All About Canadian Dachshund Rescue

'Rolo' Wears His Foster Dog Bandana

If you have a few moments to spare, make sure and head over to Samaritan Magazine for coverage of the fine work being done by Canadian Dachshund Rescue, including the challenges that are specific to Dachshunds.  Here's an excerpt:

If they could talk, the wiener dogs in the care of Canadian Dachshund Rescue would tell you that being ridiculously cute has its drawbacks. For one thing, it tends to obscure some of the unique characteristics specific to the breed that require firm and knowledgeable training in puppies to produce well-heeled adults.
“Every breed has its challenges,” Meaghan Middleton-Firman, vice president with Canadian Dachshund Rescue’s board of directors, tells Samaritanmag. “But dachshunds are cute, tiny dogs and people get them because everybody loves wieners. Kids stop us on the street to look at them.
“What people don’t realize is that dachshunds are hunting dogs; they are the only breed meant to hunt above and below ground. So they’ll go face-first into a badger hole, and then bark loud enough that their owner can find them while they’re underground. They are tenacious and loud.

Read more at Samaritan Magazine.

Meet Bridget, The Tree-Climbing Dachshund

 

The next time you're in Austin, Texas, searching for wiener dog-sightings, look high, not low, and you might spot pretty 7-year-old 'Bridget' up in a tree!  It seems this girl has a penchant for squirrel-hunting, and she doesn't give up easily.  Via the Statesman:

 

The Dachshund belongs to LGean Richardson of North Austin, who adopted the critter along with 4-year-old Dino from the Austin Animal Center in April after her husband of 69 years, Thomas, died.

It took a while for Richardson to discover Bridget’s tree-climbing talent, but there were clues: The dog first escaped through a hole in her yard’s chain link fence. When an object was placed in front of the opening, Bridget scaled that, going up and over.

The third time the tiny dog went missing, Richardson searched the house and yard, but her pet was nowhere to be found. So she grabbed her cane and headed down the street to look for her. When she arrived back home, the dog was lounging on the sofa. She had no idea where Bridget had been hiding until one day when friend Maria Ramirez, in the backyard during a visit, burst into the house calling for her.
“LGean, LGean! Come out here!” she shouted. “You’ve got to see where Bridget is!”
Richardson walked slowly into the yard, past the spreading fig bushes, to find her pet a good six feet up in a large tree. It turns out that Bridget chases squirrels and, Richardson says, now scampers and scrapes her way straight up the tree on her short legs almost every time she is let out into the yard. The first crook is around four feet off the ground, but Bridget doesn’t stop there. When she’s ready, Bridget climbs back down.
It’s clear the woman and her dogs have bonded deeply since April. Richardson thinks Bridget’s tree-climbing is pretty special (she shared the tale with her veterinarian, who had never heard of a dog that scaled trees), but that’s not the only reason she wanted to share it.
She visited three shelters before she found Bridget, adopting both her and her cage mate, Dino, because they looked deceptively calm and quiet together. She saw a lot of animals in those shelters and suggests that others might want to find their own pets to bring home.
“You never know what their talent is until you get them,” she says, smiling.


Read more and see another photo at the Statesman.  Have a great holiday weekend.

Happy 20th Birthday to 'Fudgie'

Handsome in Hong Kong

We want to send the warmest of birthday wishes to 'Fudgie,' a Hong Kong hound who turns 20 years old today.  We should all be so lucky, right?  His human, Mari Hinden, thinks with good reason that Fudgie is the oldest miniature Dachshund in all of Hong Kong.  Via the South China Morning Post:

Mari bought Fudgie while she was living in the American city of Boston and since then he's lived with her in New York, in the US state of Texas and in San Diego and Los Angeles, California, before she moved back to Hong Kong 11 years ago.
In that time Fudgie saw various boyfriends woo Mari before she met her husband Derek in Hong Kong through mutual friends in 2002, and they've been married since 2006. But he's still not sure if he's the man of the house.
"If it came down to me and Fudgie, I'm not sure I'd be the last man standing," Derek said.
The couple live in Happy Valley and run a property investment consultancy company and, although age is steadily catching up with him, their prized pet still has a few miles left on the clock.
"He's lost his sight and he's gone a bit deaf, but otherwise he can walk around fine and is in good health," Mari said. "Every time we take him to the vet they can't believe how healthy he is.
"Now he sleeps most of the day, but he's always very affectionate and protective."

Dachumercial Fail: "Dachshund Dog Breed Info"

Expectations of a riveting and knowledgeable Dachumercial are low when they misspell Dachshund in the opening title. Sigh.  New video by Pet360. 

Obie The Obese Dachshund Gets A Tummy Tuck!

It's big news when a Dachshund is featured on CNN and we couldn't be prouder of 'Obie' the Obese Dachshund for losing all that weight.  Way to go Obie!  Keep up with him on his facebook page:  Biggest Loser, Doxie Edition.


Related:  All About Obie

Wirehair Wednesday: RAT Edition!

It's Wednesday, May 1, 2013, and you're tuned in to www.dachshundlove.blogspot.com and that can mean only one thing:  It's Wirehair Wednesday!  And boy do we have a good one for you this week:  it's the RAT EDITION!  There was a similar story and video last fall, Dachshunds On Rat Patrol in NYC, but this time it's been picked up by the Associated Press.  Good Dogs!

NEW YORK—Bodies tensed and noses twitching, the dogs sniff the hunting ground before them: a lower Manhattan alley, grimy, dim and perfect for rats. With a terse command — “Now!” — the chase is on.

Circling, bounding over and pawing at a mound of garbage bags, the dogs quickly have rodents on the run.

“Come on ... I mean, ‘tally ho!’ says one of their owners, Susan Friedenberg. In a whirl of barks, pants and wagging tails, dogs tunnel among the bags and bolt down the alley as their quarry tries to scurry away.
On a couple of recent nights, an eclectic group of ratters converged on an alley near City Hall about an hour after sunset. The lineups included two border terriers; a wire-haired dachshund; a Jack Russell terrier/Australian cattle dog mix; a Patterdale terrier, an intense, no-nonsense breed that’s uncommon in this country; and a feist, a type of dog developed in the American South to tree squirrels.   Read more at The Star.

A Wire Haired Dachshund named Vina, owned by Trudy Kawami of New York, carries a rat after catching it in a lower Manhattan alley in New York, April 26, 2013. The capture is part of a rat hunt a group of dog owners take part in occasionally. Craig Ruttle / AP

RELATED: Ozzie The Rat Catcher

The £1,500 Dachshund Stairlift

We gotta tell ya, we thought WE were living the dream with our $25 stool at the side of the couch that we use when Dad rarely lets us up there, but THIS really takes the cake.  A £1,500 stairlift just for Dachshunds?  Wow.  Thanks to our friend Mrs. Drummond for sending the link to The Daily Mail, here's an excerpt:

Climbing the stairs can often become a struggle as you get older – even when you have four legs. But it is no longer a problem for these three dachshunds after their owners bought them a £1,500 stairlift. Sheila and Harry Lee installed the lift after one of the dogs, six-year-old Pippa, had to undergo a £5,000 operation on her spine.
They had been concerned about Pippa and their other dachshunds – Millie, seven, and Heidi six – straining their low-slung bodies as they negotiated the stairs to their beds. ‘We saw an advertisement for the stairlift and thought “Why not?”,’ Mrs Lee, 57, of Ossett, West Yorkshire, said yesterday.

Read more and see more fun photos at The Daily Mail. 

