Happy New Year - Dachshund Lovers Go Wild!

You've got the Dachshund, you've got the Party Hat - hold on to your britches 'cause things are about to get a little crazy in the homes of Dachshund Lovers all over the world.  Like our much missed beloved Dachshundist Elizabeth Taylor once said:  "Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together."

Here's to everything that 2012 holds for us all.  Prosit Neujahr!  

Mid-century vintage photo source unknown.  Le Telquel wine via hudin.

Penny Lane: The Fastest Wiener In The West!

We couldn't end the year here at The Long and Short of it All without sending out a huge congratulations to Penny Lane, the Fastest Wiener in the West!  The California native took the 14th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener National Finals on Wednesday in San Diego before the Big Bay Balloon Parade.  According to The Albuquerque Journal, over 3,500 Dachshunds competed nationally in various Wienerschnitzel races, with the top seven racing in Wednesday's Final.  We first met Ms. Lane when she took the Los Alamitos race in July.  Way to go Penny, and congratulations to all the Dachshunds who made the finals.  Woof, WOOF!!

Video by youtuber jasonfreakinbang.

Rolling Bone

The American fast food chain Wienerschnitzel, which specializes in our favorite grub, hot dogs, recently tweeted a preview of their 2012 Der Calendar "Rolling Bone."   We couldn't find the calendar on Wienerschnitzel's Merchandise page, so we're not sure if this is strictly a promotional piece, or will soon be for sale.  Regardless, we sure do have a sudden urge for a frankfurter!

Vintage Dachshund Holiday Fun

To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year. ~Dachshund Lover E.B. White, "The Distant Music of the Hounds," The Second Tree from the Corner, 1954

Vintage mid-century photo source unknown.

When A Dachshund Met A Dane....

You can see it in her eyes

We can only imagine that Once Upon A Time, a brave and fiesty young Dachshund met the girl of his dreams....

What happened next boggles the mind a bit, but the end result was 'Garnet,' a beautiful Texas gem who, at least as of a few days ago, was in search of her forever home.  Via WOAI4:

Garnet is a 4-year-old, female, Dachshund/Great Dane mix. She was a stray wondering the streets, but luckily she found her way to the shelter and now can have a chance at finding her forever home.

Garnet is a little shy but she still enjoys meeting new people. She will wag her long body to show her appreciation for your visit. She also enjoys running and playing with toys.

If you are looking to add a short-legged friend to your life, adopt Garnet at the San Antonio Humane Society today.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

May All Your Dachshund Dreams Come True.

Wiener Wonderland (to the tune of Winter Wonderland)

Dog tags ring, are you listenin'?

In the lane snow is glistenin'.

It's yellow, not white - I've been there tonight,

Marking up my Wiener Wonderland.

Smell that tree? That's my fragrance.

It's a sign for wand'ring vagrants:

"Avoid where I pee, it's my property!

Marked up as my Wiener Wonderland."

In the meadow Dad will build a snowman,

Following the classical design.

Then I'll lift my leg and let it go, man,

So all the world will know it's mine-mine-mine!

Straight from me to the fencepost,

Flows my natural incense boast:

"Stay off of my turf, this small piece of earth.

I mark it as my Wiener Wonderland."

Be safe and Merry Christmas!

Image source: early 1900's postcard. We post this poem every year (you can never get too much of a good thing!) - we slightly modified a popular dog poem to make it Wiener specific! Original source unknown.

Have a fantastic howliday, and we'll be back soon.

Herbie Hides Again and Classic Dachshund Christmas Videos

Thanks to Dachshunds in London for alerting us to this fun new holiday video by the UK duo Slinky and Herbie!

And, dear readers, if you're in the mood for some wonderful Classic Dachshund Christmas Videos, check out our top picks from 2009.  They'll make you feel all gooey inside.

Fergie and Josh Duhamel’s Christmas Card and Fergie's Christmas Wish!

Ho Ho Ho Hot....Celebrity Dachshund News on Christmas Eve no less!  Thanks to all the folks who let us know about Fergie and Josh Duhamel's 2011 Christmas Card.  It's a keeper, that's for sure.  Deb Daly writes:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,
Check out Meatloaf and Zoe's adorable Christmas Card!  Oh, BTW, Fergie and her Beau are on it too.  

