We haven't had a question of the day for awhile...so here's one

[TerriL]

Prior to being owned by your first dachsie....what led you to that breed or particular pupper?

   My husband had grown up with dachsies and raved about them.  When we decided to adopt a furkid it just seemed natural to go with a breed that one of us was familiar with.  I had read up on them and decided that a dachsie would fit into our lifestyle.  Little did I know that when I first laid eyes on my precious Buelah that I would spend the next part of my life fitting into her lifestyle!  Now there are three of them running around the house and I wouldn't trade a minute of it!

[Kelly]

  When my Mom told me in 1994 I could get a dog for protection I was thinking about getting a black lab,well she then proceeded to tell me she knew of someone needing to find a home for 2 small dogs and one just happened to be a Dachshund named Shadow who is now at the bridge along with some others I've had.
              Since 2001 I've adopted 4 from Dachshund Rescue of North America.Two of them were older dogs and even though they were older I felt I gave them a couple of extra years.
              I currently have 2 a short haired one named Blusky and a long haired one named Manny who are loved very much by myself and my family and they love us as well.

[Barb]

My favorite Rudy story !!!!   When we went to the shelter to adopt, all we were looking for was a small short haired dog - no breed preference.   As we drove up to the building - a young girl was bringing in a dachshund, with bed and one toy.  I did not see them - but Jimmy did.   As we were waiting in the lobby before going to look at the available dogs, this young girl came out of a room and was just bawling.  She went into the bathroom and came out about 10 minutes later - visibly upset.   We went to view the dogs and there really wasn't one that matched what we were searching for...and then Jimmy asked - what about the dachshund that was just brought in?

They told us he had not been heartworm tested yet, would we want to wait?  We said yes...and the rest is history.  I was shocked when they brought him out - because I thought all dachshunds were the tan color (now I have learned they are called reds......) - and that poor sweet boy was so scared.  We took him home that day, stopping at Petco to pick up the essentials - I had never thought we would be bringing one home that day - usually the adoption process takes a couple of days.

We put his bed in our room and all went to bed that first night - he cried all night long.  The second night, he cried and was trying to jump in the bed with us.  Jimmy finally lifted him up, I laid a towel on top of the comforter and we all went to sleep.  Woke up the next morning, I looked down and the towel was empty.  Lifted up the comforter......and there was my Rudy...all snuggled in next to me......at that moment my heart was lost.......I fell madly in love with this little boy and also the breed.   I knew nothing about the breed......least of all the fact - they love to burrow !!!!!   From that day on Rudy has slept in the big bed !!!!

(No matter the problems that Jimmy and I are having - I will always be eternally grateful that he asked about the little dachshund that was brought in......that day changed my life  :thumb: )

Who could resist this handsome face ????

[MindyKay]

For the longest time, we thought Roger was allergic to anything with fur, so we went without a dog for years.  Amy wanted a dog so bad, she even wrote a poem about the pain of not having a pet dog.  She did some research and found out that dachshunds were less likely than other breeds to aggravate allergies.  Roger relented, and Amy found a beautiful girl in a shelter in southern Iowa.  She called the shelter, but the girl had already been adopted.

Amy was on the phone to Roger, upset, when this guy walks into Roger's office.  Roger had never worked with Alan before, but Alan had a technical question for Roger.  Alan heard just enough of the conversation to know that we had almost adopted a dachshund.  Alan told Roger he had a puppy that would be ready to go to a forever home in about 4 weeks.  Alan invited Roger and Amy to his house to check the puppy out.

It was love at first sight, and 4 weeks later, Ozzy became a part of our family.

[Barb]

WOW - that was meant to be - wasn't it ?????  Great story !   

[BridgetLouise]

When my mom was a little girl, she had a smooth red standard named Stretchefur Von Schnoodle, or Stretchie. As I was growing up, we had a couple of different dogs, but my mom never bonded with any of them.  She always said that she would never love another dog like she did Stretchie. 

Fast forward 20 years, and my former mother-in-law adopts 2 mini doxies, and tells wonderful tales about them. The kids had fallen in love with Mini and Maxi. 

Fast forward another 2 years.  The kids and I are driving down the highway, and I spot a sign for mini-dachsie puppies for sale..... (In retrospect, I now know that this was a BYB and it makes me so angry, but at the time ignorance was bliss.)  I pulled the car into the parking lot and told both of my kids, WE HAVE A DOG, WE ARE NOT GETTING A PUPPY.  We are just looking.  The woman had 2 left, at b&t, and our baby Bridget.  The kids took turns holding the other baby, and Miss Bridget Louise snuggled in and started chewing on my overalls.   I was hooked.  I had to try to keep a straight face as the kids were begging to take home a puppy.  I had to tell them, (HUGE SIGH) alright.  They wanted the little B&T, and I was so relieved when the woman said that the red was the only one available.    I was forced to make a big production of writing the check, because I couldn't let the kids know that I was THRILLED to have the new baby.    From that moment on, we've all been a dachs-a-holics.

