Short Dog Breed Characteristics

Short dog breeds or "long dogs" are breeds with stunted legs. These breeds include the standard dachshund, miniature dachshund, Basset hound, Pembroke Welsh corgi, Cardigan Welsh corgi, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Sussex spaniel, Dandie Dinmont terrier and the rare Glen of Inmaal terrier. This dwarf-legged gene can also appear in other breeds, such as the Labrador retriever. The National Human Genome Research Institute discovered that short-legged dogs carry an extra copy of a gene that helps determine growth.

  1. Physical Characteristics

    • The main physical characteristic of short dogs is their dwarf-sized legs. Some breeds, like the standard and miniature dachshund, also have longer spines than the average dog breed. Short dog breeds tend to have long noses in order to sniff out their prey, instead of a flat face like a Pekingese. They also have long tails that either stick out straight or gently curve at the tip like a fishhook.

    Temperaments

    • Despite their comical appearance, short dogs can be aggressive and highly territorial. They are intelligent enough to be trained to relax in unfamiliar situations, such as when meeting new dogs or people. The Basset hound has a reputation for being stubborn to train, according to "Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds." Both the Pembroke and the Welsh corgi were bred to herd livestock and therefore to be aggressive in order to move stubborn animals along. Basset hounds, Glen of Inmaal terriers and dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers and foxes, which are highly aggressive animals. All short dog breeds become extremely loyal to their people, sometimes to the point of overprotectiveness.

    Health Problems

    • Long dogs are prone to many leg and skeletal problems because of their unusually short legs. These problems include pateller luxation (dislocated kneecaps), hip dysplasia (a painful malformation of the hip joint) and intervertabral disc disease, which can cause the hind legs to become paralyzed. The latter happens especially to Dandie Dinmont terriers and dachshunds. Because they can be so prone to back, knee and hip problems, it is important that short dogs do not get obese, according to "Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds."