Janie Sachak, age 9, of Parker, Arizona, for her question:

Where did the dachshund dog originate?

The dachshund has a German name that means "the badger hound." This may explain why many people think that he originated in Germany. But several dog experts traced back his family tree and found that this may not be true. They say that probably he got his start in France. The ancestors of his breed were most likely terriers and French basset hounds.

In any case, if you know a dachshund, you love him too much to care about his ancestors or his family tree. People may laugh to see him trotting proudly on his little short legs and say that he measures one dog long and half a dog high. But everybody knows how smart he is and all about his loyal, brave and affectionate character. As a matter of fact, he rates among the ten most popular pet dog breeds in America.