Now when my mom calls and asks how's my baby, I have to ask if she means the hu-kids, or Bridget.  She's bonded with the first dog in 50 years.  Now she's ready to get a baby of her own!

[PattyInAK]

Back in 1979 I happened to be driving through town and stopped at a traffic light.   The house on the corner had a fenced yard and two little doxies played in the front yard.  I saw the owner stick her head out the back door and call them.  The both perked up their ears and then ran pell-mell around the house to the back yard.  They were so cute, I knew that I just had to have one.  I got my first doxie, Christoper Robin, in the fall of 1979.  I have now owned 6 doxies.

[Beth]

Believe it or not, I became interested in doxies after I saw a comedy bit that Norm McDonald did about the weiner dog.  It was so funny, and after that, I was obsessed with the weiner dog!  I started getting Christmas and birthday gifts of stuffed animal doxies, doxie figurines, doxie bookends.....everything doxie!  I had always wanted a real doxie, and I finally got Chilie for my 25th birthday in 2002.  And I have learned that having a dachshund is like eating potato chips....you can't have just one!  I have always wanted another doxie, but we will need to wait until we move into a house of our own.  Which will hopefully be pretty soon!

[Krista]

I was a freshman in college and working at the local mall.  During my lunch hour, I would window-shop.  I knew pet stores were not a good place to buy a dog, but I couldn't stop myself from looking sometimes.  One week, a little red dachshund puppy caught my eye.  He was so fun and playful and he reminded me of the movie I had always loved "The Ugly Dachshund."

I held that little boy a few days that week and vowed to myself that one day I would have such a pup to call my own.  I talked with my boyfriend about it and decided we should wait until we had our own home.  We got married in July 98 and then bought a house in January 99.  We researched the breed and agreed that Dachshunds were likely to fit with us and we began searching for our special pup later that year.  In november, we learned that a breeder about an hour away had 2 red male pups available.  We made an appointment to see them. 

I sat on the floor with these 2 red wiggle worms.  The smaller of the two kept climbing into my lap to cuddle and play with me, while the other ran around like a lightning streak of energy.  This pup had such soulful, trusting eyes and when he looked up at me from my lap, I knew he was the one for us.  Rudy came home 11/22/99.

Someday I'll have to share Roscoe and Gwennie's stories too, but Rudy's story answers the question of the day.

[Roberta]

We got hooked as Nick had a close family freidn years ago, and as it was his first dog I concurred, so hence we got Emma, and we thought it creul for her to stay alone and I was now hooked but loved hairy dogs we got Angus and the rest they say is history.
Roberta

[April]

I have actually always been around the breed.  My mom's mom had two (not at the same time) and her mother had one as well.  My mom had one as a teen so there were funny dachsie stories to go around that's for sure.  I didn't actually get one to call my own until I was starting highschool.  a lady had bought one from a breeder but due to her elderly mother having to come and live with her she had to give it up.  The breeder was the same one my grandmother's dogs had come from so we were allowed a "trial period".  Upon coming into the house, Sibyll-angel claimed my lap (it didn't hurt that I fed her a bite of ham - oops!) and never left.  She went to the bridge my senior year of college.  It took me a few years to be willing to get another dog.  I always wanted another but wasn't ready.  When I was, I'd started looking a little but not too seriously.  My mom (who didn't know I was looking) called me up one day and asked me if I wanted a dachsie.  I told her absolutely!  When could I get her/him? LOL.  I talked to DAvid and he wasn't thrilled with the idea of having a dog (although he loves them) because we didn't have a fenced in yard, they were expensive, etc, etc.  I told him I was getting one for my birthday and he was going ot have to deal with it.  When Cajsa was a few weeks old I went to the breeder's home to see the pups and it was obvious that Cajsa was the perfect fit.  She was only three weeks old, but she looked at me and barked!  That was all it took, I knew DAvid couldn't resist such a playful little girl.  (He had refused to go with me to pick her out by the way!)  When we picked her up, he just fell in love immediately and hasn't looked back. 

[dotzmom]

My Aunt Dot work for a Vet.
She brought us our first Doxie,
Heidi, a red standard who needed a home.
I was about 3 yrs old.  One of my fondest
memories is showing everyone that she
loved to eat a whole carrot from your hand.
She was the sweetest!

