No, no, no! They come from what was once called "Germania"...a vast, forested region east of the Rhine, a region that Rome never succeeded in conquering. Germania was peopled by a number of fierce tribes who were collectively known as Germanii (Germans). In time the descendants of these German warriors bred the Dachshund (badger hound) for the purpose of pursuing a badger down into its burrow, siezing it with powerful jaws, and dragging it out to be clubbed to death by the hunter. This took amazing guts and determination on the dog's part and is seen in the Dachshund's tenacious, stubborn, and feisty nature. Modern day Dachshunds, however, are mostly bred to be pets rather than hunting dogs. They are playful, amusing, willful, and difficult to train, but make excellent companions. They are fast and agile when young, good runners and jumpers, but tend to get overweight and sedentary in old age unless given lots of daily exercise. They naturally pursue rodents and other small animals. They have a loud bark, due to possessing a deep chest. They enjoy singing, and their rapturous "singing" with the nose pointed skyward is easily prompted by hearing a harmonica, various other musical instruments, a passing siren on an emergency vehicle, or any other "howling" sound. They will often sing along with humans, but have some trouble staying "on key".