachshund is the cutest dog to ever exist. It's just a fact. They are long, short, and have cute little faces. What's not to love? Am I biased because I have only ever had Dachshunds?... Maybe. But it looks like a new bill in Germany is trying to regulate the breeding of Dachshunds in the country.
According to CNN, the bill wants to regulate the breeding of the dog due to their "skeletal anomalies." While the headline of banning a beloved dog breed can gain a lot of clicks, this bill actually makes a lot of sense. For any Dachshund owners, especially if you've ever had an older Dachshund, you know the utter hell that can occur with their backs.
Because their body is so long and their legs so short, there is not enough to support them. This can cause a whole host of issues. Pain, discomfort, and even paralysis as they grow older. It's borderline an inevitability that if you have a Dachshund, you are going to be dealing with their back issues at some point. My Dachshund Gracie is 10 and she is on pain pills and muscle relaxers to ensure she is comfortable enough to run and play.
While I love the breed and would not give up anything for the two Dachshunds I've had over my life, the emotional toll it takes to see them struggle is by no means fun. Especially when you hear them cry out in pain.
German bill wants to ban what it calls "torture breeding"
In my opinion, I don't think this bill is ridiculous. It makes complete sense to me. That said, there is a petition to "save our dogs," but considering this bill has not even passed yet, it seems a little premature.
And according to a spokesperson for the German agricultural ministry, this isn't even a straightforward ban. “We are not seeking to ban the Dachshund,” a spokesman of the agricultural ministry told CNN, “what we are aiming at with this reform is a ban on torture breeding.”
We'll see how it pans out, but even if it passes, it doesn't sound like it would be an all-out ban anyway. And it's only in Germany. Sure, it's the origin of the dog breed, but it's by no means the only place Dachshunds are bred. The fervor over this bill seems very misplaced.