Via Yahoo Music:

For this year's holiday card, the spouses of nearly three years enlisted the talents of caricature artist James Malia, who transformed the A-list stars into a sexy Mrs. Claus and a cheery snowman. Malia also included illustrations of the couple's two dogs, Meatloaf and Zoe. 

What does Fergie, 36, want most this Christmas? "For my dogs to use the bathroom outside!" she told Us Weekly at her Black Eyed Peas bandmate Apl.de.Ap's birthday party in L.A. Tuesday.

Lola Speaks Her Mind

Hey Lola - It's Christmas Eve!  Happy Happy!  Did you get all your shopping done, is the house clean, are you ready to cook that dinner for 12, - are you excited?

By youtuber lilyreszi

A Note From The J-Man: It's My Birthday!

Maggie and Joey at 12 weeks old.  Those are halos not rust stains.

Hi All....'Joey' here, one of your Long and Short of it All hosts.  Today is MY special day, and it seems like it's been all about my new little brother 'Rowdy' lately - I hear people say "oh, look at the cute little puppy, love the wire hair!" and  "awwww, he's so sweet - look at that face.!"  And did you know that my Dad feeds him more food than he does me?  Did you know THAT?  Well today it's all about me.  I'm eleven years old today.  Dad is feeding me lots of extra treats and I'm enjoying playing with my cousins at my grandma's house.  One thing though - I sure do miss my littermate sister 'Maggie' who passed away a few months ago, and would have turned eleven today along with me.  

So, I'm sharing this photo of me and Maggie when we were pups and all naked in the bathtub.  I was about 2 seconds shy of jumping out of the tub in this shot.  See Rowdy - I love you little brother, but we were awful cute too - Dad's little Angels as a matter of fact.  

Those Special Dachshunds: Holiday Edition!

It's the most wonderful time of the year - time to go Walking in a Wiener Wonderland!  Thanks so much to all the good folks who have sent in wonderful seasonal photos of their beloved Dachshunds.  Kicking things off, above, it's pretty little 'Lexie,' from Dieppe, NB, Canada.  She writes:   

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

I love your blog and would like to wish you Happy Holidays!!!

Next, our good friend 'Geveva' Dachshes through the snow to tell us:  

Dear Joey and Rowdy

Geneva here, sending Christmas greetings! We'll be having a green Christmas this year here in Rhode Island, but a few weeks ago, I was able to take full advantage of an early snowfall in MA.

As you can see, I am a true Snow Dog. I especially enjoy sticking my nose down into it and snuffling along. Things always smell better under the snow.

Best wishes to all my fellow dachshunds for a healthy and happy 2012!

Geneva

PS Does this photo make my ears look big?

Then, the mom of these three wise Dachshunds wanted to comment on Olga's troubles with dressing up for the holidays:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

My three Dachshunds Foozeball, Peaches and Spaatz also have to endure getting dressed for Holiday Photos. Although Peachy likes getting dressed and dances around when the outfits come out the boys just put up with it as long as the treats are part of the deal.

Happy Holidays to all Dachshunds and their lucky owners.

And would you believe, Lily and Turbo's mom quipped in our direction:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

I was going to make a fabulous Christmas Card this year.....but the dogs got things all tangled up!!

And finally, this just in from Sacramento, California:  While visions of sugarplums danced in her head, Macy's mom Robin was heard to have said:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

Attached is my x-mas baby Macy who is six years old. Don’t let the picture fool you she is just full of doxie antics and fun.

Wishing you and your fur babies Joey and Rowdy a very Merry Christmas and Holiday season.

A special thought and prayer for Miss Maggie on her B-day tomorrow. We sure miss her.

Wishing you a happy healthy 2012 with lots of doxie love and snuggles.

Thanks for remembering Maggie's Birthday!   Happy Holidays to All!

Those Special Dachshunds: Dressing Up With Olga

Smile Olga!

