Dachshund

Instantly recognised by its sausage silhouette, the long-backed German badger hound of our one-line entry brings a sheet that is mostly easy reading — with two lines worth slowing down for.

The temperament sheet

Energy is moderate: steady daily walks, not athletic ambitions. Tolerance for time alone is likewise moderate — a few hours is reasonable, whole days are not the arrangement the sheet describes.

The first line to slow down for is children, rated needs-supervision. We print that without softening it: a Dachshund can live happily alongside children when an adult manages the meetings, and the rating asks you to plan for exactly that. The first-dog answer, meanwhile, is a plain yes, and the space rating is flat-ok.

The practical side

Size is small and grooming is low — this end of the sheet is undemanding. Shedding is moderate. The second line to slow down for is barking, rated vocal: this is a dog with opinions, delivered at volume, and readers weighing the flat-ok rating against thin walls and near neighbours should weigh this line along with it.

The dog in front of you

Ratings describe a breed’s usual range and nothing more. Individual dogs outrank their breed sheet, and meeting the actual dog outranks everything printed here.