As Difficult To Shake As A Dachshund That Has Locked Onto Your Ankle

Dachshund Quotes To Remember:  In describing "feisty" Italian tennis player Sara Errani's WTA Championship match in Istanbul with Sam Stosur, Tennis.com penned: 

Stosur didn’t accomplish the slim chance to survive in what for her was a single-elimination tournament., losing to Italy’s feisty Sara Errani, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0.  It was a hot mess of a match, through no fault of Errani’s. The WTA No. 8 was her usual self, as difficult to shake as a dachshund that has locked onto your ankle.

Now, that IS feisty.

Slightly Related:  Famous Dachshund Quotes: Donald Rumsfeld

A Dachshund in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?!!

We had no idea!  Thanks so much to our pal 'Poncho' for writing in to let us know!  He writes:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

I was watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer this evening when I saw what looked like a Dachshund leading Yukon Cornelius' dog sled. 

After the show, I asked my human to verify the sighting on the Internet and he came up with this screen capture.

That's a doxie up front with a St. Bernard!  Ho ho ho!

Happy Holidays,

Poncho

Dachshund Lover First to Tweet of Osama Bin Laden

Keith Urbahn's twitter profile photo

The Independent reports in Social networkers first to learn of Osama Bin Laden’s death: 

Minutes after US President Barack Obama announced Osama Bin Laden’s death in a live TV broadcast, people from around the globe congregated on social networks like Twitter and Facebook to discuss and share the news.
But people using social network Twitter had already heard of Bin Laden’s death.
Keith Urbahn, a Twitter user who describes himself as "Chief of Staff, Office of Donald Rumsfeld, Navy Reserve intel officer and owner of two miniature dachshunds" in his Twitter bio, was reportedly the first to break the news using social networking site Twitter.
"So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn" read the now lionized tweet sent by @keithurbahn.

Never underestimate a Dachshund Lover. 

Related:  The Dachshund Factor: Donald Rumsfeld Attends Dachshund Dash
Related:   Famous Dachshund Quotes: Donald Rumsfeld

Fun with The Long and Short of it All

If you've downloaded the latest web browsers, and you've got nothing but extra time on your hands, type the word "view" after our url, or just click here http://dachshundlove.blogspot.com/view to see what blogger (who hosts the site) calls "dynamic views."  You can select from 5 different views when selecting the drop-down in the upper right-hand corner.  It's just a time-killer at this point, but soon sites can be customized to be viewed like this all the time.  You've got to have an upgraded web browser to view.

Dachshund Lover Joan Crawford on Dachshund Lover Elizabeth Taylor

Not the cat fight we were half expecting, but lots of respect. She only talks about her for about 45 seconds - we were hoping she would comment on her good taste in canines.

Dachshunds: Delivering Chaos Wherever We Go

Scouts Learn About Pets - article in its entirety via The Cross Timbers Gazette out of Flower Mound, Texas:

The Nosey Dog Pet Spa & Boutique in Flower Mound recently hosted Girl Scout Troop 761 and their Troop Leaders Mark and Kay Charles on to help them earn their Pet Care Badge.

During the two-hour session, the scouts learned about pet responsibility and the cost of owning pets from Patricia Debarros-Kari, owner of The Nosey Dog.

Charry Lackey, owner of The Pet Depot – Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service – taught the Girl Scouts how to keep their pets healthy and how to communicate with them by learning different behavior reactions.

The Girl Scouts then had the opportunity to get some “hands on” training by bathing four dogs: Allie, a beautiful Black lab; Broden, a handsome Wheaten Terrier; and Henry and Geoffrey, two very naughty Mini Dachshunds.

Well - whatever we did, we'll wear that badge with pride, thank you very much!  Looks like we didn't even make the photo-op.

News From The Motherland: Don't Worry Fritzchen, Your Identity Is Safe

November saw the launch of Google Street View in Germany, and it didn't go so well.  A man was embarrassed to say the least as he was talking to some prostitutes through the window of a brothel in Nuremberg and the 360-degree google camera captured him when he was entering the establishment.  After the photo circulated the net, Google then blurred out the faces of folks captured in any of their shots - even the Dachshunds!  Check out this photo at Marienplatz in Munich. 
Source.

Dachshunds: The Noisiest Dogs In New York City

Who, Me?

Labels.  Hhhmph.  We've had a run at being called the oldest dogs as well as the most aggressive dogs, and now we're being called the noisiest dogs.  What's a Dachshund to do?  Certainly we are the most lovable dogs, right?  Meet one of Ruth Carmelitano O'Sullivan's two Dachshunds, who are the noisiest dogs in New York City.  Yep, 'Elizabeth' and 'Emily' have had 2 animal noise violations issued against them, the most issued to anyone in New York City over the last year.  Excerpt from the New York Daily News:

One neighbor at the John Jay House co-op on E. 76th St. said residents "suffered through [the barking] for over a year" and it made them "miserable."

The woof-fests occurred during the daytime, when O'Sullivan was at work, residents said.
After warning O'Sullivan about the noise, the city's Department of Environmental Protection hit her with a $70 violation on Nov. 17. She was slapped with another noise violation, for $175, on Jan. 14, records show.
O'Sullivan didn't comment, but her ex-husband, Larry Genovese, defended his ex-wife and the dachshunds.
"It was ridiculous," said Genovese, who lived with O'Sullivan when she was ticketed.
"She didn't deserve what she was put through."
O'Sullivan eventually paid both fines, and residents said she's taken steps that have kept Elizabeth and Emily quiet.

Read more of this blusterous story and see another pic at the New York Daily News.

Vintage Dachshund Fun: I Only Have Eyes For You

Thanks so much to our pal 'Poncho' for writing in with this nice little vintage Dachshund gem from End Records.  He writes:

Dear Joey and Maggie:


While searching for 45 rpm art to add to the iTunes profile of the oldie "I Only Have Eyes For You" by the Flamingos... look what turned up.


Thought you'd want to have a look. Oh, here's me with a toy in the big bed as Dad was heading to work a few days ago:


Love the blog.
Poncho



Let's have a listen.

Wirehair Wednesdays

The Wirehaired Dachshund is a relatively recent development when compared to the Smooths and Longhairs.  Whereas these two varieties were bred to go to ground after badgers and other burrowing game, the Wirehairs' tough coat was developed to protect it as it trailed game through the thickets and dense undergrowth in the forests.  Source:  The Dachshund:  A Dog for Town and Country, Ann Gordon. 

Photo:  circa 1941, source unknown.

The Vintage Wirehair

San Francisco Photographer William A. January, 1897-1965, was known for his photography and devotion to dogs in the 1940s and 50s.  His signature "January" is seen on many Dachshund and dog photos from this era.

A Paradachs

If the antonym of long is short, and if the antonym of short is long, then how do us Dachshunds even exist?

Dachshund Foot Scraper

Speaking of cast iron Dachshund foot scrapers, check out this nice old article we found doing Dachshund research at a local university.  It's from the Chicago Daily Tribune, December 6, 1931:

No dire need, perhaps, of a foot scraper at our door these modern times, when city and suburban civic associations pave our streets and keep our walks shoveled clean (sometimes!) on snowy, blizzardy days.  Still, there are occasions when it has its uses and, of ye olden days, a foot scraper bids one enter.  In many guises we see it.  Here it takes the form of a black iron Dachshund, alertly waiting the moment he can be of service to the incoming guest.

There are many styles of these foot scrapers available in antique stores, flea markets, and on e-bay; some are old, and some are not.  The one pictured above is obviously pretty old, as the article attests. Looking at the photo in yesterday's post, it is pictured in the back left.  It is the granddaddy of all Dachshund foot scrapers, measuring in at 22", and weighing 30 pounds!  Expect to pay anywhere from $100 - $300 for it.  We've heard that some of these may have a maker's mark of some sort. 
The one in front of it, with a marked bump on the nose, is not old, but is nicely styled. The one to the right, facing in the other direction, is a small version of the granddaddy, and has a plate on the bottom to be screwed down - it is also old, and can be found without the plate.

Heading outside to the front porch of the casa de Long and Short of it All are two more available styles.  (Let's lift these up to get a better photo - they're heavy!)  The pudgy one in front is definitely new, and can be found for as little as $10 sometimes; it does not have a marked bump on its nose, and has angular, almost art deco styling in the snout and ears. 
The larger one behind it sort of looks like the granddaddy, but smaller with a curly tail.  We got this at an antique store for a reasonable price of about $50, so we're not exactly sure of its age - most likely later than the granddaddy at least.
Regardless of the age, foot scrapers are fun to have and collect for the Dachshund Enthusiast, and as the Tribune article eludes, they are a welcoming sign to your home - much like the good little Dachshunds inside.