Helen LaBuda

We want to stop and take a little time today to honor a great friend of Dachshunds who passed away this week, Helen LaBuda, of Cedar Lake, Indiana.  Maybe you are lucky enough to know someone in your life who is so incredibly passionate about animals, dogs, Dachshunds, that their entire life is devoted to their care and well-being.  This was Helen La Buda.  She worked tirelessly with MidWest Dachshund Rescue to rescue, transport, vet, foster, and rehome the canines that are dear to our heart, especially those with special needs.  Without her help, hundreds of Dachshunds would have perished, and would have never brought such joy to their new humans' homes and lives. 
We would ask that you consider donating to your local dog shelter or Dachshund rescue in her honor today.  Beacuse even in her passing, she will save more lives. This is what her life was all about.
If you have a few moments to spare, please head over to Happy Tails Books, where you can read a short story that she wrote for a book titled Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspiring Stories About Dachshunds.  Her wonderful sense of humor and love for Dachshunds really comes to light in just a few short paragraphs.  Here's the link. 

Remembering Miss Patti Page

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of a legend - Miss Patti Page - who passed away Tuesday at the age of 85.  Regular readers of the Long and Short of it All will know our fondness for her fine voice, often featured amongst our boring old posts over the years.

As we stated in 2008 in Dachshunds in Pop Culture:  Patti Page:   While we don't think that Ms. Page was ever owned by her very own Dachshund, her accomplishments certainly require that she has a special place in Dachshund history. The above promotional photo was taken in January of 1953; she is "holding a dachshund in a pet shop, trying out her new song, How Much Is That Doggie in the Window."

Miss Page would go on to re-release and re-name that iconic song in November of 2008. Have a listen:  Patti Page Releases "Do You See That Doggie in the Shelter"

We would even romanticize our friend Geneva's 15th Birthday on Cape Cod:  Dachshund Relaxation: Geneva's 15th Birthday!



Which leaves us with one of the finest songs ever recorded, Tennessee Waltz.  What a huge impact Miss Page left on so many peoples lives through her art.

Rolling Doxie on a Mission to Benefit Dodgerslist

Wouldn't this little Dachshund sculpture brighten the life of someone you know this holiday season?  It's truly one-of-a-kind, and not only is it beautiful, 100% of the proceeds of its sale will benefit Dodgerslist, your Dachshund IVDD resource!  Thanks to our friend Grace Liesa, who sculpted this fine piece for writing in about it.  You may remember that Grace sent us an equally beautiful piece a few years ago of Joey and Maggie.  That piece still has a prime spot on our mantel, we admire it every single day.  From the etsy listing:

I created this sculpture to benefit Dodgerslist; 100% of proceeds from this sale will go to this group to help with all the wonderful work that they do as a volunteer-based team. The red doxie in this piece is so full of life; rolling happily on wheels chasing a squirrel and lizard, and waiting for someone to throw tennis balls and play catch! Hand sculpted, painted, and detailed from premium quality clay; all of my creations go through multiple steps of hardening, and finished with several layers of water based coat. You'll be amazed at every little detail.... It is a product of an intensive labor of love. This heirloom quality piece can also be easily dusted with a clean, damp cloth.

Remember that a disabled dog is not aware of their limitations; they just continue to live their lives as any normal dog would. It is our responsibility to give them a life full of quality, fun, and love. IVDD is not a death sentence, it's just a bump on the road. With proper care and nutrition, a 'down' dog can live through their life expectancy just as a normal dog would. It's never too early to learn about IVDD. Go to http://www.dodgerslist.com/ for a wealth of information, referrals, support, and success stories.

We've got a feeling that this piece won't last long, especially at just a $79 donation.  Head on over to etsy when you can. 

How to Say Dachshund

In case there is any confusion out there, it's not dash-hound, dashund, doxin, or daxin.  It's Dachshund. 
But honestly though, we really don't care what you call us as long as you don't call us late for dinner.  Really.

Saying Goodbye To Bubba, A Dachshund Legend

Thanks so very much to our pals 'Sophie' and 'Oliver' for writing in of the passing of a true Dachshund Legend:  'Bubba' the Mole Hunting Dachshund, who hailed from Fremont, Nebraska. They write:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

This was on the front page of our Fremont Tribune today.  We know you've featured this mole-hunting wizard before and would like to know that he has passed on at the age of 13.

