Lucy the Dachshund Gets a Reprieve

Meet 'Lucy,' the not-so-dangerous black and tan smooth dachshund, and one of her humans, Monique Hobson, aged two. Lucy got loose in October of last year when the family was bringing in groceries from the car and nipped at the ankle of a burly neighbor who pressed charges. Due to a 1991 dangerous dog law, there was a potential fine of £5,000 or 6 months in jail, and Lucy could have been put down. Thankfully, she got a reprieve. Excerpt from The Daily Mail: An eight-inch-high "sausage dog" was given a reprieve by magistrates today after her owner was cleared of letting a dangerous dog run out of control.
Burly landscape gardener Shawn Anderson claimed he was "inconsolable" after miniature Dachshund Lucy allegedly nipped his ankle and bit his jeans.
But Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard he suffered no injuries, there were no teeth marks and no damage to his jeans after the yapping dog ran round his legs outside his flat in Gosforth, Newcastle, in October last year.
He lived in the property below Lucy's owner, Melanie Hobson, 26, her husband Steve and their two children, Monique, two, and four-year-old Jacob.
Magistrates heard that Mrs Hobson was carrying shopping from her car after a trip out with her children when Lucy ran off, barking.
The court heard the dog approached Mr Anderson, ran round his legs and, according to him, bit him on the ankle.
One of the two young children ran up and grabbed the dog, the court heard. Mr Anderson then shouted at the owner: "If your dog bites me again, I will have you done."
The court heard Mrs Hobson replied: "What are you on about? She didn't touch you."
Read the rest.

Lucy with Owner Melanie Hobson and her daughter Monique

The Burly neighbor

Dachshund Water Rescue!

Dachshund Hero

Rochelle Henderson gets kisses from 'Toby,' to thank her for saving his life after he jumped off a backyard pier and became caught underneath it! Way to go Rochelle! Excerpt from the Marin Independent Journal, California: Toby's soggy adventure had a happy ending Monday after the small dog fell off a Belvedere backyard pier and became trapped in the water beneath it.
The dog, a year-old black-and-tan dachshund, was pulled out from under the private pier in Belvedere Lagoon about noon by Rochelle Henderson, a nanny next door who volunteered to swim into the lagoon to save the dog after alerting the Marin Humane Society and Belvedere police.
Henderson was alerted by another neighbor who swims frequently in the lagoon and saw the dog tumble off the pier - and disappear - during an excited bout of barking, according to Humane Society spokeswoman Sheri Cardo.
"She was quite heroic," Belvedere police Officer Andy Rosas said of Henderson. "She grabbed whatever she could find (for swim gear) and did a heck of a job."
Dog owner Nancy Freed, who was not at her Windward Way home at the time of the incident, said the dog - adopted from the Marin Humane Society in April - had never before fallen into the water.
"He got a little overzealous today," Freed said.

Marin Humane Society Officer Andy O Brien keeps an eye on Toby as rescuer Rochelle Henderson swims back to the pier.

Dachshunds Attending Festivals in the News

Peter Almandres looks for a picture as 'Chloe,' his miniature red longhair dachshund, checks out another direction Saturday as they walk along the midway at the Cooper-Young Festival in Memphis. Chloe looks so comfy with her dad! If you're interested in the Midtown Memphis Cooper-Young event, read the rest at commercialappeal.

Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Richard Tauber

This is a 1931 photo of popular opera singer Richard Tauber and his dachshunds arriving in New York aboard the ocean liner Bremen for his American debut. Richard Tauber (16 May 1891 – 8 January 1948) was an Austrian tenor acclaimed as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Some critics commented that "his heart felt every word he sang". Find out more about Richard Tauber at wikipedia, or sit back with a cup of coffee or hot tea this morning and listen to him sing at youtube. We're betting that he sang to his doxies.
Update: March 8th, 2009: According to TIME magazine, 11/9/31, Mr. Tauber's dachshunds were named 'Fritzi' and 'Mitzi.'

Wiener Takes All: Finally!

