Putting The Leap Into Leap Day!

Rudy the Dachshund shows off his bed-jumping form in 1946.  Via the Leap Day slide show at Time.com.

Thanks to our friend 'Dash' from Kansas City, Missouri for sending in the photo!

Wirehair Wednesday: Dachshund Trouble

Reunited And It Feels So Good

Once again, that "go to ground" instinct has gotten one of our Dachshund brothers in trouble.  Are we surprised?  Meet handsome wirehair 'Norman,' who hails near Lambley, Nottinghamshire, in the UK.  Norman found himself in a bit of a pickle when he was on walkies with his mom, Charlotte Batty, last Wednesday and encountered a drainage pipe that was beckoning him to explore.  You know the rest - it would be 27 hours before he would finally see daylight again!  Excerpt from The Daily Mail:

When he failed to come out she called her in-laws, the fire service and drainage company Dyno-Rod, who used a camera to try and find him – but no one could see him.

As darkness fell they were forced to give up the search.
Undeterred, Mrs Batty decided to take matters into her own hands.
The next day she contacted the farmer who owned the field, then spent £75 hiring a digger before returning to the field to dig up the 80-metre-long pipe herself.
After 27 hours in the pipe, which was nine inches wide, Norman was finally found – muddy, but unharmed.
Mrs Batty said: "Norman was wagging his tail.
"I'm just so relieved, I sat down and cried, it was horrible.
"If it was me in a pipe I'd be terrified.
"He was very muddy, but he was so pleased to get out and be around people again. We don't have any children and our dogs are like our children."
Mike Nelmes, Dyno-Rod director, said it was not their usual run-of-the-mill call.
He said: "It's an unusual case. We don't often get that type of call; we're in the game of drain maintenance.
"But the fire brigade called us and anything with vulnerable people or pets with problems then we try to do a good service.
"It's not something you can put a price on – saving someone's pet."
Farmer John Hardy, who owns the land with his brother, said he was happy to help.
He said: "If there's an animal's life at stake you've got to do what you can to rescue it."

The Dachshund Tumbles To The 9th Most Popular Dog In The United States Of America

It's All About Me

We've been waiting patiently for the American Kennel Club to release its registration statistics for 2011, as 2010's stats came out at the end of January last year.  Well, the results were finally released today, and we find that the lovable Dachshund has slipped from the 8th to the 9th most popular dog in the United States of America.  Via the AKC:

Look out Lab, the American Kennel Club® (AKC) has announced that the Beagle has overtaken the beloved Yorkshire Terrier to become the third most popular dog breed in the U.S.  The Golden Retriever also made a strong push into the top ranks – advancing from the fifth to the fourth most popular dog breed – and the Rottweiler made news by unseating the Shih Tzu – which had been in the top 10 since 2000. But fans of the Labrador Retriever need not fear: the beloved Lab remains the champ – a spot it has now held for 21 consecutive years – thanks to its well-earned reputation for playfulness and loyalty and its use as a police and search-and-rescue dog.

"While the Labrador Retriever has proven once again to be a family favorite, this year clearly belongs to the Beagle," said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "The Beagle's merry personality combined with his love of outdoor activities make him such a wonderful family pet that I wouldn't be surprised to see this spunky breed sniff his way to the top of the list next year."

If we spend about an hour graphing out AKC's Dachshund registration statistics over the last twelve years, this is what that graph would look like.  Of course, these are registration statistics, and heaven only knows how many Dachshunds aren't even registered with the AKC each year. The Dachshund seems to have lost popularity in many major cities across America as well, most notably New York, where we were in the top 5 for many years, but have fallen out of the top ten altogether for 2011.
Falling in popularity isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the more popular a dog, the greater likelihood that their numbers will increase in Rescue.  And we are still in the top 10 after all.
Read all the stats at The American Kennel Club.

Oakie

We're sure that you remember 'Oakie,' the Alta, Iowa red smooth gal who went missing from her blind human, Dale Davis (who rolled a perfect bowling score even though he's blind!)  Our friends 'Oscar' and 'Hans' send the news:

WOOF Joey and Rowdy!

We are sad to report that Oakie, the missing longdog from Alta, Iowa, was found, a week after wandering off when her owner forgot to fasten her leash. We are sad, because she was found dead. :(


In a brief news article, Oakie's human, Dale Davis, said he wanted to thank everyone for helping to look for his "Precious Puppy." Oakie was 15 years old. Now, at least Mr. Davis has some closure.


We are sad that Oakie's story ended like this, but at least she knew lots of love in her long life. And now Mr. Davis has a furry angel.


Just thought you would appreciate an update. Thanks, as always, for keeping up the awesome blog.


We're devastated. 

The Warhol Dachshund, Continued

Continuing on with our "Warhol and Dachshunds" series, here's a piece which you probably haven't seen before, at least we haven't.  This work is currently on display at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a part of their Warhol Dogs and Cats exhibit.  Excerpt from The Tartan:

The Dogs and Cats series is among Warhol’s lesser-known works. The eight silk-screened painting set features common house cats and dog breeds such as the Great Dane, West Highland Terrier, and Dachshund. The series began in 1976, when art collector Peter Brant commissioned Warhol to paint his Cocker Spaniel named Ginger. Warhol made two paintings of Ginger, as well as numerous drawings. Brant liked these works and encouraged Warhol to do a whole series of cat and dog drawings.
When viewed, a juxtaposition of eeriness and vibrant personality comes forth from the depicted pets. This eeriness is likely due to Warhol’s decision to use stuffed animals for his first cat and dog photos. He took this approach because of the difficulty he initially faced when staging the pets. The subsequent paintings Warhol completed were done from photographs of cats and dogs and, given his predisposition to work from photographs as an illustrator, it is easy to understand why the later pets are so vibrant and infused with personality.

The larger photo above looks to our untrained eye to be a different version of this piece, Portrait of Maurice, 1976.  This work was a commissioned portrait for Gabrielle Keiller.  Warhol worked from Polaroids of Maurice taken in his London home to create this image.

Related:  Dachshunds in Pop Culture:  Andy Warhol

The Fastest Animal On The Planet

She can make it to her food bowl in 0.4 seconds.

Thanks to an Anonymous Dachshundist for sending this incredible photo in.  Origin unknown, but appears to be sourced from Morten Borgestad Photography.

Shout Out From The New York Daily News

Thanks so much to Deputy Op-Ed Editor Alexander Nazaryan of the New York Daily News for writing us a short note to let us know that he referenced some of our posts, and linked to us in a recent article (we're honored!):  Westminster dog show may not love them, but Nabokov did: Dachshunds, adored companions to writers and artists.  It's an awesome article about some famous Dachshunds and their humans if you haven't had a chance to read it yet (Nabokov? - we had no idea).  Mr. Nazaryan is also owned by a red mini, so he knows what he's talking about!  Here's a short excerpt:

Perhaps the most feline of all dogs in its temperament, the dachshund is the perfect writing companion: sensitive, complex and, above all, thoughtful. They are not the socialite golden retriever, nor the macho bulldog, nor the eternally energetic beagle. They are not prissy like poodles. They won’t hunt like real hounds. They are thinking, pensive creatures.
And like writers, they can be both prissy and stubborn, selfish and saturnine. Given its elongated back, the dachshund has a fragile constitution – an artistic constitution, one might say.

Don't miss this article over at The New York Daily News.

Drabbling

Thanks as always to our friend 'Princess Lea,' who hails all the way from Slovenia, for sending in the latest Drabble!  She notes:  I must admit that I always have the last woof!
Read more Drabble at GOCOMICS.

Keeping Up With Teresa Berg

We're pleased t report that while reading our latest issue of Country Living magazine that Saving Shelter Dogs One Picture At A Time came in at number 16 in their "What's Country Now" Review (a "tribute to the people, places, and products revolutionizing what Country means today"). 
One of our favorite photographers, Teresa Berg, speaks of her mission: 

To give shelter dogs a better face in the world.   I hated that for lack of a decent photo an animal might go homeless - or worse." 

Thanks to our friends at Dog Art Today for letting us know that Ms. Berg recently launched her own Etsy shop.  Better head on over there when you need some new Dachshund Art on your walls.

8x10 black and white photograph on fine art paper by Teresa Berg

Uli and the Weasel

It's generally never a good idea to listen to your toys.  They'll always get you in trouble.  Awesome Video by youtuber BandMeme who notes: 

A short film about Uli the Dachshund and her mission to improve her food.
Shot and edited by Danny Burke
Voices by Danny Burke
Music by Brian Casey and Danny Burke

Dachshund Takes Hounds At Westminster 2012 But Pekingese Grabs BIS

Dachshund Perfection:  Cinders

Maybe we need to go on vacation this time of year a little more often if superstition will give us Dachshunds a winner of the hounds and a chance at Best In Show while we're away.  It was like a wonderful dream to hear that Raydachs Playing With Fire V Gleishorbach SW - aka 'Cinders' - took the hounds at this year's Westminster.  Cinders is the top-ranked wirehaired Dachshund in the United States after all. 
It was a nightmare of a dream to hear that Cinders lost Best in Show to a Pekingese though - really - a Pekingese?  Your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Rowdy' took one look at the fluffy guy 'Malachy' and wondered if he had a squeaker inside and if he needed to be "de-squeaked."  Was that really even a dog? 
Regardless, we can still celebrate Cinders' big win.  The Corpus Christi Caller had the scoop:

