Unlike the lazy, couch-hogging fatbodies they tend to be today, dogs used to be required to work for a living. For centuries, "man's best friend" was more employee than pal, and family dogs were valued much more for their ability to perform difficult (or deadly) tasks than for any snuggling skills. And this winds up explaining a whole lot about dogs that you probably didn't know.
For instance, why are dachshunds shaped like that? Why do shar-peis have all that extra, loose skin? It's because humans have bred all sorts of weird superpowers into these animals to help them do our bidding.
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Wiener Dogs Were Bred to Kill Badgers
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With their furry kielbasa bodies, stubby little T-Rex arms, and a tendency toward unwarranted yapping, dachshunds are the feisty Rodney Dangerfields of the modern canine community. They may be the ninth most popular dog in the U.S. today (having overcome the stigma brought about during World War I by an unavoidable association with the Kaiser's Germany), but for most people the breed is little more than a running joke, often subjected to open ridicule in the streets.
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"I can taste your mockery."
But believe it or not, the goofball qualities of the dachshund were designed with a purpose in mind. Those long, barrel-chested bodies, pointy noses, and paddle paws, combined with that aggressive personality, are all perfect for the job they were created for: murdering badgers.
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"Who's a wiener now?"
Yes, the most mocked dog in canine history was designed for mortal underground combat with one of the world's most vicious varmints. "Dachs" is German for "badger," so its name translates to "badger hound." Those tubular torsos and oversized paws help them snake through underground tunnels, while their broad chests allow for better subterranean breathing. Most importantly, those inborn Napoleon complexes they have are vital when the time comes to face the snarling nastiness at the end of said tunnel.
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