Best Friends: Dachshund and Cheetah

South African Adventure blog reports of a red smooth "vienna dog" who is best friends with a cheetah at a lion park in East London, South Africa. OK.....Cats got our tongue. Read all about it South African Adventure.

Bunny Loving Bed Warming Cuties

Dachshund lover Brian Laframboise offers up some nice doxie cartoons "based upon his own little cuties." Check 'em out at Brian Laframboise Art and Gifts. There are about 12 doxie designs in about 12 different coat colors! No more complaints about "that's great, but why doesn't it come in brindle?!" (chocolate shown above)

Burned Dachshund Puppy Gets New Home

Meet pretty 7-month-old red smooth 'Gracie' and her soon-to-be forever humans, Charley and Elizabeth Kuper, of San Antonio, Texas. Gracie was found badly burned 3 weeks ago, and taken by a good samaritan to the local Animal Defense League for treatment. Now on the mend, Gracie is being fostered by the Kupers, and there is "little doubt" (how COULD there be!) that she has found her forever home with them. Read all about it and see another pic of Gracie at WOAI.com.

Spotlight on Dallas-Fort Worth Dachshund Rescue Foundation

7-year-old 'Callie' is one of the dachshunds looking for a forever home through DFWDR.

When you need dachshund inspiration, look no further than the tireless humans involved in dachshund rescue. Dallas-Fort Worth Dachshund Rescue is one of the many great rescue organizations that make us so proud. We're especially taken with the great photography that showcases DFWDR's available dogs by photographer and dachshund lover Teresa Berg.
DFWDR's nice website includes news, resource links, and a dachshund fun and games page. If nothing else, check out the amazingly beautiful available dogs.
DFWDR is also in the process of producing a 2009 calendar, Picture A New Life, and if it's anything like this year's, it's going to be spectacular (don't miss the photos at that link!). We'll keep you updated on when it's available to the public in a few months.

"I've Got the Hot Dog, Who's Got the Bun? The Joy of Owning Mini Dachshunds"

Yesterday we asked for some positive dachshund inspiration from the dachshund community to get us through these troubling times, and if by magic, suddenly there it is. Woof! Mrst writes: I have recently published this article and after seeing your blog today, I thought you might enjoy it! Don't worry, we'll get the Dachshunds good name back!
Here's an excerpt from I've Got the Hot Dog, Who's Got the Bun? The Joy of Owning Mini Dachshunds: When you think of Dachshunds you think of short legged, long bodied dogs in red/brown, or black and tan. A few years back after we lost our first Mini Doxie to pneumonia at the age of eleven, we were looking for another one to add to the family. That was when I discovered that Dachshunds come in more colors and color combinations than any other breed of dog. You can find your usual reds and blck and tans of course. You can also find them in black & cream, blue & cream, blue & tan, chocolate & cream, chocolate & tan, cream, fawn& cream, fawn & tan, wheaten, wild boar, black, chocolate, & fawn. You can find them brindle, dapple, sable, brindle piebald, double dapple, & piebald. Then you've got long hair , short hair, smooth, and wirehaired. I have seen some of these colors and they are absolutely adorable. I have a black piebald and a red.
Read the rest and see some fun pics at gomestic.com or check out all of Mrst's blogs.

Damage Control

We're having a bit of a problem at The Long and Short of it All, we can't get beyond the reports of the recent study which has revealed that dachshunds are the most aggressive dog breed. What happy news can we report today? We're trying, we're trying, but a look at google news right now gives us the top dachshund stories: 82 news agencies report the study's findings placing dachshunds at the top of the list of the most aggressive dogs, and 205 news agencies report the dachshund who was euthanized after eating its' owner's toe last week.
Where's the good dachshund news we love to report? Where's a dachshund who finds a dinosaur bone? Where's a loyal dachshund who runs away from home after his human dies, and shows up days later, miles away across busy highways at the funeral? Where's a story of a human who never really loved a dog until they had a dachshund? Heck, we'd be happy to have another story of a dachshund raising a piglet.
At least the above cute photo and text from Australia's Mercury made us laugh a little: WOOF, WOOF! ... Striking fear into all he meets is Bart, a miniature smooth-haired dachshund, the world's most aggressive dog breed.
So, this is a call to arms, dear dachshund readers. Tell the world what wonderful dogs we are. Call the paper or TV station when we save a cat under the house. Tell your friends when we bark all night to rescue our human who fell. Explain how we inspire you through art or prose. Shout your titles and wins. We're loyal to the last beat of our heart. Best Friend. Cute as can be. Handsome to a fault. Champions to the core. Bed warmers. We are Dachshund.