Shirley Ray, one of the owners of Grand Champion Raydachs Playing With Fire V Gleishorbach SW “Cinders,” said judges told her Cinders is the first female wire-haired dachshund to win the hound group at Westminster. Maria and James Sakoda also are listed as owners.
Ray said she named Cinders “Playing with Fire” because she almost died at 8 days old when her mother got milk fever. Ray had to bottle-feed Cinders and the other puppies. Still, that hasn’t affected the champion’s spirits.
“She’s also known as the dachshund that never stops wagging her tail,” Ray said.
Ray has been showing dachshunds for 18 years, but she’s never had a dog win the hound category. In 2003, she came close when her dog was ranked in third place.

We're sure that you saw the vids from the big event, but just in case:

Dachshund Longhaired

Dachshund Smooth

Dachshund Wirehaired

Best of Hound Group

(Thanks to our pal 'Oscar' from Portugal for the links!)

Rockin' The Dachshund With Kevin Spacey

I'm aware that, from the outside, this looks like I've got quite an ego. ~Kevin Spacey

Wishful Dachshund Lover, actor, director, screenwriter, and producer Kevin Spacey sports a white button down striped dress shirt from Italy's finest sportswear designers Harmont &Blaine. 

You should too.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy: Dachshund Vacation Photos

While Dad was off gallivanting around in Hong Kong (where?), we had a great time staying with our pals Sampson, Tommy Lee, and Gina Marie.  One afternoon, three of their friends came over, and boy was it a party.....a Dachshund Party!  All that was needed was a Border Collie to round us all up.  Here we are waiting for Ms. Human to give us a taste of whipped cream straight out of the can - let's repeat that:  whipped cream straight out of the can.  Joy, oh Joy.  Dad can stay in Hong Kong as long as he likes as far as we're concerned. 
Dad noted that he saw mostly poodles on the streets of Hong Kong, but he did see one Long Dog at a pet supply store - a pretty little red long-haired gal with hip problems who had trouble walking - but she didn't have back issues. 
Dad was going to bring us back some treats....maybe something that we haven't had before, something regional, exotic, and tasty - but the pet supply store owner quickly reminded him with her response: "I don't sell anything from China."  Yes.  And so.....the Kangaroo treats from Australia were awesome.  We love you Dad.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy

'Rowdy' and 'Joey,' your Long and Short of it All hosts

Dear Gentle Readers,

We are officially on vacation while Dad is off gallivanting around.  This is probably the longest time we will have ever been away from the blog - possibly up to two long weeks!   We're going to miss the Westminster Dog Show and all the fun that comes with Valentine's Day, but there's always next year, right?  If you get really bored, maybe have a look through the archives - there's lots of fun stuff to read!

Keep warm and snuggle up to your human.  We'll be back soon.

Yours in Dachshund Love,

Joey and Rowdy....

Battle For The Treat

We're pretty sure you know what's going to happen.  Hilarious video by Dragoon Films, who note:  What happens when you have three dogs living in the same house.

Dachshunds To Watch Out For: His Name Is Cooper

Breeder-judge Diane McCormick presents Cooper Award of Merit and Select at DCA Host Show 2011

Grand Champion Lockshire Detour to Sanlyn, aka 'Cooper,' has been invited to the 2012 Westminster Dog Show which will air live next Monday and Tuesday - check you local listings.   We'll be rooting for this handsome dynamo - all 27 pounds of him.  Excerpt from the Enumclaw Courier Herald out of Oregon:

Cooper enjoys the limelight, so when he and Kathy Lockyer step onto the green carpet at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Monday in Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City, the 4-year-old wirehair standard dachshund should be a hit.

“He is just a wonderful ambassador for the breed,” Lockyer said of her mustached, long-bodied dynamo. “He likes people and people like him. I like to see the smiles when they see his face.”

Cooper will compete with 21 other wirehair standard dachshund entries, one of the largest groups at the prestigious show and part of the hound category.

"To go to Westminster; to be seen at Westminster; to get invited to Westminster is a big deal because you don’t get invited very often,” said Lockyer, who pointed out the top in the breeds are invited and then there’s a drawing.

“Stepping out on the green – it’s just a privilege to be there,” she said.