Awww...., our hearts sure go out to Bubba's family and friends.  Here's an excerpt from the article:

If moles had the ability to understand the news, they might be breathing a collective sigh of relief.
But this is a sad time for Fremonters Dale and Betty Reandeau and others who loved Bubba.
The Reandeaus’ miniature dachshund — estimated to have rid Ridge Cemetery of more than 600 moles throughout the years — died Saturday. He was 13.
The little dog had been ill before his death. Bubba had Cushing’s disease and pancreatitis, Dale Reandeau said.
Bubba’s mole-hunting efforts had diminished in recent times.
“He got 16 this year and then he just quit,” Reandeau said. “He didn’t want to go to the cemetery any more. He didn’t want to walk. All he wanted to do was eat, lie on the couch and sleep.”
Bubba’s mole-hunting endeavors began years ago while the Reandeaus took him on walks in the cemetery. Before that, moles were a headache for then-cemetery sexton Jim Clarke.
Almost like a second career, Bubba became a lean, mean mole-hunting machine.
“He’d walked there (in the cemetery) almost forever and then all of a sudden, that was his job — to get those moles,” Clarke said. “He could hear them. They’d be 100 feet away and he’d go get them. He did a big service for us. He kept those moles under control for a lot of years.”
Clarke estimates the dog killed about 100 moles a year and Bubba became a celebrity of sorts. The Reandeaus got comments from people in other parts of the state after The Associated Press picked up a Fremont Tribune story about the dog.
“Bubba became even more beloved by Fremont citizens, because he was part of the cemetery historical tours. His owners would bring him and tell his story,” said Cherrie Clarke, cemetery historian.
The Reandeaus will miss their pet. Dale, 80, doesn’t know if they’ll get another. At first, Betty said “no more dogs.” He’s hoping she’ll reconsider.
“Maybe next spring we’ll get another dog. I hope so,” he said.
In the meantime, the Reandeaus and others are remembering the perky pup.
“He was a wonderful dog,” Reandeau said. “I don’t know that we’ll get another one like him.”

Rest in Peace little guy.  Read more of this story at the Fremont Tribune. 


Related:  July 23, 2008:  The Working Dachshund: Bubba's on Mole Patrol at the Local Cemetery

Related:  Sept 2, 2009:  Mole Patrol: Bubba Breaks His Record 

Related:  Oct 1, 2010:  Holy Moly - Bubba Sets Another Mole-Hunting Record!

Oh Yes You CAN Catch Me: Stray Dachshund Living In Woods For Five Months Reunited With Human!

Smiles everyone, SMILES!  Norma Jean is reunited with her human.

 

If you checked in with us on Friday, you read about this beautiful chocolate girl who has been living in the woods for 5 long months, eluding both authorities and the citizens of Gastonia, North Carolina.  The story was troubling for many reasons, as folks noted in the comments:   she could get hit by a car, winter is fast approaching, and where on earth was her human who apparently let her get away from the local PetSmart?   Well, all questions have been answered in one of the most heart-warming Dachshund stories of the year - just read on Dachshund Lovers, read on.  Just when your faith in humanity was about to hit an all-time low, via the Gaston Gazette:

 

The little brown dachshund that captured many hearts during her months of homelessness reunited with her owner Friday morning.

Norma Jean, N.J. for short, eluded people for more than five months while living in the woods beside Regal Cinema in Franklin Square. Various people tried to coax her to their cars – whistling, waving food, bringing other dogs. Nothing worked.

A hot dog, her owner and the sound of her name proved the only successful combination to reel in the little girl.

Christina Baucom’s dogs, N.J. and Skynyrd, were like her children. But the family was divided when Baucom and her husband split up.

Forced to move from her home into an apartment, Baucom was faced with a dilemma. She couldn’t afford the $250 pet deposit and additional monthly fees to take her dogs with her.

Baucom called out to her Facebook friends to find homes for the dachshunds.

Skynyrd went to an old high school friend of Baucom’s, and N.J. moved in with a woman who said she’d provide a good home.

Over several months Baucom kept track of Skynyrd on Facebook, but N.J.’s new owner would never respond to messages.

