Congratulations to little 'Gracie,' who took the grand prize at her local Dachshund Dash this last weekend near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Way to go! She ran her heart out in honor of long-time Long and Short of it All reader and older sister 'Piper,' who left this earth last Wednesday. Our hearts go out to Gracie and her family.
We're not quite sure what to say about this story except that the phrase "Bold to the Point of Brashness" certainly defines this Michigan Dachshund named 'Bradley,' who fearlessly gave his life for his humans when a bear approached them. Via 9and10 News:
A dog being called a hero tonight, credited with saving the lives of two men when they were caught off guard by a bear.
Bradley, a Dachshund, put up a fight against the bear on Saturday in Oscoda County.
While he didn't survive, the two men who were with him say because of him they did.
The two men from downstate were visiting their friend in Comins.
They say despite the large bear being feet away from them, it didn't scare the small dog one bit.
"We came out in the golf cart, and this bear was standing right there," Mike Hodges recounts.
Hodges, who suffered a stroke just three weeks ago, says he and his friend Jeremy, didn't notice the bear right away.
Bradley's owner, says the dog certainly did.
"Bradley jumped off the golf cart and attacked the bear, and the bear grabbed Brad and took off," owner John Force explains.
"He grabbed him up and took off running through the woods with two other bears following 'em," describes Mike.
They believe the bear was startled by Mike, Jeremy, and Bradley, and was trying to protect it's cubs, and when the bear reacted, Bradley was simply trying to protect the two men he had only just met that day.
"I think when Brad saw it, he did what he would normally do, jumped right off it and went at it. I wouldn't have ran after that bear with a knife as big as I am, and little Brad- 4, 5 pounds- he don't have a filter for fear," John says.
The two men eventually scared the bear away with a stick and loud noises. They brought Bradley back to the house, and the dog was rushed to an animal hospital, where he died.
"He was a warrior," John speaks highly of his dog, "if he would have died any other way than that, you know, it was a noble death the way I look at it."
John believes his dog's fearlessness changed the outcome of what could have been an even more tragic situation.
"Mike being in the medical condition he's in, I don't think he would have been alert enough to get away from the bear. I think Brad did save them from getting mauled at least," says John.
John says he and his family are proud of what their dog did, and know Bradley would do it again.
"It ain't the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog that counts, and that sums it up for Bradley."
What was the very last thing that made Margaret Thatcher smile before she left this earth? Dachshund puppies of course. Thanks to our friend Jerry for sending in the link to the Guardian:
Among the last things Lady Thatcher saw in the final hours before her death on Monday was a video of eight biscuit-coloured Dachshund puppies and their mother. The dogs were the property of Lady Powell, the Italian wife of the former prime minister's trusted Downing Street private secretary, Lord Powell who on Sunday night was the last person to visit Lady Thatcher as she neared the end of a 20-year battle with strokes, memory loss and the rheumatic condition polymyalgia. Sitting with her at her suite in the Ritz where she had been staying since the end of last year, Powell took out his iPad to entertain his former boss. On it, he showed her a video that his wife had sent him from their home outside Rome which the former prime minister had visited for several years running during her decline. She had smiled at the antics of puppies and their mother, Lady Powell said her husband had told her. "That was probably her last smile," she told the Guardian. "After seeing her, Charles's comment was, 'I'm afraid that she will not be with us for very long. I think she's drifting away.'"
Was Margaret Thatcher ever owned by her very own Dachshund? Not that we can tell, but Lady Powell goes on to say in Anorak:
Lady Thatcher adored animals. I have a dachshund puppy called Maggie that she loved. I name all my animals after friends and distinguished people. I have two black sheep called Barack Obama and Colin Powell.”
It's with great reluctance, sadness, and pain, that we report that we laid our beloved 12-year-old Dachshund 'Joey' to rest on Thursday. My boy. My sweet, wonderful, handsome, tail-wagging, perfect little spotted boy. Joey was your Long and Short of it All host for nearly 6 years, along with his littermate sister, sweet Miss 'Maggie,' who passed away on September 13, 2011. He loved me more than anything else in the world, to the point where it was actually a little strange - eyes on my eyes, always watching my every single move, doing whatever was the right thing to do without ever being asked to do so, and so, so brave and stoic to the very end. I loved him just as much as he loved me.
Something has been up with Joey for the last several weeks. He was losing weight even though he was still eating the same. He was refusing a little jump over a 1/2 inch high piece of wood through the little door in the doggy gate, and refusing stairs. I took him to the vet to examine his back, but there were no apparent issues. We ran a series of tests, including a new one which looks at the overall stress of his heart, as sometimes the heart works so hard that it can cause muscle wastage. This test came back as "medium," and we know Joey does have a murmur, but doesn't exhibit any signs such as coughing after exercise. X-rays showed the heart was more enlarged than last fall, but there was no fluid build-up we could see.
On Tuesday, I came home from work, and there was that cough. It was very bad, and Joey seemed in some distress when breathing, as his abdomen would reflex when he would take a breath. He was hungry for dinner though, so I decided to take him to the vet the next day. He continued to cough all night long, and couldn't get comfortable in the big bed. He couldn't lay on either side, but was able to lay on his stomach and find some rest. I didn't sleep at all that night, but watched him closely, crying, and stroked and hugged him tight, as I suspected in the back of my mind that this could be it for Joey.
My veterinarian is closed on Wednesdays, but he is such a wonderful and caring person that he gave me his cell phone if I ever needed him. I needed him that day. He met me in the office and didn't have any techs with him, so I gowned up in the lead vest to help hold Joey in various positions while he took x-rays. He ran a series of blood tests and other tests for over an hour, but nothing was jumping out at him.
And so, it was off to the veterinary referral center. Cardiologists and radiologists finally determined that he had either a cyst or clot on the left side of his heart. This was causing the right side of his heart to become extremely enlarged, as it was over-compensating, and the lungs and liver to become sluggish. It was decided that they would treat it as a clot, and he would hopefully have some improvement after a day's worth of treatment and stay in an oxygen tent. I went with a friend to visit him that night, and he did not seem much better. I got the call in the morning from his internist that he had not improved over night, and they could run more tests if they took him to another specialty center, but his prospects were not good. I opted to not perform any more tests. It was time. Lord knows he had been through enough in his life. I called my good friend, and we headed to the center for his euthanization.
Throughout all of this, surprisingly, Joey didn't lose his appetite. That's what made this even harder, as usually dogs will lose their appetite when they are quite ill. Must be the Dachshund in him. I stopped at Burger King on the way and picked him up a Whopper with cheese, plain, and a small fry. This would be his last meal.
We spent about an hour with him before the procedure. Unfortunately he had an oxygen tube stapled down the front of his head and into his nose, and this was bothering him. But he was able to work around it to gladly eat up whatever we offered him of the Whopper and fries. We had some good quality time and talked with him about all the things that he loved. He got lots of kisses, hugs, and strokes. Joey continued to struggle to breathe when the doctor and the technician came in the room and asked us if it was time. It was.
As he lay in my lap, his most favorite place on the planet, looking into the eyes of one of my dearest friends, the good doctor began to push in the propofol to relieve him of his suffering. Tired as he was, and struggling to breathe, he sat up from his laying position, as if to say "No, I can't go, No, I have to take care of my Dad and my little brother Rowdy. No, I am Joey, I am Dachshund, and I won't leave this world lying down." We soothed him with sweet words and caresses to relax, and in just three seconds as the drug began to take effect, he cradled his warm little head into my hand and rested peacefully, knowing that everything is gonna be alright. Faithful and true to the last beat of his loving heart. Good Gosh I'll miss you Joey. Thank you to all of Joey's friends here for your love and support over the years - I know a lot of folks here are gonna miss him too. And I know that his littermate sister Maggie was the first to greet him on the other side.
In the sky above Chicago, the world headquarters of The Long and Short of it All
Thank you to our dear friend Liz Kearley, who made this amazing image of Joey and Maggie, Together Again. They truly are. I can't wait til the day I can snuggle with them once more.
I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)
by The Cox Family
Kiss me mother kiss your darlin'
Lay my head upon your breast
Throw your loving arms around me
I am weary let me rest
Seems the light is swiftly fading
Brighter scenes they do now show
I am standing by the river
Angels wait to take me home
Kiss me mother kiss your darlin'
See the pain upon my brow
While I'll soon be with the angels
Fate has doomed my future now
Through the years you've always loved me
And my life you've tried to save
But now I shall slumber sweetly
In a deep and lonely grave
Kiss me mother kiss your darlin'
Lay my head upon your breast
Throw your loving arms around me
I am weary let me rest
I am weary let me rest
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.
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Alan TBH Plumptre, aka 'Alan,' who had a day job at UK's Tatler magazine, which focuses on the glamorous lives and lifestyles of the upper class. Alan met his fate in a horrible revolving door accident at the magazine's office in central London. Via The Independent:
Staff at the high-society magazine Tatler are in mourning after their
in-house dachshund came to a grisly end, killed by the office revolving
doors.
Alan TBH Plumptre, a hound often ferried in the best designer handbags, was
doted on at the monthly publication and had gathered 2,500 followers to his own
Twitter account.
Eyewitnesses said that Alan’s last hour was spent outdoors, taking a walk
with a Tatler underling. When the dog approached the revolving door at Vogue House, he saw a man
walking through and bolted towards him. Alan tried to rush through the revolving doors but got his neck caught. The
male worker also became stuck in the door. Two fire engines rushed to the plush Hanover Square offices, where onlookers
crowded round the accident scene. A team of ten firefighters freed the man. However they could not save Alan,
who was pronounced dead at the scene. Jennifer George, who owned the dog and is Editor’s assistant at Tatler,
tweeted: “Yesterday my tiny much loved man Alan passed away in a tragic
accident. Thank you to all that were there to help, all the kind wishes and all
who followed @TatlerAlan.’”
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."
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.
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. who passed away December 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida, at age 78. Mr. Schwarzkopf was a United States Army general who, while serving as Commander of U.S. Central Command, was commander of coalition forces in the Gulf War. With all politics aside, when notaries pass, we often have to ask ourselves "were they a Dachshund Lover?"
Well, it turns out that he was. Mr. Schwarzkopf had a beloved wire-haired Dachshund who responded to the name of "Grizz." Mr. Schwarzkopf would later reference Grizz in lectures on leadership, this one in 1996:
"People say to me, `you've got a lot of nerve talking about leadership,'" he said. "`You're talking to very successful business people who are obviously leaders,' and many of you in the student body are leaders."
Schwarzkopf debunked the myth that people must be born leaders to be effective.
"There is no such a thing as a born leader," he said, "They are made." To illustrate his point, Schwarzkopf explained how Grizz, his "wire-haired Dachshund who weighs 15 pounds and looks like a dust mop," is the "undisputed leader in the Schwarzkopf household," and his other dog, a 90 pound well-bred German Shepherd, is not.
"Grizz has never looked at the mirror," he joked.
"It doesn't matter whether you're tall or short, or whether you're brilliant or not... if you start thinking like a 90 pound German Shepherd then by-golly you are going to be a leader," he said.
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.
Please pardon our absence as our Dad's Dad, our Dachshund Grandpaw so to speak, has passed away, and was laid to rest this past week. This really puts a damper on our Dachtober 2012 festivities. We searched and searched for some photos of him with us to post here, or with Maggie, and nothing was to be found. So make sure you get those cameras out right now because you never know when it's all going to be over. It's been a trying week or so. We loved him very much and miss him every single waking moment. He was a wonderful man, husband, and father.
Here he is in 1956 when he was about 18 or 19 with his mom in St. Louis, Missouri. We really love this crazy old photo. The doggie photo bomb is courtesy of a handsome guy named 'Inky' - apparently doggie photobombing is not a new phenomenon!
Dad always got along well with Joey and Maggie, although they were a little afraid of him when he would come marching through the house, clunking those heavy cowboy boots that made such a racket. Rowdy on the other hand, who lives for chaos, worshipped those noisy cowboy boots.
Our hearts go out to human Barbara Techel and the family and friends of the busiest Dachshund we ever knew, Frankie The Walk'n Roll Dog. Frankie, therapy dog and subject of the Walk'n Roll Dog book series, passed away yesterday at home in her mother's arms after being diagnosed with chronic heart failure just last Friday. With the help of her mom, Frankie inspired thousands with her messages of overcoming challenges and making a difference despite obstacles. Although Frankie is no longer with us, we know that her messages of hope will live on for generations.
Please visit Joyful Paws to read of her life and of her passing.
Our hearts go out to the friends and family of Dachshund Lover George Richards, 100, who passed away June 17, 2012, at Hospice of St. Mary's in Callaway, MD. You will remember George and his beloved Dachshund 'Hummel,' from this video we posted in November of 2009. The video went on to reach viral status, with nearly 140,000 views on Vimeo. George was 97 here. Via The Baynet.com:
George joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served aboard the DD794 USS Irwin in the Pacific. After being honorably discharged he was employed by the Department of Agriculture for 35 dedicated years. During this time, he spent two memorable years in India. In 1967 he moved to Bushwood, Maryland, where he spent ten years before moving to Sun City Center, FL. After spending nine years in Florida, George moved back to Leonardtown, MD, in 1986. George had many extracurricular activities, which included gardening, photography, driving an ambulance while residing in Florida, and volunteering as a first aide instructor for the American Red Cross. However, his passion was with his dachshunds. He loved working with and training his beloved dogs. He was a member of the Richmond Dog Obedience Club, where he won many awards; the Chesapeake Kennel Club, the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary, Southern Maryland Barbershop Chorus, the Bowie Knights of Harmony, and St. Paul's Methodist Church.
Things surely couldn't have possibly been as bad as Ms. Kennedy, estranged wife of RFK, Jr., thought they were - look at the beautiful Dachshunds she had in her life. Thanks so much to Wendigo Wolf for sending in the photo. Wendigo writes:
Dear Joey and Rowdy,
Mary Kennedy recently passed away, and I found this cover atnypost.comwith a couple of longhair doxies. Thats all I could find, I don't know any more about them.
Thanks to Gatinha for writing in with the news that actor Josh Duhamel and his wife Fergie, vocalist for The Black Eyed Peas, lost their beloved 'Meatloaf' on April 1st. Our hearts go out to them. Mr. Duhamel tweeted:
We lost our dog Meatloaf today. He was one of the kindest sweetest souls I've known. He'll be missed. RIP little buddy.
With the recent passing of American radio and television personality Dick Clark, one has to ask oneself: Was he a Dachshund Lover? Dog magazines across the globe have recently profiled Mr. Clark's fondness of canines, stating that he had up to five dogs at a time, he designed his Malibu home with extra large showers to wash his dogs, and that dogs roamed freely at the Dick Clark Productions offices. But what about Dachshunds? Excerpt from The Bark:
In recent years, the Clarks had a pug named Mrs. Jones, and Henry VIII, a 110-pound Weimaraner. There was also Lucille, a Dalmatian who was a gift from Gloria and Emilio Estefan - flown in via private jet. Bernardo was a Dachshund-mix the Clarks found on the streets of San Bernardino. They dropped him off at the pound and then made a U-turn and picked him up. (He would become their fourth Dachshund.)
A June, 2001 article in the Pet Press goes on to say:
He got his name because “we found him as a street dog in San Bernardino. As a
youngster Dick’s Uncle gave him a ceramic Dachshund, and he’s loved Dachshunds
ever since. He’s had at least three of them during the years, and that’s one of
the reasons he wanted to keep Bernardo.
In a 2002 interview with The Post-Standard, Clark talked about living in Central New York and working seven nights a week, spinning records as a radio DJ fresh out of SU. When he came home late at night, Clark recalled, his wife and baby were sleeping. His dachshund, named after an SU roommate, waited up. “The thing I remember about Louie was he was always there to greet me,” Clark said. “He was just a terrific dog.”
Thanks for everything Mr. Clark.
Thanks to a good friend of The Long and Short of it All for sending in a link to The Bark!
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.
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.
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.
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