Hince came my first babies name, Dottie.

Lisa,
Dottie & Frankie

[Nikki]

When I was just over 4 years old, my parents decided we needed to get a dog to help me overcome my irrational fear of dogs.  I had been nipped by a family friend's dog and was terrified of them.  I would literally climb my mom's or dad's leg if a dog came within a 100 yards of me.  Our church pastor and his wife had a red female standard, Queenie, that had a litter of pups.  When they were old enough, we got one.  I named him George (who knows the workings of a four year old's mind).  George was my best friend throughout my whole childhood.  George went to the bridge a month before I left home for college.  I didn't get another dog until I got my Max in September 8 years ago.  My ex husband and I were having problems (hence the ex part) and he knew that I had always wanted another dachshund.  We went to a breeder and I told them I wanted a male.  They had five males, three reds, one b&t dapple and one b&t.  Well, my ex was enamoured with with dapple, but the little b&t ran up to me and gave the biggest grin I have ever seen.  I leaned over, picked him up, he gave me a kiss and snuggled against my neck and he has been my baby boy ever since.   He still has the biggest grin I have ever seen.   My ex had a mixed lab & golden that was never my dog, so the only dogs I have ever had have been dachshunds and as long as I can take care of them, I will always have at least one.  Now I am the proud mom of four of the darlings and they are the lights of my life!

[lucylu]

I cant remember a time when someone in my family didnt have a daschie. The first one I have memories of is a smooth red called Binky. I guess I was about 2 yrs old when she had a litter of puppies. We  also had just gotten a siamese kitten. The whole family went to check on the puppies and lo and behold that kitten was nursing Binky along with her pups. From that day on, Binky and the kitten (Charlie Brown) were inseparable. Both pets passed away within days of each other. We have had many dachies over the years. My life has never been complete with out this breed. So when I saw my Lucy tied to a porch 3 years ago. I knew she had to come home with me. The rest is history.
I guess you could say I grew up thinking every person in America had a daschie and siamese cat in their home. Crazy huh?

[Merion]

My husbands family had Dachshunds for many year.  When I met him they had a mini named Mutzer---she was not my friend. I had a mutt named Trixie at the time.  We got married and Trixie came with me.  Then one weekend Mutzer had to come to our house to stay cause mom and dad were out of town.  The Little b***h chased me out the front Door of the house when Jeff was outside.   I said "that's it, she goes home, If you have to stay with her so be it but she won't be staying here tonight".  Then for Jeff's birthday he said "I want a Dachshund".  Yeah right!!!!!  I mentioned it to the mother of one of my old school friends who worked where I did.  She said " Merion, Heide is a standard dachshund".
My buddy Heide is a dachshund

I got to know her when I graduated and Sue and I went to GA to visit Cathy for part of the summer.
Heide went for a walk with Cathy's sister and I and we had her chasing the cats.  Linda was kind of nervous if we got caught letting her do it on the base, but it was funny to see her run right after them and of course we said "no no Heide, you shouldn't do that "  LaRae had a litter at the time and I took Jeff out to see them.  He wanted the black and tan male and I wanted the red female. But we were only getting 1.  When I went to get them LaRae said she knew I really wanted the little girl so she gave me a deal and I took them both.  When Jeff opened the box he thought I just got Gretel not his boy cause he didn't see him in the box.  I told him read the note, it says "Our names are Hansel and Gretel"  They were with us for many years. Gretel died at 16 and we had to put Hansel down at 18 years 3 months (luckily we had found Zeke by then and had him to come home to). Zeke really perked Hansi up the last couple of months we had him.  The weekend we lost Zeke I had him cremated and foundout later that LaRae had lost her last doxie the same time and had him cremated the same week.  Seemed strange the lady who got me into them lost one at the same time.
Merion & Zack

[Sandishooligans]

The funny thing with me is, my first experience with a Dachsie did not impress me.  I was probably around 4-6 when I recall Greta (Gretty), the family dachsie.  By the time of my first memories, Gretty was old and cranky and didn't much go for little kids trying to pet her when she was eating her Gaines Burger.  Yep, that's what they fed her....we just didn't know way back then.  Gretty would also growl and snarl when she was sitting in a lap and a kid came by to give her pets.  I remember that our Gretty was a tweener wiener black and tan shorthair and that she was very overweight.  I think she passed away around the age of 12. 