Baucom hoped that both her babies were being cared for.

Baucom glanced at The Gazette front page Thursday and gasped. N.J.’s picture was prominently placed on the page, and the article described her dog as homeless.

She read how people throughout Gaston County visited her pup, bringing her food, water, toys and a dog house. But N.J. was skittish and ran if anyone got too close.

Baucom cried.

Then she sprang into action. The Lowell woman took an unpaid day off work and spent nearly 12 hours camped out by the cinema.

Strangers stopped by. Her friends came in shifts.

A police officer stayed with her a while, suggesting she leave something behind so that N.J. would smell it and remember her scent.

Baucom put out a blanket and went home. Sleeping seemed impossible. Baucom drove back to the theater around 1:30 a.m. Friday, but crowds from the midnight showing of “Breaking Dawn: Part 2” filled the parking lot.

Baucom returned at 6:30 a.m. to make another attempt before work. N.J. wasn’t visible.

She put a handful of dog food on the blanket and got in her car. Just as she started to drive away, N.J. darted into the parking lot.

Baucom got out of her car, sat on the ground, held out a piece of hot dog and called to her dog.

N.J. ran full speed ahead, jumped in Baucom’s lap and licked her face.

When she first set out to find N.J., Baucom planned to give the dog to her mother so she could avoid the apartment fees, but still have contact with her pet. That may not be necessary.

People who initially rallied behind N.J. are now standing by Baucom.

One person has offered to pay the dog’s initial vet bills to get her vaccines caught up. Others say they want to pitch in to pay Baucom’s pet deposit fees.

Tears streamed down Baucom’s face as she described holding N.J. again, and feeling the warmth of the kindness of strangers.

 

Thanks so much to our pal 'Caya' for sending in the link to this wonderful reunion.  You can read more about it at the Gaston Gazette. 

 

Welcome Home N.J. 

Who Is The Cleverest Dog In The World?

Do you even have to ask?  Thanks to our pal 'Enzo' as well as Elspeth S. from Glasgow for sending in a link to a video at the BBC where a Chinese Dachshund named 'Lazai' is apparently able to do mathematical sums in his head and bark the answer!  The video wasn't embeddable from there, but we found this equally spiffy one from ITN.
So is this red smooth the smartest dog on the planet or is this just a parlor trick?  For that answer, let's head back to June, 2008 and ask Toby, the Dachshund Genius. 

Autumn Canine Freestyle With Gypsie

The last time we saw pretty little 'Gypsie' was in April of 2011, and she was a Dachshund Working 9 to 5.  Well, she's still got the moves!   Her mom says:  I'm just trying to train with Gypsie in various places and with different distractions ;-)

Go ahead and turn up the volume, enlarge the screen, and Have a Great Friday.

Architecture For Dachshunds

We've been waiting with bated breath for this new website to launch - Architecture For Dogs - and today, November 15th, 2012 is the big day!  "What's it all about, Joey and Rowdy?" you may ask.  Well, De Zeen magazine explains it pretty clearly:

Architects and designers have designed a series of downloadable architectural structures that are just for dogs.
Organised by Kenya Hara, the creative director of MUJI, Architecture for Dogs is an open-source network where dog-owners can download the templates for each of the thirteen designs, then build them for themselves.
Each designer was asked to think up a structure that would alter the way that people interact with their pet, so Atelier Bow-Wow have designed a ramp for a Dachshund that helps it make eye contact with its owner, in spite of its short legs. “We thought about stairs, but their bodies are too long and they risk hurting their hips,” said the architects, explaining their design for a folding slope.

So humans get busy - the designs are free!  We highly encourage you all to make a visit to Architecture For Dogs - the site is simply amazing and will leave you with a big giant smile if nothing else.  Really.

