Dachshunds

I really didn’t have a topic to write on today so I thought I’d share with you my love of a particular breed of dog that I enjoy more than any single breed I’ve ever owned. The Dachshund.

Now a top ten dog breed in the United States, the dachshund was first bred in the 1600’s. It suffered in popularity in the US after WWI and wasn’t popularized again until the late 1970’s. The dog often marginalized as a “wiener dog” and made fun of for its odd proportions is actually not a companion dog or toy dog. It is a hunting dog.

Yes, a hunting dog. The dachshund was bred to fight badgers. Badgers are fierce and deadly little animals who rival wolverines for their tenacity and fight power. The dachshund was bred low and long so that it could follow the badger into its hole, flush it out and kill it.

The dachshund is a playful and friendly dog if socialized correctly. If not it can be a formidable watchdog, suspicious of strangers and its howl certainly can’t be easily disregarded. A good family dog, the dachshund is very aware of pack order and needs to be able to spend time with its master. The short hair needs very minimal grooming.

Our family includes a miniature dachshund named Wendell. He is very much my baby and usually looks at my SO as if he isn’t sure he is supposed to obey anything said by K. We were worried about Wendell with the baby, but now they are mates. Wendell scoots up to Z and touches his nose to his forehead or arm then darts away. Z will squeal with excitement and wave his arms and legs trying to reach Wendell.

I love my pets, but Wendell is a special little guy. My little “bug dog”, so called because he tends to scoot backward when he’s excited like certain types of beetles, is my buddy. He sleeps with momma, rocks in the rocking chair with momma and Z, sits with me and basically acts as my shadow. I couldn’t ask for a better companion.