Thanks so much to our pretty little friend 'Olga' for writing in with a common problem a lot of us Dachshunds have to deal with this time of year:  The Dress Up.  Ugh.  She writes:

Dear Joey and Rowdy:

I just wanted to say Happy Holidays and that I love your blog. I’m assuming that your human doesn’t put you through the torture of dress up and photo shoots for holiday cards. My mom was insistent that I dress up in front of the tree this year. In a way I didn’t mind because I got lots of treats in the process, but it was still a bit of a pain. I’ve attached a photo from the shoot. It would have turned out better if my mom had better lighting and a better camera that wasn’t so sensitive to my every little move! Maybe next year we can do without the costume…

Happy Holidays!

Olga

Can any of our readers help Olga out?  What do YOU do when, heaven forbid, it's time for "dress up?"  Do you play along, or do you run behind the couch and rip the clothes off? 

Smooth Smooches For Santa

Kisses!  Slurp!

'Rupert,' a 7-month-old red smooth, licks the face of volunteer Patrick Ashton, dressed as Santa Claus, during a fundraising event for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter at a Petsmart location on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, in Shenandoah, Texas. Pet owners brought their animals for a chance to pose for a photograph with Santa Claus with half the proceeds of photo sales going to support the shelter. (AP Photo/Conroe Courier, Eric S. Swist).  Source.

Thanks so much to our good East Coast friend 'Kate' and her mom Jennifer for sending in the link.  They are still mourning the loss of their beloved 'Allie' who passed earlier this year from that evil cancer.  Please accept our sincerest condolences.  The holidays certainly make it tougher. 

Waiting For Santa With Patti And Costello

How Much Longer?

Thanks so much to Trammi Nguyen for writing in with a cute little holiday photo of her beloved red smooths.  She pens:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

These are my Dachshunds, Patti, on the left is 1 year and 8 months old, and Costello, on the right is only 5 months old. I can't even believe how much bigger he is. Patti loves the videos you post! We're all big fans of your blog!   

We love Costello's dark muzzle!    That'll sniff him into some trouble for sure!

Print Your Own Dachshund Gift Tags!

You're almost done shopping for the finest Dachshund gifts, they're wrapped in the finest Dachshund wrapping paper, but do you have a Dachshund gift tag?  Now you do!  Just print and cut!  Find out how at Orange You Lucky!

Thanks so much to Dachshundist Tassie Hare for the link!   

Holiday Drabble

Thanks as always to our friend 'Princess Lea,' who hails all the way from Slovenia, for sending in the latest Drabble!

Read more Drabble at GOCOMICS.

Wirehair Wednesday: Who You Gonna Call?

Pauline Eggers holds her dog Braylee, after the wirehaired Dachshund found a coyote skin she had put out for demonstration purposes.

You're a hunter.  You live near Syracuse, New York.  You've wounded a deer and can't seem to find it.  Who you gonna call?  Braylee, that's who!   Excerpt from syracuse.com:

When Paulene Eggers takes her dog, Braylee, for a walk in the woods this time of year they’re usually on a mission.
Eggers, a Syracuse Police officer of 25 years, recently joined a non-profit organization called Deer Search, Inc., which is a volunteer group that uses tracking dogs to find wounded game during the hunting season.
"I’m absolutely addicted," Eggers said. "It’s challenging and rewarding and sometimes you’ll get a young person who’s just started off hunting, and then they’re just thrilled to death when you find the deer for them."
Eggers interest in tracking wounded game began in 2009 when a friend gave her a 11-week-old, wirehaired dachshund for Christmas, which she named Braylee. The dogs, originally bred in Germany, are great tracking dogs. She also received a book written by John Jeanneney called "Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer."
Eggers read the book and used it to train Braylee. Last spring, she attended a Deer Search competition in Campbell, N.Y. and became so enthralled with the group she joined soon after. She then set about getting Braylee certified as a tracking dog.
"It is an extremely challenging course for certification," Eggers said. "It’s an 1,000-yard course with three, 90-degree turns and the deer blood has been laid out 24 hours in advance, but she did fantastic."

Read more about Braylee and tracking dogs at syracuse.com.