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It seems like this dachumentary has been in production for an eternity, but patient dachshund lovers can finally see the World Premier of the film tomorrow at noon at Park Lane Cinemas in Halifax as part of the Atlantic Film Festival. The US Premier follows in a week at the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, and then heads to BendFilm, in Bend, Ore. Hopefully the film will get picked up by a distributer, get released, and we can all see it soon! Excerpt from the Chronicle Herald: They may have seven-centimetre legs, but they go like lightning in pursuit of their favourite chew toy, running at up to nine metres per second.
And when denied their spot in the Wiener’s Circle, the competitors in the Wiener National Championships can fall to pieces.
"When Hailey lost, she was so depressed she went limp, her whole demeanour changed," says Shane MacDougall, who chronicled the journey of six racing dachshunds duking it out to be top dog in Wiener Takes All: A Dogumentary.
The movie, the first for the Prince Edward Island-born and -raised MacDougall, has its world premiere Sunday at noon at Park Lane Cinemas in Halifax as part of the Atlantic Film Festival.
The following week the hour-and-a-half documentary whose tag line boasts it is "a year in the life of the fastest and furriest," makes its U.S. premiere at the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival and then heads to BendFilm, dubbed the new Telluride, in Bend, Ore.
Wiener Takes All is a compelling tale of underdogs and egos, of a world rife with infighting and "racism" where some of the athletes come complete with entourages and racing silks bearing monikers like Pretzel, the Brown Bullet and a controversy that San Diego sports reporter Troy Hirsch said was the biggest he could recall in his community.
In Wiener Takes All, the characters in the fictional Best In Show mockumentary become real. One industry veteran says people will spend up to $100,000 a year to get their pooch to the top of the competitive dog show circuit. The winner of the national championship gets a parade, and there’s even a "muttrimonial" performed by a licensed minister, complete with a dog bone-decorated multi-tiered cake, tuxedo and veils.
But mostly, says MacDougall, who lives in San Diego with his wife and four cats, Wiener Takes All is about the heart of the darling dachsies. Read the rest.
For more info, here's the official Wiener Takes All website.

Enjoy this preview!

Online Videos by Veoh.com

For Those Who Are Dog Tired

Sit back with your doxies and relax on this cool dachshund bench. Gotta get on the next plane to Toronto for this fun photo op!
Make sure to check out all of Georgie_grrl's great photos of Toronto right here on flickr.

Dachshunds on Exhibit

How great would it be to find this original 1905 dachshund poster advertising a dog exhibit? Reproductions are available from $15 for a poster to $300 for a fine lithograph. The artist, Georg Belwe, born 12.8.1878 in Berlin, Germany, died 1954 in Ronneburg, Germany, was a typographer, type designer, and teacher who studied at the Königliches Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin. Find out more about Georg Belwe at linotype.com.

Georg Belwe

Dachshunds Home Alone

‘Java’ the dachshund attacks the trash can when his humans went out one night. Funny stuff! It's a little long, but Java gives the trash can a good pounding at about 5:40 on the clock on the screen. That's one determined dachshund!

Duncan wins Belfast Wienerfest Costume Contest

Meet 'Duncan!' Duncan is an 11-year-old chocolate and tan dappled dachshund. Duncan placed first in the costume contest on Sunday at the 4th Annual Wienerfest in Belfast, Maine. Like the Midwest Dachshund Festival in Danville, Illinois on Saturday, the event was hampered with rain, but there were over 400 dog owners last year. The Wienerfest also featured dachshund races and vendors. Excerpt from mainecoastnow: Duncan “Cowboy” Gallant stood in front of them all in his cowboy hat, neckerchief, serape and boots as the crowd shouted his nickname. “Cowboy!”The 11-year-old dachshund won the best costume award at the 4th annual Wienerfest on Sunday, one of more than 140 of the long-bodied, short-legged canines that are sometimes called “hotdogs” to enter the festival at Steamboat Landing and the Boathouse.
It wasn’t the first taste of victory for Duncan, a chocolate dappled dachshund whose owners Donald and Judy Gallant live in Frankfort.
Their pet won the best costume event the first year of Weinerfest with a Snoopy pilot’s outfit reminiscent of the Charlie Brown comic strip. The second year, he took second as Count Duncan, dressing up as Dracula. Last year he wore an army outfit with a tiny M-16 rifle strapped to his back and won first prize.
He took his latest victory with doggie aplomb, looking around at the other pets and their owners, without barking or acting up. Read the rest.

Alex Allenwood of North Searsport heads Midge in the right direction for the race.

Thatcher of Skowhegan transforms into the Tin Man. Images courtesy Waldo County Citizen. See more photos from the event.

