Why Dachshunds?
6 year old me with puppy from Jackie’s litter in 1988
I have loved dogs since I was young. As a kid, I can remember flipping through large picture books learning about all the different breeds. I was fascinated with the wide variety of dogs in the world. When my family first got a dog, my mother chose a Corgi/Aussie mix named Jackie and before she was spayed our neighbor’s Husky came and got her pregnant. This was my first experience with puppies and their care. Below are photos of my dogs along with my family’s childhood dog Jackie. The second photo below, is my mom teaching me to weigh the new puppies using a puppy tracker similar to what I use now with my puppies. This experience of caring for a litter grew my love of dogs even more.
When I was 15, I adopted a Lab/Ridgeback mix from the local shelter, who I name Leia. She was a wonderful dog and it was during the years with Leia that I met my Vet Dr Dan Casaus at Whites Pet Hospital, here in Santa Barbara. He and his wife had dachshund and I would sit in the office looking at their photos, wondering about this little breed with the short legs a sweet face. Fast forward many years of owning large dog breeds, which were Vizsla, Irish setter, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and English Labrador, I was introduced to a mini Dachshund on a camping trip to Hume Lake CA. We spent the week camping with our friend’s dachshund and discovered what a fantastic breed the dachshund truly is. It opened our eyes to what a wonderful companion they can be, when they are raised with love, as this one was. At this point, my family (my husband and 4 kids) and I, had plenty of room for additional animals and it didn’t take much for me to want to add mini dachshund to our home. We carefully looked and found our first mini Dachshund in Ramona CA at Nuforest Dachshunds. The joy of adding Cooper to our home is hard for me to describe. Having a little side-kick on the ranch, in my kitchen, and on my lap in the evenings, brought so much joy to my heart. Cooper was raised with children, animals, noises and none of it phased him - in fact he loved all of it. We took him everywhere and he was a calming presence for children, and whoever took the time to get down to his level.
First Day home with Cooper 2016
Dachshunds are extremely loyal, full of love for their families, have the heart of a large breed dog but the perfect size for a snuggle. They make excellent travel companions - always up for a an adventure but don’t take up much space or need much food. As far as exercise, they need regular walking and play, but with their petite frame it doesn’t take all day to get them the physical activity they need!
Dachshunds are wonderful companions for any age. As we have made road trips around the USA, we have met dachshunds and their families. Hearing their stories has confirmed what we already experienced as Dachshund owners. This is a great dog, who when raised well can be a blessing to many.
Max a Dachshund we met in Zion UT whose owner is now our friend
So you can google all about Dachshunds and read up about them - and I recommend you do! Out of the many dogs I have loved, this is why I personally love dachshunds. And feel that they are a wonderful breed and know they will be a blessing to any family, who welcomes a new puppy into their lives.