Photo via Lockshire Dachshunds

Thank The Wiener Dog Academy

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

Read more Drabble at GOCOMICS.

Dachshund Owner Raises Concerns Over Popular Dog Chew Toy

(Trouble viewing the video? Click where it should be or check it out at CBS5)

Whether your dog ingests squeakies from inside a toy, or batteries from inside a toy - it's never a good thing.  Always take the toy away once they've ripped it open.  We've got a feeling that any toy which has animated sounds most likely has batteries inside - something to be extra cautious about.  Via CBS5 out of Phoenix, Arizona:

Mary Snyder couldn't believe it when her mother-in-law's dachshund Mollie ripped apart a chew toy and left three little batteries lying on the floor.

"Who thought that made sense (to make a chew toy like that)? A dog chews," said Snyder. "I was livid."

The product she's concerned about is the Pet Shoppe Chirping Bird Plush dog toy. CBS 5 found it for sale at several local Walgreen's stores.

Veterinarian Suzanne Johnsen, of Van Aken Pet Hospital in Phoenix, said batteries, especially larger ones, can pose a choking hazard for pets. They can also be dangerous if ingested because leakage of alkali can damage internal organs.

"If they chew on them, they can also release significant amounts of mercury," said Johnsen.

Snyder said when she went back to Walgreens and dissected the toy to show the manager, the store immediately took the product off the shelves.

"Most people have puppies and children. So the dog tears the toy apart. The battery's on the floor and we have another tragedy," said Snyder. "I want those toys pulled. I want every single one of those toys pulled off the shelves."

Help Needed In Iowa: Find Oakie For Her Blind Human

Help is desperately needed from Dachshund and dog lovers in Alta, Iowa (population 1,865), near Storm Lake, to find 14-year-old pretty red smooth 'Oakie' for her blind human Dale Davis.  Thanks so much to our pals 'Oscar' and 'Hans' for forwarding on this story - they heard about it from their Grandma!  
There are so many stories of lost Dachshunds and dogs that it's hard to post them - but this one certainly tugged at our heartstrings and Oakie simply must be found.  It's cold outside.  If you live near these communities, please share the story of missing Oakie with your friends and neighbors, or even better yet, help scour her neighborhood to find this special girl and bring her back home. 
Story in its entirety by Dolores Cullen for the Storm Lake Times:

Dale Davis has lost his dog Oakie and is doing everything in his power to find her.
Readers will remember Dale as the legally blind man from Alta who rolled a perfect bowling score in 2008. The story went national. Dale was called by the Tonight Show. The fete was called a “minor miracle.”
At the time Dale told The Storm Lake Times he was surprised when people said he inspired them to face their own challenges. At his side during the entire interview was the red miniature dachshund he said he couldn’t get along without.
“There’s been a few tears,” said the 82-year-old Monday. Usually Dale hooks Oakie to a leash when he lets her out. Friday night he forgot and the dog ran away.
Unable to look for her himself, Dale put out the word. “I told everybody over in Alta,” he said. He spoke with Brad Pedersen, who is in charge of garbage pickup, in case his workers might see the dog.
He spoke with snow removal workers and neighbors. The Bunjes boys have been informed of the loss.
“Her face is grey and her paws are all grey,” he told them.
Oakie’s 14 and Dale knows she might not be found alive. In that case Dale still wants to be notified “so I can get some closure of it.”
In the event of bad news Dale wishes to have the dog’s body taken to Oakie’s vet, Dr. Stepan, and cremated.
He’s frank: “If she didn’t make it, those ashes would stay with me until I go in the old plywood box.”
NOR HAVE THINGS been going well with Dale’s bowling game. Back in 2008, Dale worried that he would loose his sight completely. His plan was to put down masking tape pieces on the lane markers so he could reach down and feel where they were “and have somebody hand me the ball.”
On the bright side, Dale’s macular degeneration has not worsened. However, his shoulder went out a few months ago and Dale is unable to bowl, much less raise his arm. He’s been treated at the V.A. in Des Moines for pain.
“And I got those two new bowling balls!” he exclaimed. The old ball with which he bowled 300 developed a crack through the finger holes and around to the opposite side. Clem Ledoux of Century Lanes had to guide Dale’s fingernail along the crack because he couldn’t see it.
The lucky ball was given to Dale’s son Bill.
“I always thought I’d do it again,” he said of his perfect game, “but it’s looking more and more unlikely.”
Dale likes to think back to when his name was all over the news. “I put Bonnie and Clyde to shame,” he says with a half smile.
PLEASE KEEP AN EYE out for Oakie. If you find her call 712-200-3848. “If they find her I want to give a reward,” Dale added.

