DES: The Dachshund Ear System

The Dachshund's ears are quite prominent and rightly so: they are one of the most critical systems aboard the Dachshund vessel and they serve in many roles.

The ears are swept back for transport while trotting...

Radar: Orange Alert - the ears are finely tuned for sensing far off threats.

Red Alert! At this alert level there's no messing around; the tongue retracts into its hatch and all energy is diverted to the ears which can pinpoint suspicious behavior at over 250 yds.

At full gallop the ears unfurl and help to steer the dachshund, much like a cheetah's tail, as he accelerates to speeds, upwards of 8 mph.  

Finally, the ears serve as a braking mechanism; they are parachutes much like the space-shuttle uses when landing.