AKC Breeder of Merit Gold Kristin Cihos-Williams of Kinderteckel Standard Smooth Dachshunds has been involved in the breed since 1992. When she and her family bought their first home in San Diego, California, they were restricted by their homeowners’ association rules to a 25-pound-dog. Kristin wanted a big dog personality in a small dog body and a dog that was active and could be part of a busy household with young children.
Her kennel name, Kinderteckel, means “Children’s Dachshund” in German, and her five children grew up with their Dachshunds. Kristin’s middle daughter, Emi Pedraza, finished her first Bred-By-Exhibitor champion at age 11 and finishes almost all their champions from the Bred-By-Exhibitor class. Emi has her own breeding program of Standard Wirehaired Dachshunds, carrying on the Schoolhouse prefix for their friend Judy Anderson, but Emi still co-breeds standard smooths with Kristin.
AKC: How did you get started in breeding dogs?
Kristin: Although our first Standard Smooth Dachshund, bred by Jay Hulet of San Diego from Lucene bloodlines, had champion littermates, we did not show or breed Gretel. It took more learning about the breed to truly get a solid foundation. I was guided by Bette Anderson, a breeder-judge, to meet Polly Fleming, another well-respected breeder-judge, after purchasing a couple of “show quality” pups from other breeders who did not turn out to be show prospects after all. Polly Fleming’s first dog show was in 1944. Polly took me under her wing, and her knowledge and guidance steered me through my early breeding challenges.
My first trip to Westminster was with Polly, and my first flight across the country to the
Dachshund national specialty was with Polly. Sharing rooms and sitting ringside with such an icon of the breed shaped my perception of the ideal type/style/outline I wanted to continue in my own breeding program. She taught me to evaluate dogs moving, rather than stacked. When she evaluated my litters, sired by her top producing champions, she told me which of my puppies would help me move along with my goals with my own breeding program, and she told me which ones could win in the show ring but would not help me in the end with my goals. Without Polly’s vast knowledge of the breed and her generosity in sharing that with me, I would not have any of the dogs I have today.
AKC: What is the most important thing to know about your breed?
Kristin: The most important thing to know about Standard Smooth Dachshunds is that they were originally developed as hunting hounds, bred to go to ground and take on fierce prey in the forests of Europe. If they couldn’t dig through the thick tree roots to get to their quarry, they would chew through the tree roots. Because of their hunting heritage, these dogs are hardwired to dig and chew. If they are not properly physically and mentally stimulated, they will chew out of boredom. They will chew your door jambs, they will chew your deck railing, and they will chew their bedding. You must love this breed to put up with a lot of what they can do, and you must protect them from themselves sometimes. Dachshunds are not “cute” little lap dogs, and they do best when they have a job to do that gives them purpose, just like many other breeds.
AKC: What is your favorite question to ask potential puppy buyers?
Kristin: I always ask about prior experience with true Standard Smooth Dachshunds. If someone has successfully owned a standard smooth in the past, they will know about the tendency to dig and chew. Because these dogs are hounds, they don’t always listen. And because Dachshunds are achondroplastic dwarves, with short legs, long backs, and heavy torsos, they go straight down if they fall into an unfenced pool, and they are big drowning risks. I am a stickler for pool safety, and I won’t sell one of my dogs to a home with an unfenced pool. Also, because Dachshunds have those short legs and long backs, this puts more stress on their spines. I ask about stairs in the home, for this reason. Although many cases of IVDD (intravertebral disc disease) are genetic, because IVDD is inherent with achondroplastic breeds, stairs, obesity, and jumping are big triggers for it. It isn’t smart to let a Dachshund run up and down stairs long term, and I ask that potential homes be prepared to safety-gate off their stairs and carry their dogs up and down.
AKC: What are the main qualities you look for in potential owners?
Kristin: My favorite puppy buyer is someone who has had dogs from me in the past! I don’t breed often, so I don’t have many pet puppies available. Most pet puppies I breed tend to go to repeat buyers, who have lost dogs from me to old age. I have had one couple come back for their sixth Dachshund from me over the years, since they like having three Dachshunds at a time. These people are the best, because they understand the quirks of the breed, already know how I do things, and are dedicated to their dogs.
AKC: What is the best advice you would give to novice breeders?
