Not that most people breed or use them for it these days, but dachshunds are, at their core, hunting dogs. Full-sized dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, mini dachshunds for smaller animals like rabbits, they have short legs so they can chase animals into burrows, they have a strong sense of smell, and they’re feisty, strong-willed little things.
Again, not to many people breed dachshunds for hunting instincts these days, but some of those traits still remain and once in a while you get one who could still make a capable hunting dog.
From a few minutes googling, it doesn’t look like there’s really any large predators to worry about on that island, and the climate is fairly mild.
I have a friend with a mini dachshund mix, we’re not too sure of the exact mix, we think maybe there’s jack Russell and Beagle in there (both pretty feisty breeds in their own right.) She’s a cute, tiny little, vaguely-hound-looking, old lady dog with tiny legs. She’s absolutely fearless, and despite never having any particular scent training, is a pretty capable tracker. When their other dog ran away and got lost, they just put her on a leash and she led them right to him. I have no trouble imagining her running around on an island, taking down some small critters, and living quite happily on her own for a few years if it came to it.
I’m not actually terribly surprised.
Not that most people breed or use them for it these days, but dachshunds are, at their core, hunting dogs. Full-sized dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, mini dachshunds for smaller animals like rabbits, they have short legs so they can chase animals into burrows, they have a strong sense of smell, and they’re feisty, strong-willed little things.
Again, not to many people breed dachshunds for hunting instincts these days, but some of those traits still remain and once in a while you get one who could still make a capable hunting dog.
From a few minutes googling, it doesn’t look like there’s really any large predators to worry about on that island, and the climate is fairly mild.
I have a friend with a mini dachshund mix, we’re not too sure of the exact mix, we think maybe there’s jack Russell and Beagle in there (both pretty feisty breeds in their own right.) She’s a cute, tiny little, vaguely-hound-looking, old lady dog with tiny legs. She’s absolutely fearless, and despite never having any particular scent training, is a pretty capable tracker. When their other dog ran away and got lost, they just put her on a leash and she led them right to him. I have no trouble imagining her running around on an island, taking down some small critters, and living quite happily on her own for a few years if it came to it.