The Dachshund Club was founded on17th January 1881, making it the oldest breed club for Dachshunds in the world and one of the first clubs for any breed. When the original British breed standard was drawn up it was based on the German Standard, however this was revised jointly with the Northern Dachshund Association in 1907.

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The Club originally only catered for Smooths, the only variety known in Britain at the time, the other five were taken under the Club's wing as they came into the country.

The first Championship Show was held in 1946, in fact two were held that year. It was not until 1989 that CCs for all varieties were allocated to the Club, a situation that remains today making the Dachshund Club the only breed club to run an individual show with CCs available for all six varieties.

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The Club was instrumental in setting up Dachshund Rescue with the Long Haired Club in 1972. Rescue is now a registered charity.

The Dachshund Club handbook is eagerly awaited and held in highest regard worldwide. Published every three years the complete. volumes date back to 1946.

The Club also distributes a newsletter annually to members and holds the copyright to 'Sayers Standard of Points' considered the definitive extended Breed standard.

The Dachshund Club was one of the first breed clubs to introduce judges training in 1968 with judging trials , which developed into a formal Dachshund Breed Judges Assessment Scheme, most recently superseded into the Kennel Club's Judges Education Programme.