Kristin: Novice breeders often rush into acquiring dogs or keeping too many dogs. My mentors recommended that I keep only those dogs that would truly further my goals with my breeding program. Not every champion needs to be bred. I keep my dogs in my home with us, as family members, so keeping numbers reasonable is always a huge challenge. We inevitably become attached to certain dogs, regardless of conformation, and some dogs never leave. I tend to not want to place dogs, once they are over the age of 5 years. It is harder for older dogs to adjust to a new home. Many breeders are the opposite and place all their retired breeding dogs, once the dogs retire from their breeding careers. While that practice makes economic sense, to avoid all the vet bills associated with senior dogs, that is easier said than done, when one gets attached. Novice breeders are advised to think about the dogs they will have 10 years from now. I see brand new breeders purchasing multiple dogs from other breeders and wonder if they have given enough thought to their 10-year-plan. Ethical breeders will take back dogs of their breeding, at any time in their lives, for any reason. You may be taking back a dog someday that loses its home, for whatever reason, and that dog may need vet care and to live with you for some time before finding a permanent home. Be prepared for the vet bills that may accompany any dog of your breeding that needs to come back to you and be prepared to make space in your home. Breeding is a lifetime commitment to the dogs that you produce. Make sure you plan for that commitment. Try to not “load up on dogs,” as my mentors said, and be very mindful about the commitment to veterinary care for the dogs you keep.
AKC: Do you participate with your dogs in AKC sports?
Kristin: I have bred about 70 AKC conformation champions, over 30 years of breeding only Standard Smooth Dachshunds. My dogs have also achieved titles in therapy work, obedience, rally, earthdog, Fast CAT, barn hunt, Trick Dog, scent competitions, etc. with owners who train them for those events. I discovered that I also love competing with my dogs in AKC field trials. The field trial season in California is very short, due to dry weather and heat, so I prioritize field trial events over most conformation shows during the winter field trial season. My puppies get exposed to the field before they ever see a show ring, and I have bred eight dual champions now. I am also an AKC field trial judge for Dachshunds and Basset Hounds. I truly love watching young dogs “turn on” in the field, and I get a big kick out of introducing pet owners to field trials and getting them hooked, as well!
Three of my children did AKC junior showmanship at varying levels of involvement. Two were top-ranked juniors. Emi is the one who did junior showmanship the longest, and she was #1 Dachshund junior for many years, #1 hound group junior for many years, #1 junior in California for years, and #2 all-breed junior in the country, while still valedictorian of her public high school graduating class. Emi continued involvement in the sport of dogs after her junior showmanship career. She is now an AKC junior showmanship judge herself, and she judged puppy sweepstakes this year at the Dachshund Club of America national specialty. She has a young daughter who is extremely interested in our dogs, and I am hoping a third generation in our family will stay involved with the sport of dogs.
AKC: What do you like best about breeding dogs?
Kristin: The best thing about breeding dogs is recognizing a familiar face or familiar look in a litter, many generations down the line. I have outcrossed at times, to bring in qualities necessary in my bloodline, but I try my hardest to go right back in and linebreed on dogs with strong type, to go back to the look I loved with my mentor’s dogs. When I see a familiar expression with a puppy that I know Polly would have loved, it makes me feel like all the long, tough hours of breeding brought me to this moment.
AKC: Do you have a favorite breeding story?
Kristin: My favorite breeding story involved a tiny little peanut puppy who tried to die on me, when she was not even a day old. She went into hypoglycemic shock, went rigid as a board, and stopped breathing. I have CPR/BLS certification and used modified CPR skills to bring this tiny 4-ounce puppy back. I was sure I would still lose her, but she was a tough little thing and thrived with full-time bottle feeding. Absolutely nothing was physically wrong with her, and no vet ever determined why she could not stay latched on to nurse.
As a young puppy, she was very homely and scrawny, compared to her much larger littermates, and I would bring her to shows wearing a striped sweater to keep her warm, since she did not have much body fat. My good friend, Judy Anderson, who was well known for her standard wires, always had a chuckle for poor little Petunia. In time, Petunia caught up and eventually grew to be the very largest female in her litter. We finished her AKC conformation championship and then let her go live with my aunt and uncle in the Bay Area. My uncle adored her, and she was his cherished companion until he died of a terminal disease. Petunia seems to have had a purpose, and I am glad the little peanut puppy made it to be my uncle’s friend in his time of need.