Flash Forward.  Every time I see a little wienerdog, they make me smile.  I did not research the breed and it was before the Internet when I brought home my first puppy, Dixie.  Oh my!  What a bundle of energy she was.  She slept in the kitchen (who would let dawgs sleep in da big bed anyhow?)   And now I must confess something that few know.  We (still fairly newly marrieds) did the exact same thing that I would chastise any who do this now with a dog.........We surrendered Dixie and her pal, Gidget (whom we'd picked up about a year earlier) back to her original owners for a very FLIMSY.....STUPID......If you don't want to talk to me anymore, I'll understand.......reason.  We moved into a brand new, never peed on, condo.  Oh how I kick myself still for that stupid STUPID mistake.  Oh, how I missed my little dawgs and I vowed one day that I'd try it again and NOTHING would make me give up my babies. (By the way, if you're thinking that hubby made me do this, nope.  It was a mutual decision......don't ask me why.)  Well, years later and hopefully, years wiser, I got my Dolly, a sad little dachsie, who was plucked from a terrrible home situation.  She still carries the scars of abuse.  And a year later, The Madderoo came to us from what we now know was a BYB.  One of the biggest things in having THESE lovely ladies is the support of THIS group!  When folks have questions, others are right there to help.  It makes a HUGE difference.  So now, I have my "hooligan squatters"....so named from a line from my favorite TV show... and nope, nope, nope......I ain't never gonna give 'em up.  I still kick myself for what I did in the past.  You can give me a kick too.  But I've also forgiven myself.  I hope you'll see it in your heart to do so, too.  Oh, and yes, they both sleep in the big bed.

[Jacqueline]

My first doxy was a standard, and I didn't get to keep her.  I lived in the country in Missouri, and had plenty of room for her to run and play with the cats, squirrels, dogs, and just about every other kind of critter you can imagine.  Her ears were so long that when she ran she looked like she was getting ready for take-off.  She was a sweetheart, and I loved her dearly.  But....I had to move back to the city, and my options were to leave her out there with family that loved her or keep her locked up all the time.  I left her where she would be happier.  That was another life time ago.  I really missed her, and did go out and visit her as often as I could.

Years later, kids born and growing, I needed a good dog to help protect us and be a companion, and I got the world's greatest German Shepard.  I went out to the home to see the parents of the six puppies, and five of the pups ran up to me and jumped all over, "take me, take me."  One stuck her nose in the air, and said, "Hurrump!"  That was my Gretchen.  She was a loyal loving girl, and I hated to lose her. 

I knew when I was ready for another pup that I wanted another small pup, and I started watching for doxies.  I saw that they had taken in two at the animal control shelter and hotfooted it down there.  Taffy and I knew instantly that we were made for each other.      Someone else had taken her adoption papers, tho, and I had forgotten my wallet at home.  I took the papers for the other doxy at the shelter, but had to come back for my wallet.  By the time I got back, the one I had taken the papers for was gone, and Taffy was sitting there waiting for me.....the other request had been denied!!   She ran to me, and has been my velcro pup ever since.

[David C.]

I had an early experience with dachshunds when we lived in California.   My friend Paul had a b/t smoothie named "Ruby".   Ruby seemed to really take to me every time I came over.   

After that, my next experience was with Max.  Max belonged to my best friend and his wife.  When they would go on vacation, I would stay at their house and pet-sit for Max.  Max got to know me very well and I got to know the breed very well.  It was only natural that when I got my own place and went to get myself a dog, it was going to be a dachshund as well.  That dachshund, of course, was Rudy (note the similarity in name to the first dachshund I had an experience with...that was not a coincidence, had Rudy been a girl, she would have been a Ruby).  I had no idea that only 2 1/2 months after I got my own dachshund I would end up with Max as well when their daughter developed severe asthma.

Without Max, there never would have been a Rudy.   Old Man Max has certainly lived quite a storied life.   Not many dachshunds can boast that when they were conceived, Ronald Reagan was still in the White House.

[Ruth in MT]

Therapy for body , mind, and soul ............ that's my  eLlIe
I had become depressed and quite homebound after I was seriously injured in  a car accident .  My best friend INSISTED that I find a dog ! But I didn't want a dog ..... grrrrrrrrrrrr.  But , ok, I would consider one. Then I met "Micki" a mini wire haired dachshund who a friend's son had rescued from a  shelter ............... it was love at first sight.  I was not familiar with dachshunds and had never seen or heard of a wire hair. So began my search ...... and I found eLlIe ........ the rest , as they say, is history.

[Eileen]

...with a little wheaton wirehair with three good legs limping in the middle of the road.  Her name became Buffi, and she was with us for 6 years before congestive heart failure took her.  She led us on the road to DoxieDom....... 