Those Special Dachshunds: Sasha And Her Best Friend Lassie

Snuggles

Thanks so much to Allen Burton for writing in all the way from Monterey, California about his beloved red smooth 'Sasha' and her best friend 'Lassie.'  These wonderful photos have sure put a smile on our faces.  He writes:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

Greetings from Monterey CA. Here is my little 3-year-old mini Sasha and her friend Lassie. Lassie is a Collie owned by an older human who loves her dearly.  She was a rescue - see Lassie is blind.  For months now at our little patch of woods in Pacific Grove, California they meet for walks. And as you can see, Sasha and Lassie have developed a great friendship. 

Even when we get to the woods early and walk the trails of the dog park, one or the other knows when either one is there.  I know either Lassie or her other friends ( a Dalmatian, Boxer, Ridgebacks or Labs) have arrived when I see what I call "wigglebutt syndrome" - tail goes a mile a minute, butt and legs in frantic movement - and off Sasha goes running down the trail to the "moss pit" (an open area we all congregate), and if it is Lassie there, then these photos show what occurs: two best friends meeting. 

Legend of the Honey Badger and the Wiener Dog

Grab a long dog, set 'em on your lap, and get ready for the tale of the Legend of the Honey Badger and the Wiener Dog.  It's destined to become a Dachshund Classic!  By youtuber Yetanotherstringband, creators of A Dachshund Christmas Poem and Wiener Dog Song. 

Thanks to an anonymous person for the tip!

Drabbling

Thanks as always to our friend 'Princess Lea,' who hails all the way from Slovenia, for sending in the latest Drabble!

Read more Drabble at GOCOMICS.

Poppy Tells Off The Window Cleaner

You missed a spot!  Thanks so much to Emmie-Lou Moore for writing in: 

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

If you could feature this on your site I’d be over the moon!  I just love how protective Poppy is and her cute little yappy bark.

Tell him all about it Poppy!

A Visit With Saint Nick

And what would YOU like for Christmas, little one?

'Schnitzel' the Dachshund has his Santa costume adjusted on Saturday during the 3rd Annual Santa Paws event at the Hodges Community Center in Lubbock, Texas. Pets of all size and shape showed up to have their photos taken with Santa Claus and receive a free bag of goodies. 

Read about the event at Lubbock Online.

Timmy the Barrel Racing Wiener Dog

Around and around and around he goes....Timmy is a six month old dachshund who loves to run the barrels in a clover leaf pattern like a barrel horse.  By youtuber timmydogmom. 

Wirehair Wednesday: From Rowdy With Love

Rowdy, December 7, 2011

It's Wednesday, and that can mean only one thing - yep, it's Wirehair Wednesday!  Lots of good folks have been asking about the new addition here at the World Headquarters of The Long and Short of it All, our own wirehair boy 'Rowdy.'  Well, he's doing just great!  He keeps us busy with his antics - Joey and Maggie were nothing like this little wild-man when they were puppies.  He just turned 7-months-old a few days ago, and still acts like a 3-month-old who plays ALL THE TIME!  We figure since the first 4 or 5 months of his life were spent behind bars 24/7 that he's still got a lot of exploring to do to understand all that goes on around him.  He loves his toys of any shape and size and always carries one around in his mouth, almost like a mother dog would carry around one of her pups.  Sometimes he'll even carry a toy out when it's time to go outside to do his business, which attracts lots of smiles from all the busy city people on their way to catch the morning subway. 
His house training is going very well - he has had just 4 accidents in the house in the two months that he's been with us, and half of those were our fault for not reading his cues that he needed to go out, so no complaints in that department.  He was peeing on the blankets in his crate we discovered though, and talked to a dog trainer friend of ours who suggested that we remove the blankets (it's a human thing), and no crate accidents since.  We're hoping that he will earn the blankets back in his crate in a few months, but since he went potty in his crate the first several months of his life, that is what he thinks he is supposed to do, and it will take time to retrain that behavior.
He gets along with Joey well, but Joey is a laid-back guy who gets along with everyone.  They like to play together after they eat, but when Joey has had enough, he'll growl and gently bite Rowdy to tell him to stop.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, and Dad may have to intervene if Rowdy is getting too rough for Joey, who will soon turn 11.  They do lay together and sleep together, and it's great to watch them lick each other's faces and snuggle together - Joey will even roll on his back while Rowdy licks his face.
We still miss our Miss Maggie terribly, but Rowdy, and his cute little mug that puts a smile on our face every time we look at him, has sure brightened up our lives.

