Dachshund Portraits

Dachshunds bring two things most breeds don’t: a genuinely comic, joyful silhouette and three completely different coats — smooth, long-haired and wire-haired — that each paint differently. Smooths are all gleam and clean line, long-hairs get spaniel-like feathering on the ears and chest, and wires have that scruffy, expressive beard that deserves its own frame.

The head is more refined than people remember: a long, elegant muzzle and surprisingly soulful eyes. A good Dachshund portrait balances the comedy of the body with the dignity of that face.