Dachshunds Top List Of Naughtiest Dog Breeds

Wait a minute, now wait a minute.  Dachshunds are the naughtiest dog breed on the planet?  No we're not.  We're nothing but adorable little angels sent from heaven to enrich the lives of humans on this earth. 
Well, according to Dogster at least, we're the number one naughty dog.  They say:

Maybe you’re not like me. Maybe you don’t wonder whether your pups are plotting their next prank and whether it will embarrass you. If you don't, your dogs probably aren’t “naughty” like mine are, and you’ve probably never had your dog run around your cocktail party with your bra in his mouth. You might ask, “Can a dog even BE naughty?” It does seem like a rather human trait, but the answer is certainly “Yes!” even if it's only how we perceive their less-than-angelic but humorous behavior.
“Naughty” in human terms is really a discreet word for “morally questionable” or, if you want to get academic, “improper” or “indecent.” Dogs aren’t scholarly. They don’t know the difference between an adults-only video store and a kiddie amusement park. So this definition fits dogs only when humans feel prudish and get embarrassed by their dog’s mischievous and “indecent” behavior (such as the improper placement of noses in improper places and even the occasional digestion of, well, poopie.)
For our purposes, we'll define “naughty” as “rascally, impish, playful, humorous and wily.”

And of the Dachshund in particulary, they state:

This long wonder is famous for his indiscretions and love of mischief. Dachshunds love to make you laugh, but they are also resourceful and can accomplish amazing feats such as chewing through refrigerator cables thus flooding the house (personal experience).

Read more about the art of naughtiness and see the other dogs who made the list at Dogster.

Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Orlando Cruz and Bam-Bam!

It seems that Dachshunds are always on the cusp of Popular Culture, and this isn't more evident than finding out that Puerto Rican professional boxer Orlando Cruz has a handsome red smooth of his own, who goes by the fantastic name of 'Bam-Bam!'  Mr. Cruz made headlines this month by becoming the first boxer to come out as gay while still active professionally, stating that "I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man."
Well, he's also a proud Dachshund Lover.  Thanks so much to our pal 'Jack' for sending in the link to this news and photo.  He pens:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

I thought you guys may be interested in this story in the British newspaper, The Guardian, that my Dad found about the boxer Orlando Cruz, which talks about, amongst other things, his Dachsie Bam-Bam.

Wags and licks,
Jack

The Guardian notes:

"I decided to be free," Orlando Cruz says with piercing clarity as he looks out across his home city of San Juan. The Puerto Rican fighter, who this month became the first boxer to declare publicly that he was gay, remains on the balcony of his condominium as a blue and humid sky darkens. Cruz ignores the drops of rain that glisten on his bare torso as he whistles to Bam-Bam, a cheerful sausage dog who jumps on to his lap. The 31-year-old then talks with increasing passion about his new-found liberty.
"They can call me maricón, or faggot," he says with a wry smile as he tickles Bam-Bam behind the ears, "and I don't care. Let them say it because they can't hurt me now. I am relaxed. I feel so happy. But to make this announcement to the whole world I had to be very strong."
Cruz flexes his tattooed arms while deflecting Bam-Bam's urge to lick his face. He might usually be besotted with his little dachshund but, now, Cruz is fiercely concentrated. On Friday night, in Kissimmee, Florida, he faces the most testing bout of his career, a WBO world featherweight title eliminator, but he needs first to explain the far harder struggle he has finally won over fear and prejudice.

Read more at The Guardian.

Slightly Related:  Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Max Schmeling

Wirehair Wednesday: Livvy Zeigt 60 Sekunden Lang Tricks

It's been the longest time since we've had a Wirehair Wednesday, and your Long and Short of it All host 'Rowdy' is a little miffed about the whole situation.  To help make up for it, here's little 'Livvy' (you may remember her from Pack Your Suitcase - Livvy Goes On Vacation) showing how many tricks she can do in 60 seconds!  Impressive.  By youtuber Livvy Dackel.

The Costco Dachshund Connection

Thanks to Liz S. for sending in the link to the October, 2012 edition of Costco Connection magazine where they discuss the benefits of bringing your dog to work with you.  Liz pens:  "If you are going to have a dog at the office, it needs to be a  Dachshund.  Well behaved and doxies...well, that's another story."  The article notes: