Dachshunds To Watch Out For

Go, Louie, GO!

Louie breaks into a run, giving a preview of the speed he will bring to the 18th Street Farmers’ Market Wiener Dog Races on Saturday in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
It will be the second race for the 18-month-old Dachshund, who raced at the Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds last year.
“It’s funny to watch. It’s chaotic, at best. In a way, it’s so bizarre that it’s something to see,” said Chuck Hall, Louie’s owner.

Via the Star Herald. 

The Dogfather

Petco is taking submissions for it's latest contest where you can submit a video or essay explaining why you're a great pet parent, and you can win $50,000 plus $50,000 for the Rescue organization of your choice. 
Here's a nice entry for Dachshund Lovers.

Thank You

Thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts, for the kind words and notes of encouragement after the passing of your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey.'  It's been a tough month or so for so many good folks.  Thank you so much for just everything, we're having trouble putting into words, for all the wonderful comments and personal notes, cards, tributes on other sites, and also the many donations in Joey's name, from MWDR all the way to Rolling Dog Ranch.  It's wonderful that his memory can live on by helping out more of his long brethren.
We apologize for the lack of posts as of late - we've never been so idle in nearly six years.  We're probably looking at retiring the site, as it was always Joey and Maggie's work.  Rowdy sure helped out over the last year or so, but his insistence on writing on the subtle variations of chicken vs beef vs peanut butter rawhides didn't garner much attention.  We kid.  He's such a great little guy.  He looked for Joey for several weeks after he passed - he would be laying in his bed and suddenly dart up and run to a strange corner of the house, wagging his tail and sniffing - thinking that he heard Joey.  Maybe Joey's ghost was visiting us - who knows?
Thanks to all the wonderful Dachshundists who have stood by us over the years, thank you.  There may be an odd post from us every so often, but it won't be a day to day affair - unless we completely change our minds and start up 'The Long and Short of it All version 2.0'. 
In the meantime - Carry On, and Love Your Dachshunds.


Yours in Dachshund Love.

Beloved Joey - December 23, 2000 - February 7, 2013

Dad's Little Hero

 

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

2013 South Beach Dachshund Winter Festival

Hundreds of long dogs and their humans descended on Lummus Park in Miami Beach, Florida, on Saturday for the 11th annual South Beach Dachshund Winterfest. Activities included Dachshund Fortune Telling, Doxie Funhouse (tunnels, Odor-ama, scary badgers!), a Talent Show, Singing of the Dach Song and The Grand March! We're so jealous. 

Catch a slideshow of photos at NewTimes Miami. 

The Mystic Krewe of Barkus

The 2013 Krewe of Barkus parade kicked off at 2 PM Sunday in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana - a sign that Mardi Gras celebrations have begun!  Above, The Glitter Queen Dachshund leads the way.  Photo source.

This red smooth might look a little glum only because her Dad is wearing a more outrageous outfit than she.  Photo source.

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

Go Ahead:  Poke My Belly

Oh, look - Dad's dragged out the embarrassing naked puppy photos again in honor of my 12th birthday.  How original Dad!  I gotta admit though, I was a real cute guy at just 10 weeks old.  Not that I'm not real cute today - but I'm just more sophisticated, debonair, confident, and you know I'm gonna say it - Handsome.  I'm a real wiener in fact.
We also pause to remember my beautiful littermate sister 'Maggie,' also born on this day 12 short years ago.  We were supposed to sail through this thing called life together as a team, but often things don't go as planned, huh? 
My new wingman 'Rowdy' keeps me young at heart though.  Thanks for that little bro. 

