The Mystery of the Dachshund "Impostors"?

[Doxherding Karen]

Dr. "Sherlock Holmes" Leaky and my trusted assistant Merlin the Magician here.

Our hooman, the lovely Miss Karen (she's the only one tall enough to reach the food!) has ordered DNA test kits to determine whether or not we are, ahem, of pure parentage.

Now, she assures us that even if I turn out to be part beagle (EGADS!) she will still love me.  Actually, I think she is besotted with all four of us, she's just an unrepentant factoid junkie and just has to know.  Merlin and I would prefer to be loved for our warm, loving snuggles, our uncontrollable tails, our scintillating conversation and witty reparte.  ("O.K., that's a little over the top, Beau, take it down a notch." "Right-o, Merlin.")

So we will update you on the procedure and the results when they come back.  Miss Karen said that it involves a cheek swab (?) and it won't hurt, but she always tells us what a wonderful time we're going to have in the car, and the next thing we know we're at the vet's getting poked, prodded, innoculatd, fixed, cleaned, toe-choppeed, whatever.  So much for HER track record!

Stay tuned and wish us luck!

Dr. L and Merlin


(The web site is www.mmigenomics.com - click on canine heritage)

[David C.]

IIRC, if you go back far enough, most dachshunds will eventually have some common lineage.   There was the first batch of dachshunds brought over by German immigrants in the latter part of the 1800s.   This was followed by an importation of a fairly large quantity of dachshunds from Germany after World War II to help invigorate the bloodlines of the first batch of dachshunds.    I would bet most dachshunds could eventually trace their bloodline to one of these two groups.

[Doxherding Karen]

My family can trace our German heritage back several hundred years.  During World War II, My grandfather,a very patriotic naturalized American, served in the Civilian Defense Patrol on the north shore of Long Island with his faithful dachshund Pupchen.  Pupchen even had a little civil defense helmet.  She sounded the alarm one night on the beach, barking up a storm.  Next day it was reported that a Nazi submarine had been spotted. 

Go Pupchen!!!