Cruising with the Dogs

'Uma' and 'Eli' are off to the University of Queensland in Australia for a run on the oval.  By youtuber nitramluap.

Those Special Dachshunds: With Love From Charlotte

Thanks so much to Jenna Durrance for writing in with such beautiful photos of her beautiful dappled black and tan smooth 'Charlotte.'  What a sweet gal.  Jenna writes:

Dear Joey & Rowdy,

Charlotte is an eight year old dappled mini-Dachshund.  She leads a very hard life of napping in her fluffy pink chair, snoozing on the couch, and laying under the lamp to "sun".   Life hasn't always been so easy for this hot dog.  In her puppy days, she survived a broken arm and just last year she went through neck surgery.  We are happy to report that she bounced back and is as good as new today!!! :) She loves running laps around the house, sitting up tall for treats, and snuggling on the couch.  As with all Dachshunds, she comes with a personality all her own and we are so happy to share our days with such a loving, carefree, loyal companion! :)

Viral Dachshund Videos: Dogs Crooked Nose

This will kick start your week with a smile.  Try not to laugh.  Go ahead....just try.  By youtuber bamfandearl who notes:  we discovered if we scratch my dog obi's snout a certain way his nose goes crooked.

Cold News From The Motherland

9-year-old Lisa runs through the snow with her wire-hair Dachshund 'Rowdy' in Binz on the German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea, Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. After a warm January, Germany, like much of Russia and Europe, was hit by a cold snap with temperatures far under the freezing point.  (AP Photo/dapd, Jens Koehler)

Puppy Bowl Sunday With Joey and Rowdy

We couldn't decide whether to watch the Kitty half-time show during the Puppy Bowl, or the Cougar half-time show during the Super Bowl.  Just kidding....we love you Madonna. 

We crown 15-week-old 'Oscar,' from Furever Dachshund Rescue, Puppy Bowl MVP. Way to go Oscar!

Dachshund Lover Ben Gazzara Passes

Ben Gazzara enjoys the view of Dachshund Royalty, Suzanne Pleshette, in the film A Rage To Live, 1965.

Our hearts are with the family and friends of Dachshund Lover Ben Gazzara, who passed today at 81 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.  Mr. Gazzara was an American film, stage, and Emmy award winning television actor, and television director whose long career included playing Brick in the original “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” on Broadway.  Via the New York Times:

Mr. Gazzara studied with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in Manhattan, where the careers of stars like Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger were shaped, and like them he had a visceral presence. It earned him regular work across half a century, not only onstage — his last Broadway appearance was in the revival of “Awake and Sing!” in 2006 — but in dozens of movies and all sorts of television shows, including the starring role in the 1960s series “Run for Your Life.”
If Mr. Gazzara never achieved Brando’s stature, that was partly because of a certain laissez-faire approach to his career: an early suspicion of film, a reluctance to go after desirable roles.
“When I became hot, so to speak, in the theater, I got a lot of offers,” he said in a 1998 interview on “Charlie Rose.” “I won’t tell you the pictures I turned down because you would say, ‘You are a fool.’ And I was a fool.”

With his third wife, former fashion model Elke Gazzara, Mr. Gazzara would adopt a Dachshund named 'Maxi' from their daughter.  Maxi had such an incredible life that Elke would soon chronicle her in the 2007 book 'Madison Avenue Maxi.'  The book detailed Maxi's worldwide jet-setting lifestyle, including meeting such notaries as Roman Polanski, Gena Rowlands, John Voigt, Danielle Steele, Gay Talese, Peter Bogdanovich, New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Frank Gehry.

Elke, Ben, and 'Maxi' Gazzara

Related:  Dachshunds in Literature: Madison Avenue Maxi

Related:  Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Elke and Ben Gazzara

Slightly Related:   'The Ugly Dachshund' Actress Suzanne Pleshette Dies at 70

Go Brees!

Brees barks his way around his Lafayette, Indiana neighborhood on Tuesday

What's in a name?  You might have big paws to fill if you're named after Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints.  Via jconline:

Brees the red dachshund often becomes confused when his owners watch the New Orleans Saints' football games on television.
Lafayette's Karen Kepner -- who owns the dog along with her mother -- laughed this week when she recounted the scene that typically ensues when Brees hears references to his namesake, former Purdue University quarterback and current Saints star Drew Brees.
"He'll watch the Saints games with my mom. When she'll holler -- 'Go Brees!' -- he'll ... try to figure out what she wants," Kepner said.

Drew Brees at the Saints Super Bowl Parade, 2010. See the resemblance?