Dachshunds Get Wet in the News

Hundreds of dachshunds and friends descended on Danville, Illinois on Saturday for the 11th Annual Midwest Dachshund Festival. It rained and rained and rained. Your 'Long and Short of it All' hosts, Joey and Maggie, can attest to the downpour, the first time it rained at the event in 11 years. All things considered, the doxies still had a great time. Photos courtesy Chicago Dachshund Lovers. Excerpt from Commercial-News: Hundreds of little legs ran as fast as they could Saturday as a drizzle turned into a downpour at Lincoln Park.
The annual Midwest Dachshund Festival moved into the park’s pavilion, but many of the pint-sized participants and their parents packed up and headed for home.
The annual event seeks to publicize the plight of abandoned dachsies. Previously called Dachsiefest and held at Kickapoo State Park until this year, more than 300 dogs and their owners were expected to attend. But as with any outdoor event, weather plays an important role. This year, Mother Nature cut the festivities short, as short as the little dogs’ legs.
Neil Cortus served as the event’s emcee. He said as soon as the lightning started, he had to shut down all his electrical equipment and cover it up.
“It’s been a tough one today,” Cortus said, as he and his wife loaded their nine dachshunds and all their supplies into their camper.
“Once the weather got really bad, we moved into the pavilion. We still had a few events, and the people who stayed had fun.”
Those events included contests for: the farthest travel to the festival — dog and owner from Washington state; most dachsies brought to the event — 13; oldest dog — 20-years-old; and everyone’s favorite, the costume parade.
Although Jill Blasdel-Cortus, president and founder of Dachshund Rescue of North America, felt disappointed that the weather interfered with the event her group sponsored, she and her husband Neil remained optimistic.
“We spoke with the mayor (Scott Eisenhauer) right before things got really bad,” Neil Cortus said. “He said he’ll help us find an indoor venue for next year.” Read the rest.
More information on dachshund rescue and an event calendar for Dachshund Rescue of North America can be found at DRNA.

Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Mr. Weenie

Meet 'Mr. Weenie!' Mr. Weenie, a black and tan smooth dachshund, was a character in the 2006 Sony Pictures animated film 'Open Season.' If Mr. Weenie doesn't look so happy, that's because he's just found out that he's going to be the star in the sequel 'Open Season 2,' but it's going to go directly to DVD.
Excerpt from The Animation Blog: Sony Pictures Animation has confirmed that it’s making a direct-to-DVD Open Season sequel which will hit store shelves in 2009. The original film took in $190 million worldwide and performed well on DVD so a sequel isn’t much a surprise. What is a surprise is the decision to go straight to DVD which hopefully doesn’t mean the production value will suffer.
The new movie will focus on Mr. Weenie and Giselle, both of which were characters in the original film. No word on whether or not the Elliot and Boog characters (Ashton Kutcher and Martin Lawrence) will make an appearance.
Find out more about 'Open Season' and Mr. Weenie at wikipedia.

The 2007 Midwest Dachshund Festival

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If you live in the Midwest, don't miss the 11th Annual Midwest Dachshund Festival tomorrow, September 8th, 2007 in Danville, Illinois. The event is now organized by Dachshund Rescue of North America, and over 300 dachshunds are expected! There will be vendors, wiener races, costume contests, dachshunds on parade, and lots of other fun contests. Find out more at the DRNA website.
Your 'Long and Short of it All' hosts, Joey and Maggie, will be there. Stop by and say hello at the Chicago Dachshund Lovers tent! Woof!

Dachshunds at Padre Island's Only Animal Hospital

'Duke,' a black and tan longhair dachshund, gets bandaged after veterinarian Christi Kresser removed a catheter at the Animal Hospital of Padre Island. This is the only animal hospital on Padre Island, where residents prefer not to cross the bridge to the mainland if they can avoid it. We're betting that Duke enjoys the weather there! Find out more about the animal hospital at the Caller-Times link.

Dachshund Champion Swings Back into Action in the News

Meet 'Angus' and his 10-year-old human Robbie Breece. Angus is a black and tan wire-haired dachshund. They're gearing up for the Carmichael Founder's Day dog show on September 15th in Carmichael, California. Last year they won contests in 3 categories! Way to go Angus and Robbie! Excerpt from the Sacramento Bee: After winning last year in three categories, including eating the most hot dogs, 10-year-old Robbie Breece is pretty sure he and his dog, Angus, are going to win again in this year's Carmichael Founder's Day dog show.
"After the last show, I taught him a new trick," the fifth-grader said.
"I say 'sit pretty' and I hold the granola bar above his nose, and he sits for a really, really long time," the Fair Oaks boy said.
"I like winning," Robbie said as his wire hair dachshund waddled next to him, sniffing his hands for a treat.
Robbie also won a trophy and a ribbon for having the dog with the tail that wagged the most and was the most poised.
"Basically, he just pranced around in a circle," Robbie said of Angus, who was named more for his color than his bullish characteristics. Read more about the event.

Hot Dachshunds in the News

Meet 'Spud!' Spud is a pretty 3-year-old red longhair dachshund who knows how to keep cool in these dog days of summer by seeking shade in the grass, or a tile floor under a fan in the house. Excerpt from the Bradenton Herald, Florida: Spud the dachshund wasn't lying in a bun or under a scoop of sauerkraut, but his relentless search for shade in the midmorning heat indicated he was one hot dog.
Spud's smart, said his owner, Stephanie Chan, as she walked him down the sidewalk along Meandering Way in Summerfield.
Though he's an inside dog, the 3-year-old Spud loves the outdoors and knows how to keep cool on his walks throughout the day. If he gets hot, he lies in the grass for a while to cool off.
Chan takes the proper precautions, too. She usually walks him along the lake behind the family's home, where there's ample shade, and she carries a bottle of water in case Spud starts panting.
It's better to be safe than sorry, and during these dog days of summer, it's not only the females that need to worry about being in heat. See 2 more photos of Spud and read more about canine heatstroke at the Bradenton Herald link.

Dachshunds, Agility, and Junior Showmanship in the News

'Flirt,' a long-haired miniature black and tan dachshund, tugs on her leash in the arms of her owner, Lindsey Pabst, after placing first at the Kenai Kennel Club's dog agility trial Sunday in Alaska. At 13-years-old Lindsey was the youngest handler, running the agility course with the smallest dog at the trial. Way to go Flirt and Lindsey! Excerpt from the Peninsula Clarion: Lindsey Pabst is no stranger to the world of dog agility. After watching her mother train dogs ever since she could remember, it probably isn't surprising for those who know her to find 13-year-old Lindsey standing in line with Flirt, her 5-year-old long-haired miniature dachshund, at the Kenai Kennel Club agility trial Sunday awaiting her chance to take on the jumps and weaves. "My goal is to run really fast to get her moving and keep her happy, excited and motivated," Lindsey said. "Sometimes she's off and doesn't want to do anything."
Lindsey was 8 when she met Flirt, and started training her when the dog was 6 months old. At her first trial, Lindsey's goal was to just have fun, but after approximately three years of trials, Lindsey hopes Flirt will get a title in the jumping course and the standard course which includes all the obstacles before the event is over. Read the rest.

Related: Dachshunds and Junior Showmanship in the News

Hardworking Dachshunds Enjoy Labor Day in the News

The address is Party Cove, Perry Lake, Kansas. Watercraft are tied together, and passengers jump from boat to boat, visiting friends and sometimes strangers. Looks like 'Baxter' is enjoying his holiday! Excerpt from the Lawrence Journal: Melissa Sparks, of Topeka, floats on a raft in the cove with her miniature dachshund, Baxter. About 60 watercraft were anchored in the cove Monday. If you're interested in Party Cove at Perry Lake, read the rest.

The Working Dachshund in the News: Dove Hunting

It was the opening of dove season in the Central and North zones on Saturday, and 'Stretch' the dachshund went to work in Texas. Excerpt from the Tyler Morning Telegraph: An unusual hunt calls for an unusual retriever, and Stretch, a young Dachshund owned by Stephen Wilson of Brownwood, filled the bill Saturday. If you're interested in dove hunting, read the rest.

Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Dita Von Teese

Woof! Modern Dachshund Glamour at its finest. Dita Von Teese is a popular American burlesque artist, model and actress. Her lucky pretty dachshunds are Greta and Eva. Greta is the black and tan smooth, and Eva is the red long-hair. Find out more about Dita on her official website, or check out wikipedia.

Dita cuddles a wire-haired dachshund puppy at the Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007. We're betting she was missing Greta and Eva.

Dachshunds in Fashion

Houndstooth skirts, dachshund handbags. From the runway and backstage at Moschino's Cheap and Chic Fall 2007 show. Did someone say Woof!? Click any photo to enlarge. See more runway pics at nymag.