Suzuki Dachshund Commercial

This is apparently a few years old, but we hadn't seen it, and maybe you haven't either!  Thanks so much to Dennis R for writing in with the link!

Brave Dachshund Herds Swans From Danger!

Meet 'Alfie,' an incredibly handsome and also quite brave black and tan longhair who hails from Coltishall, a village on the River Bure, west of Wroxham, in the English county of Norfolk.  Alfie was on "walkies" with his human when they encountered two swans who were dangerously close to the road during the busy "tea-time rush hour."  Excerpt from EDP24:

Realising that the birds would get hit and could cause a serious accident, Ms Barchi (Alfie's Mom)decided to try and drive them back towards Colitshall Common and their River Bure home.
And that’s when Alfie, seven inches high and 30ins from nose to tail-tip, showed his pluck.
“I said: ‘Come on Alfie, we’ve got to do something about this’ The traffic was very heavy and it was dark. The swans were very big guys but he was up for it. He stood his ground. He didn’t try and hide behind me,” said retired teacher Ms Barchi.
“The swans didn’t take any notice of me but when they saw the dog they started hissing like fury at him. He wasn’t going to back off. He took one and I took the other and between us we herded them away from the road. It took 15-20 minutes and it was quite dodgy,” Ms Barchi added.
She is familiar with the neighbourhood resident swans, a pair and their three cygnets, and knew that straying so far from the river was very unusual behaviour.
Fearing one of them might be ill and its mate was keeping it company, she phoned the Wroxham-based waterbird rescue service.
But when a representative arrived, he told Ms Barchi that both were male and the ‘intruder’ was being seen off by the resident father.
The rescue expert had wrapped the visiting swan in a blanket and taken it away to release on Wroxham Broad, said Ms Barchi.

Alfie is our hero!  See more photos of the good-looking guy at EDP24. 

Lily in the Sky with Kindness

It's pretty awesome that you can support all things Dachshund, cross a youngster off your holiday shopping list, and support the building of a school in Haiti just by buying a book.  But it's true.  Lily in the Sky with Kindness, a new children's book, is a true-to-life tale that accounts the fearless story of Lily, the dauntless dachshund who travels with her human companion Jonathan Glynn, to earthquake stricken Haiti to aid in disaster relief. 
Lily in the Sky with Kindness is available at Wings Over Haiti for just $20 plus $3 for shipping.  All proceeds benefit the Wings Over Haiti organization. 

Adele Goes Shopping For Her Lucky Boy Louis

There's no doubt in our minds that pop singer Adele's red smooth boy 'Louis' will be having a wonderful holiday after his mom picked up a few goodies in New York at Trixie + Peanut.  Via Teddy Hilton:

Adele was spotted shopping at the designer pet boutique Trixie + Peanut.

While there, she bought a whole bunch of designer toys like Grrrona Beer, an ibone, Chewy Vuitton and a sniffany and co. box.

So funny.

She even ended up buying antlers and a yarmulke for her pet pooch.

What a nice dog mama.

Related:  Adele and Louis Watch

'Laugh-In' Comic, Actor and Dachshund Lover Alan Sues Passes

Some of our readers with a little more mileage may remember Alan Sues, an American comic actor widely known for his roles on the 1968–1973 television series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.  He passed of cardiac arrest on Thursday at his home in West Hollywood.  He was 85. 
"He was sitting in a recliner watching TV with his dachshund Doris who he loved in his lap," Michael Gregg Michaud, a friend since 1975, told The Associated Press.  Source.

