There is a common misconception that all rescue dachshunds are damaged goods. That is, that they all have been abused in one form or another and are thus unpredictable and unstable. While that is true of some dachshunds, it is far from true for all of them.

Unfortunately, it�s often impossible to trace the complete history of a lot of rescue dachshunds. Therefore, you may not know what the dachshund�s original name was, whether or not it was actually abused, or what commands, if any, it has been trained to recognize. For instance, a dachshund may have been taught that �down� means to stop jumping on people, while dachshund B may have been taught a different word for that action, such as �off�. This means that it will take both you and the dachshund time to adjust to each other�s attitudes, routines and expectations.

If you can�t determine the history of a dachshund then it may be a bad choice for you if you already own other pets or if you have small children. A dachshund that may have been abused could potentially lash out toward children or other pets, out of fear or aggression. You, as an adult, are more capable of defending against such circumstances.

However, if you know the dachshund�s history, they can make excellent family pets. For instance, perhaps a dachshund�s owner treated them wonderfully, but died unexpectedly. In such cases, there are usually no issues of abuse or viciousness. These dachshunds would love and enjoy a new, lively family after their rescue center stay.

Above all, consider the individual dachshund. Introduce your family, and even other pets, to it before making a final decision. If the dachshund takes to you and you take to it then you probably have a great match.