Do Dachshunds have extra vertebra?
Dachshunds have the same number of vertebrae as other dogs, so the answer is nein, I mean no. The number of vertebrae is 30 not nine and not counting the tail. 7 cervical or neck, 13 thoracic or chest, 7 lumbar or lower back, 3 sacrum or pelvic, there are up to 26 caudal or tail bones. The main reason a dachshund looks like a sausage is its short legs combined with a relatively thin tubular body. Its more that he is half a dog high than it is that he is a dog and a half long. The vertebrae are, however, relatively longer individually than in other breeds. The legs are short due to what otherwise would be considered a malformation due to a genetic defect. The leg bones mature and stop growing in length before the rest of the dog, which makes them short, crooked, thick, and strong. The strength of the bones and crookedness, along with a deep barrel chest makes for advantageous attachment for powerful muscles and the front legs are very strong and the hunds are great diggers. While he may