[Dianne]

Sigh!  What a wonderful string this holiday season!  I am enjoying the "pupper" stories!

The boys were grown and in college.  The family lab passed the first year Sean was in college.  We were dogless for a few years and then...

I spotted an ad for 3 dachshunds and contacted the advertiser.  She was a small byb and had placed all 3 with the same owner...who had not paid for them.  When the breeder went out to try to collect, she found the dogs in deplorable conditions and she called the SPCA.  She got her dogs back, one year older, and in not-the-best condition.

So, Ken and I went to look.  One pupper would run up to us, yip, then chase the cat, chase a leaf, yip again.  She was the runt, a smooth chocolate with red dapples.  And she adopted Ken...immediately!  The first night she was locked in the bathroom (no doxies in my bed!) except that I couldn't find her the next morning...she was in my son's bed    From then on, it was the big bed.  For many years she went to work with Ken everyday.  She is his confidante and first love...I swear, he'd take her over me         

Cocoa has been with us for 14 of her 15 years.  Ken took another job and Cocoa could no longer go to work so we adopted other doxies for her so she wouldn't be lonely.  Ladybug was first, then Bambam and now Patches, all rescues.   Last year we nearly lost her to e-coli!  It was touch and go, but; she made it! 

I don't know what we will do when she crosses the bridge!

thanks for the great stories!

           

[Rocks Mom]

A friend bought my cousin a doxie and my daughter fell in love with her so when my husband and I decided to get a puppy, we decided that since the doxie is (1) a small dog (2) they have a very good a good nature about them (3) I loved my cousins sooooo we decided to get Rock when I saw him for the first time he won my heart and he has been my lil man since Valentines day 2001 he was three months old. Rocks mom

[Eric]

When I lived in Germany about 8 years ago, my neighbor had a B&T shorthaired.  He was so happy go lucky and loved the way he looked and acted.  So when I moved back to the US, then ending up back in Florida again and finding the love of my life again, we married.  We went out one day looking at puppers, and fell in love with them again, so we located a home breeder and we found Sergeant.  Then one was just not enough so we decided to get another one, Libby. 

[Barb]

Ok - now I am intrigued........were you and Julie boyfriend and girlfriend way back....and met again?????

[Teresa]

Randy has always been a "big dog" person, but I have always been drawn to the little ones. We were at some friends house for a Super Bowl Party and there was a mini Dachshund there. I fell totally in love with her. Randy, I noticed, was quite enamored also. At the time we had Jeb, a huge white bulldog, but I really wanted a little dog, also. I did the sneaky thing and sold Meghan on the idea. Randy couldn't resist the two of us! We brought Kendall-angel home in May of that year and Randy was hooked. I knew immediately that I would never be without a doxie in my life again. When Kendall went to the Bridge 6 years later, I just knew that Randy would want to get something a little bigger. At this time Jeb had gone to the Bridge also, so there was no Big Dog in the house. Instead Randy told me he wanted another Doxie, just like Kendall. We both thought we would wait a few weeks, but the house was way too empty. We brought Schatzi home 4 days later. In September of that year, we rescued another English Bulldog, Molly, so once again we have our Mutt and Jeff combination! Now, I'm working on Randy to get another Doxie. It hasn't worked yet, but you never know! The difference this time will be that we will rescue the next doxie we get.

[oceangirls]

My husband and I both grew up with cocker spaniels, but he thought we would do better with a smaller dog.  I think we saw dachshunds at a pet store and realized they came in a longhaired version (which is even thought to maybe be derived from breeding to cocker spaniels in the past).  We were at a different pet store and saw one little mini longhair in a cage with several standard smooths... we weren't ready to buy but couldn't forget his little face.  DH's mom heard the story and decided we should have him for Christmas.  We didn't know then that you shouldn't buy pet store puppies.  He was poorly bred and had undescended testes and nystagmus and some sort of infection that almost killed him right after we got him... he was also a sweet little laid-back guy who made it impossible for us to ever consider other breeds :D

[Julie]

Ok - now I am intrigued........were you and Julie boyfriend and girlfriend way back....and met again?????

Yes Barb, you guessed it.  Eric and I dated in high school and then went our separate ways.  We each married and divorced and then found each other again 4 years ago.  We have been married 3 years now.  Ok, now everyone can say "Awwwwwwwwwwwwww" 

[Barb]

Awwwwwwww.........VERY kewl !!!!!   

[Jenny G]

We only knew we wanted a small short haired dog.  I read up a little and once we decided we wanted a dachsie, we bought Dachshunds for Dummies and read a chapter every night.  Of course, when we saw this picture, we just knew we had to have Berman.  He's on the right.