Deep Thoughts With Joey

Joey Finds Solace in the Bathtub

Me and Rowdy wait all day for Dad to come home.  Boy, is that an exciting time.  We've been busy all day barking at intruders at the back door, telling it like it is to the squirrel eating at the feeder outside the window, and of course keeping tabs on anyone who might possibly think of ringing our buzzer.  We play for awhile, we sun for awhile, we chew on that leftover treat he left us for awhile, then the time comes....he's home.....he pulled into the driveway, that was the beep of the car alarm...He's HOME!  That means FOOD!  That means a WALK!  He greets us with an equal air of enthusiasm - this is the best time of the day!
He grabs some treats and a poop bag and a leash for my little brother Rowdy.   I'm such a good boy that I don't need no stinkin' leash - really.  We go for a 25 minute walk to greet everyone in the neighborhood coming home from work and to brighten their otherwise mundane day.
Finally back at the house, I know that soon it will be dinnertime.  I've waited 12 hours since the last "feeding."  But instead of pulling our frozen raw meat out of the freezer, he stops to fill a glass with ice for his tea.  Then he invites us to step outside on the porch so he can survey our estate.  I don't want to go on the porch with him, this is just a delay tactic to get my dinner.  With much reluctance, I finally agree to go with him and Rowdy after his incessant prodding. 
Back inside once more, he finally steps toward the freezer and pulls out the frozen meat.  Oh, yes.  What will it be tonight?  Lamb, chicken, beef, fish, venison, goat, tripe?  I don't care what it is, just make it quick.
He pulls a frozen patty from the bag - looks like duck!  What a nice surprise.  I wag my tail enthusiastically.  He sets the frozen patty on a plate and prepares to thaw it in the microwave.  Alas - this waiting is killing me.  Kibble would be so much more efficient and quicker. 
The new microwave takes six minutes and twenty seven seconds on the defrost setting to thaw our food.   The old microwave took only two minutes and thirty nine seconds.  That's progress for you.
I'm getting impatient.  I've stopped wagging my tail because this is taking so long.  I stare at him coldly with disgust.  I look at Rowdy and roll my eyes.  The microwave finally beeps.  YES!  But I'm tired of waiting.
He pulls the thawed meat patty out of the microwave and asks us if we're hungry with a big smile on his face.  You think?  I can't stand his patronizing. 
I'm so excited at this point knowing that dinner is just a few moments away I think I'll just explode.  For reasons known only to me, I go into what he refers to as "the zone."  I'm so excited that I can't even watch him take the meat patty and split it up for me and Rowdy.  I leave the kitchen and walk to the end of the hallway and I just stand there, frozen, in the greatest anticipation.  A little drool escapes my jowls.  I can't even wag my tail I'm so serious in the fact that dinner is almost ready.  My head is going to pop off my long agile body.  Will I get more tonight than I did last night?  Will I get a bigger portion than Rowdy?  Will he add yogurt?  Will he top it off with salmon oil? 
I hear him humming calmly as he mixes the food in the plates.  What do I do now?  Logically, I know that only seconds have gone by since I've waited at the end of the hall, but it must be an eternity and it's just too nerve-wracking so I head into the bathroom.  I whip back the shower curtain with my large schnoz and jump inside the tub.  Surely I will find solace here until the next few seconds when I hear him call me, finally, for dinner.
Then I hear him walk down the hall...Nooooo!  Keep working on that dinner.  He eyes me in the bathtub, my eyes filled with utter apprehension.  He smiles, and get this - he actually takes precious time to grab a camera, and takes the above photo of me!  Are you freaking kidding me?  You're going to share my insecurities with the world?  It's not funny in the slightest.  He laughs at my anguish but I know in the back of my head that I am Joey and victory will soon be mine.
He steps back into the kitchen and then I hear it:  that final clinking of the fork against the plate.  Clink Clink Clink!  He calls it "Pavlov's clink."  I rush out of the bathtub knowing that my sustenance is finally at hand.  It's really just seconds now. 
He asks me to sit.  I oblige him.  It's finally here.  Oh yes, oh yes, oh YES!  My dinner!  My beloved dinner.  9 seconds...8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....and it's all gone, just like that. I lick my lips.  I keep licking the plate in hopes that more will miraculously appear.  He asks me if it was good.  I wag my tail.  All is right with the world.
And now I wait.  Just 12 hours to the next feeding.

We're Afraid. We're Very Afraid.

By youtuber Kevin Thompson.

Gearing Up For Halloween

Over 2,500 spectators cheered on over 400 costumed canines on Saturday for the 22nd Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Parade in New York City.  More than $8,000 was raised by the sponsor, Friends of First Run, to benefit the city’s largest and oldest dog run. Above, 'Pepper' poses as a tough little turtle.  Source.

This pretty black and tan Piebald, 'Gretel,' is dressed as a 'Mars Rover.'  Source.

Dachshunds Around The World: (Sausage) Dog Bites

Admittedly, we've never featured anything Dachshund from the country of Zimbabwe.  South Africa, yes, several times - but never Zimbabwe.  Well there's a first for everything, so today enjoy this (Sausage) Dog Bites sign via Kubatana.net ~ an online community of Zimbabwean activists.  They note:  Spotted on a run yesterday – This beware of blood thirsty Dachshund sign outside someone’s gate.

Dachshund Bomb

It's all about ME!

We love a good Dachshund Photobomb.  This one was submitted by Melanie Walsh to an article featuring 125 animal photobombs at Huffington Post.

Our beloved departed Miss Maggie bombed us once - Dad was taking a photo of a friend's pack of Dachshunds at a MWDR fundraiser, and right when Dad clicked the shutter, Maggie suddenly jumped up into the shot in a "sit pretty" pose. 

Therapy Dachshund Celebrates Third Birthday

Happy Birthday to 'Wall-E' - Therapy Dachshund Extraordinaire!  Wall-E got a surprise birthday party on Monday at the Prince William Area Agency on Aging's Senior Day Program center in Woodbridge, Virginia.  Excerpt from Insidenova:

The dog’s third birthday was highlighted by doggie tricks, games and a highlight for him—a small ice cream sandwich all his own.

His owner and trainer, Nancy Jo Rapalee, gave him some peanut butter ice cream after a room full of people of all ages sang “Happy Birthday.”

Three other therapy dogs named Missy, Oliver and Sage, barked during the song and showed their support for their furry colleague.

But that wasn’t all, Wall-E and his fellow canine pals from Manassas Therapy Dogs did some tricks for the crowd. Kids at the party also had some toys to keep them busy, too.

Evelena McPherson, a participant in the day program, sat in her chair and smiled ear-to-ear as Rapalee brought the dog of honor to her lap.

“I love him,” she said as she pet his back and neck. “He’s a precious little dog.”


Read more and see more photos at Insidenova.  

He is pretty precious.

Kate Spade Dachshund

Thanks so much to the Dynamic Duo 'Duncan' and 'Cosmo' for writing in:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

Hey guys, our mom is a bit of a fashion nut, so when this Kate Spade photo showed up in her inbox this morning, she just had to forward it to you. There's more about this handsome guy on their blog too:

we can't resist a handsome guy in a suit-especially when he's of the furry variety. our latest crush, brady, stole hearts (and a few snacks) on the set of our summer web shoot. we asked his momager, suzy k., about his dapper doggy style and future modeling his mug.

who’s this handsome hound?
brady kelsay.

what are his stats: age, breed, etc.?
he's a long-haired dachshund, and he's eight-years-old.

is this his first turn in the spotlight?
surprisingly yes, but he's been admired all his life.

sum up his style.
low-key frizzy chic.

is he a backyard-digger or more of a city stutter?
although he was born in the city, he has quickly become an avid chipmunk-chaser in the 'burbs.

does he do any special tricks?
he says, "please, that's for amateur dogs, wouldn't you say?"

how does he like to pass his days?
sleeping on his back waiting for his mom to come home and give him chicken treats.

will he be woofing it up on the big screen any time soon?
maybe, but he's very selective.

From our Fashion Hounds Duncan and Cosmo (front):   Anyway, we're going to get back to burrowing under the covers and doing more masculine dachshund things.  Sheesh.

Joey's Hardware

Click images to enlarge

We're always fascinated with the inner workings of a Dachshund, and have featured x-rays of Joey and our dear departed Maggie several times over the years.  We recently went to the vet to have a look at Joey's heart.  With all the medical conditions that he has, he also has had a heart murmur his entire life, and it has progressed to about a grade 3.  Heart murmurs are common in small dogs such as Dachshunds, and they worsen as the dogs get older, eventually leading to CHF, or congestive heart failure.  If Joey were to start showing signs of exercise intolerance or "coughing," it will be time to start him on some cardiac meds.  Thankfully, he's not showing any of these symptoms yet, but with the long-standing condition, it was prudent to have a look inside.
We were happy to find that things look pretty good.  You can see his heart in the above photo, center left, and it does not appear to be enlarged.  That's his lungs to the right of the heart, and there doesn't appear to be any fluid buildup, so that's positive as well. 
Our wonderful veterinarian and hero, Dr. Cohen at Wicker Park Veterinary Clinic, had a good laugh when he noticed all of Joey's "hardware."  If you look in the upper right, you can see all the surgical staples inside him from his previous bi-lateral adrenalectomy and spleenectomy, and it took a minute to realize what all the foreign bodies were!  Hopefully Joey won't have to go through any metal detectors any time soon.  You can see another staple in the belly-view photo below near one of his ribs.

The Heart of The Long and Short of it All

'The Long and Short of it All' Turns Five Years Old

A Note From Rowdy and Joey

With little fanfare, yesterday we celebrated the 5th Anniversary of 'The Long and Short of it All.'  Dad forgot the party hats, but won this Dachshund sign in a raffle basket at last week's MWDR fundraiser, so he put it around Joey's head and said "Now it's a party!  Smile!"  Do we look amused?  Shouldn't Rowdy be wearing a lampshade?  We weren't impressed in the slightest until Dad broke out the fresh strawberry shortcake topped with whipped cream and blueberries.  Now THAT's a party! 
Every year Dad says that our anniversary is going to be the end of the blog.  It happened the first year, the second year, the third year, and so on, and when he kept going, he kept saying that five was the magic number - the fifth anniversary of the blog is going to be the very last post we will ever do.  Well, too bad he missed yesterday's deadline announcement because we're still here today and we're still blogging.  So stay tuned.
And so we wrap up Long and Short of it All post number 2,855.  Danke schön to all our loyal readers and commentors for sticking with us over the years - it's been a fun ride.  Thank you from the heart of our bottoms.


Yours in Dachshund Love,
Joey and Rowdy....

A Note From Joey and Rowdy: Please Stand By

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

Dear Gentle Readers,

We're going on vacation for a few days to visit our Grandma and Grandpa, but we'll be back in about a week.   We can't wait to play with our Dachshund cousin 'Rudy,' and his new brother 'Baxter,' who is not a Dachshund, but a young pup who will play with Rowdy the way he wishes Joey would play and wrestle with him - for hours and hours on end until their tongues are dragging the floor and they finally pass out cold from exhaustion. 

Enjoy the Long and Short of it All archives while we're gone, and make sure and give your Mommas a BIG WET SLURPY KISS for Mother's Day.  They deserve it.

Yours in Dachshund Love,
Joey and Rowdy.....

OW!

And it's a Piebald to boot!

Via off the mark.

Wiener Dog Porn

We're woofless.  How lascivious for a fine young Lady.  By youtuber The Joe Show.

Capitals’ defenseman Karl Alzner’s dogs had way more fun Wednesday night than he did

Thanks to the many folks who wrote in about this hilarious story.  You guys sure do make reporting the Dachshund News easier!  'Rosco P. Dog' from Lee's Summit Missouri sends in:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

My master Rick and I were cruising the internet and ran into this article on Yahoo!  It is another glaring example of a poor innocent Dachshund who witnessed a horrible act of vandalism.  Thank-Goodness the Dachshund and his buddy were ok.  Via Yahoo Sports:

Imagine being Washington Capitals' defenseman Karl Alzner Wednesday night. Imagine, say, that you played 37:14, over 11 minutes more than your previous career-high, in a 2-1 triple-overtime loss to the New York Rangers -- that you were one of the players in a game that beat pretty much everyone to a bloody pulp and took 114:41 to decide, nearly twice as long as it was supposed to.
Worse, imagine that, just after you pressured Dan Girardi along the far boards, he swung the puck behind the goal to Brad Richards, who centered to Marian Gaborik for the game-winner at 14:41, and all you could do was slam your stick against the glass and head to the room as they celebrated.
Then imagine that, six hours after puck drop, you arrived at home, sore as all hell, thinking about all the things that could have gone your way but didn't. And then you opened your door to this nonsense.
Alzner tweeted the following photo at 1:57 a.m. EST Thursday morning, captioned with the words, "Dogs not happy about the loss either."

Thanks again to our Newshound Rosco for sending in the link.  He's seen here "working for his treats."  How handsome is he?

Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman Karl Alzner poses with his Dachshunds 'Murphy' and 'Charlie' for the 2012 Capitals Canine Calendar.

As an aside, we feel Mr. Alzner's pain.  Our own 'Rowdy,' aka Harry Houdini, escaped his crate while Dad was at work a few weeks ago.  So much for Dad's favorite shoes.