News From the Motherland

Release The Hounds! Hunting horns kicked off the festivities in Delmenhorst, Germany, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Verein der Teckelfreunde, the Society of Teckel Friends. Several awards were given out, including one to Heino Tielking of Oldenburg in recognition of a 40-year membership in the club. Read all about it in a translated link at NWZonline.

Dackel vs. Teckel via wikipedia: In Germany, dachshunds are widely called Dackel (both singular and plural). To be classified as a full Teckel, these dogs must undergo blood tracking tests. Classically, any dog of Dackel heritage is given an official tattoo upon one ear. After suitable training, the dog must then follow a blood trail that is at least 48 hours old successfully to its conclusion. Once this is completed, another tattoo is marked on the other ear to denote full Teckel rank. Teckel, whether tattooed or not, are bred for hunting purposes, and they tend to be visibly larger in their chests than their Dackel counterparts, though marginally shorter in length.

Dachshund Lovers in History

A Memphis, Tennessee Memory: Asking Maxwell Riddle about her miniature dachshund in May 1961 is Mrs. Dean Manning of 350 N. Bellevue. In addition to being a weekly columnist for the Memphis Press-Scimitar, Riddle was also a judge and dog expert at the show.

Mrs. Manning had it going on.

Chanel to Lose Title As Oldest Living Dog in the World?

Well, we thought this might happen, that 21-year-old wire-haired Dachshund-mix 'Chanel' is not really the oldest dog in the world, but the good news is that her new competition, 25.5-year-old Max, looks to us like he may have a coveted Dachshund gene in his terrier mix. Max hails from New Iberia, Louisiana. We'll let you know how it all pans out. Read more at Eyewitness News 10.
Related: Coverage of Chanel

Google Trends: The Dachshund is HOT

We know us popular Dachshunds are HOT DOGS, but who knew that we were the #17 most popular Google search term yesterday, May 18th, 2009? Wired magazine took note of it when they were looking at a new computational search engine.

Oddly, it spiked out at about the time we search the net to bring you the best in Dachshund news and popular culture every day. Our little paws can type surprisingly fast. If you like facts and figures, see all the Dachshund statistics over the years in a graph at Google Trends. Oklahoma City searches for Dachshunds more than anyone else! Go Oklahoma!

Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Andy Garcia

Yep, Academy Award-Nominated actor Andy Garcia is a dachshund lover. Celebrity pet blogger Lucky Diamond stopped by the premiere of Beverly Hills Chihuahua and spoke with Mr. Garcia who mentioned that he has two dachshunds and a poodle. Looks like one of the doxies is named 'Gracie.' From an article in 1999, he had a dachshund named 'Lucy.'
We'd love to see some photos of Mr. Garcia and his dachshunds. If anyone has any more information, please send it in!

Maybe Mr. Garcia likes to be reminded of his Cuban homeland, where apparently dachshunds are quite popular. This nice photo is from Studio Lab, where it's mentioned that "I don't think there is any where on earth that has as many sausage dogs per capita as in Cuba. There are even homeless dachshunds!!!" Read more at Studio Lab, and see some more nice pics, including what appears to be some of the sad homeless wiener dogs.

Flickr also has some nice shots of our furry Cuban friends.

Famous Dachshund Quotes: Donald Rumsfeld

"I would like to say I did. I don't believe we do. But I do have a miniature dachshund named Reggie who looks out for us." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2003, on whether he has duct tape, plastic sheeting and a three-day supply of bottled water at home. Source.

Related: Dachshunds in Politics: Mary Matalin and James Carville

The Dachshund Slips to Number Seven in National AKC Registration

Well, we're lucky number seven! The AKC released their 2007 registration statistics today, and, based on AKC stats, dachshunds remain in the Top 10 Most Popular Dogs in America. WOOF!
We're ranked at number 7 this year, a slight drop from last year's 6. We swapped places with the boxer, who moved up from 7 to 6. We don't mind though. We got a good thing going on. This is all just a part of the master plan of The Dachshund Revolution.
Read all about the national stats at the AKC, and also see how your city rates for dachshunds.
(Image: early 1900's postcard)