La selezione
An idea, carried through generations.
Francesca developed her ideal of the dachshund in her early years of breeding. It continues to guide the work she shares with Gabriel.
Lo scopo
Francesca never set out to breed. When KevinCostner del Gotha sired his first litter and she saw what was born, the house filled with joy — and she chose to relive that joy, and to share it.
Selection is how that choice stays honest. The house breeds for a wirehaired dachshund true to its standard and to its work: sound in body, balanced in character, made for a long family life. The ring proves the work. The other ninety-nine days are what it is for.
Il tipo
Form and function
«Il mio bassotto ideale deve essere corto di reni, con la schiena dritta, non molto alto negli arti ma soprattutto in taglia e con le giuste angolazioni del posteriore; il maschio deve avere una testa importante mentre la femmina deve rispecchiare la sua femminilità.»
“My ideal dachshund should be short in the loin, with a straight back, not very tall on the legs — and above all not in size — with properly angulated hindquarters. A male should have a strong head, while a female should show her femininity.”
— Francesca · translated from the Italian account
Her description is specific: proportion, structure and an unmistakable expression of the breed. The preference for moderation remains part of how we consider each dog.
Il carattere
Francesca also wrote that a dog’s quality depends on a balanced character. Living with the dogs allows us to observe this beyond the ring: their response to people, other dogs and unfamiliar situations.
We value the dachshund’s independence while paying attention to the temperament and experiences that will help it live well with a family.
La salute
Health
Fashion sometimes pulls a breed toward the extreme — longer, lower, more. The house’s answer has been to decline. One conviction has governed the selection since 1990:
«Sono contraria a qualunque esasperazione morfologica…»
“I am against any morphological exaggeration — which, among other things, can put the dog’s health at risk.”
— Francesca
Our health practices
For a particular litter, speak to Gabriel about the parents, the information available and the veterinary documents that accompany the puppy. The public summary of our health practices is being prepared.
L’accoppiamento
We plan pairings in advance, considering conformation, temperament and family history. Four questions help explain the choice:
The dogs — what do we know about each parent? The information — what do the pedigree and available health records tell us? The aim — which qualities are we looking to preserve or develop? The puppies’ future — what kind of family life might suit them?
La crescita
Raised at home
Litters are born and raised in the family’s home, and the dogs are part of the family’s every day. A puppy’s first world is a household — its rooms, its voices, its garden.
During our conversations, we discuss how your puppy has been raised and how to continue its routine when it comes home.
The ethics of small numbers
Pochi cani
Wanhelsing was never meant to be large. Each litter is rare because each pairing is studied; each puppy is known by name and placed one family at a time. The archive, since 1990, is written that way — a generation at a time, not a season at a time.
Few dogs, known by name.
Documented a generation at a time.
Planned well in advance; rare by design.
Matched to a family, not queued for one.
Answered in year one — and in year ten.
La famiglia
Getting to know a family is part of the process. We consider the puppy’s individual character alongside your household and expectations, then help you prepare for arrival.
Our advice remains available after the puppy leaves. The dogs’ lives, and our connection with their families, continue well beyond that first meeting.
Per la vita
The selection ends. The responsibility does not.
A puppy here is never simply sold. It is entrusted — with care and responsibility on both sides. And the family that takes it is answered in year one, and in year ten.