19-Year-Old Buddy's Incredible Tale of Heartache and Rescue

With the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time for a story so sad it will make you cry, but thanks to our great folks in Dachshund Rescue, it will make you so happy that you'll cry tears of joy instead.  Are you ready to meet Buddy?  Via Dachshund Delights:

On November 2 of this year, a clerk in the Castaic (California) Animal Care Center sent an email to Dena Delgado of Southern California Dachshund Relief (SCDR). A woman had turned in a dachshund that was given to her by a homeless man who said he could no longer take care of him. The dachshund was blind, deaf and arthritic. He had an ear infection and bad teeth. Other than that, his health was amazingly good. We say "amazingly" because he was 19 years old.
There was a picture attached. This little fellow was as sweet a senior as you could hope to see.
Word spread quickly among dachshund lovers.

Read the rest of this story and see another photo at Dachshund Delights.  Oh, and while you're there - we mentioned that the holidays were fast approaching - are you done shopping for your own lovable Dachshunds yet?

Katie's "Retirement Plan" - Busted!

Katie Elizabeth surveys her stash of chew bones that she had been hoarding under her owners' bed. 

     

Like many good folks around the country and the world, red smooth Katie's retirement stash isn't worth much anymore now that it has been discovered and reduced to nothing.  Poor Katie and all her hard work.  Via the Omaha World Herald out of Omaha, Nebraska:

Katie Elizabeth did a bone-headed thing and got caught.
The dachshund smuggled her chew "bones" — rolled rawhide strips — one at a time, to a secret spot under owners Neil and Judy Whetstone's bed. One day the stash toppled. That was the day a barefoot Judy bumped the sharp object near the edge of her bed.
Whetstone said when she stooped for a closer look, she discovered a stash of chew bones, some of them so far under the bed they had to be raked into the open.
The Whetstones pulled out one, then two, and then dozens. The Columbus, Neb., couple counted nearly 100 bones.
Katie's "K-9 401k," as the Whetstones called it, filled a grocery sack.
Katie watched, looking worried. She seemed to know the dig was up.
The 8-year-old dachshund with a prematurely gray muzzle gave a sniff that might have been mistaken for taking inventory.
Then she did the oddest thing, Judy Whetstone said.
She stopped hoarding rawhide bones, cold turkey. She may have given up her hoarding habit altogether. Or is there a stash of something else waiting to be found?

Santa Showed Me His Wiener...Dog

We always knew Santa had a little helper.

Doxie Moxie Art Show - Benefit for Dachshund Rescue

If you're in San Francisco, California this coming Monday, December 5th, you'll want to make plans to attend Doxie Moxie, an art show and benefit for Southern California Dachshund Rescue.  The show will feature work by artist and fellow Dachshundist Jenny Wehrt, and will take place at a restaurant called Andalu in the Mission District.  If you mention "Jenny" or the art show when making dinner reservations, 25% of your bill will be donated to SCDR to help save abandoned Dachshunds and find them loving homes.

Above is one of the Doxie paintings that will be at the show.  Wouldn't it look great in your Dachshund-loving home?  See more of Jenny's work at her official website and find out more about the show on facebook.

Swimming Dachshund Finds Cure For His Arthritis

Meet handsome wirehaired 'Teddy,' who hails from Old Basing, a village in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire, UK.  At just 9-years-old, Teddy's arthritis was so bad that his humans were contemplating putting him down.  But hydrotherapy has given him his life back.  Excerpt from the Basingstoke Observer:

Mrs King, who has had Teddy since he was six-months old, first noticed his ill health in October last year and he was sent to the Mildmay Veterinary Centre for special aid.

Each week Teddy dons a canine life jacked and swims laps of the four-foot, deep heated pool.
According to nurse Chris Norris, the treatment helps ease pain by letting dogs exercise their muscles without stressing the joints.
Mrs King insists that the treatment is more than a gimmick. “People have thought that it is a gimmick,” she said. “But a dog can’t say it’s not going to work and I judge it on its results. It was breaking my heart when Teddy was ill. It was not the Teddy I knew.
"If he was suffering I would of taken the decision [to put him down] but now he is a different dog altogether.”

Drabbling

Thanks as always to our friend 'Princess Lea,' who hails all the way from Slovenia, for sending in the latest Drabble!

Read more Drabble at GOCOMICS.