Dachshunds Enjoy the Holiday

We're hoping all the American Dachshunds had a great holiday weekend! 'Daisy,' a 3-year-old smooth black and tan, gets a ride in a stroller Friday morning at the annual Fourth of July Pet Parade in downtown Bend, Oregon. Read all about the event and see more photos at the Bend Bulletin.

Dachshund Lovers Blog to Help Animals in Need

Meet black and tan longhairs 'Millhouse' and 'Penny,' and their human Stacy Jones, who hail from Naperville, Illinois. Stacy and her husband run Animals Need Help, a new blog which donates 100% of its profit to animal organizations. The Herald News had a look, and here's an excerpt: A small percentage of purchases -- all of Stacy's profit -- that visitors make from advertisers on the blog go to local shelters and animal welfare groups.
Animals Need Help is dedicated to education and prevention of animal cruelty. Posts range from informative -- "102 Interesting Facts About Dogs" -- to controversial -- "Pigs Are Our Friends, Not Our Food" -- to simply comical -- "Something keeps crashing on my computer," with a photo of a cat sleeping on a computer keyboard.
Read all about it at The Herald News, or check out Animals Need Help. Woof!

New University Study Finds Loveable Dachshund the Most Aggressive Dog

Aggressive? Us? We try to avoid negative dachshund news around these parts....large dog and coyote attacks, the sad tale of the dachshund who was euthanized this week for eating the toe of their human.....we want you to come here and leave with a smile on your face, never a frown. The goal of The Long and Short of it All is to be a place that inspires you and your dachshund to be all that you can; to read about the great things that dachshunds do, and the humans who are inspired by the love of their long dogs.
But let's be frank, it's not a great week to be a dachshund. There was a major study just released which places the dachshund at the very top of the list among 33 breeds as the most aggressive breed of dog. How can this be?
The study, by the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, interviewed 6,000 dog owners, and can be found at Science Direct, but there is a fee to view it. If you would like to read it, email us, and we'll send you a .pdf copy.
The Discovery Channel took a look at the study earlier in the week, and while small dog bites aren't potentially as dangerous as that of larger dogs, offered some explanations on how small dogs, including the dachshund, chihuahua, and jack russell ended up at the top of the list:

"Small size very likely plays a large role in the development of fear-based aggression among some breeds," Duffy [research specialist at the University of Pennsylvania] explained. "Smaller dogs may feel more threatened by other dogs and people -- a perception that may be well founded."
"There is some evidence that smaller breeds are more often the targets of aggression by other dogs," she added, "and small breeds, particularly Dachshunds, are more prone to injury due to rough handling by children, so this form of aggression among small breeds may be a learned response due to negative past experiences."
Although certain pooches appear to be more cantankerous than others, the study supports the old adage that "there are no bad dogs," since aggression is often balanced by other more beneficial attributes, such as watchdog skills.
"Most dogs are a mixed bag of positive and less desirable traits -- just like people," says Duffy.

Read more of the review of the study at The Discovery Channel, and see some of the statistics at Discovery's blog. It all comes down to the sampling method in this sort of study we think, although the sampling method seemed valid here. But, if we interviewed 68 of our dachshund friends about their nipping habits, we feel the results would be vastly different; we don't like being included in such lists. Likewise, as far as "breed discrimination" goes, some of the pit bulls, rottweilers, and german shepherds in the neighborhood are our best friends, and are as gentle as little lambs.
This study has also hit the press, and the dachshund isn't coming across so favorably in sensationalistic articles by the Telegraph and The Daily Mail.
Read about the necessary community approach to dog bite prevention at the AVMA.

The Daily Mail's Top Ten Thugs

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Wishing You All A Great 4th

American Dachshunds: have a safe and happy Independence Day! This beautiful photo comes from flickr photographer Tipper: Lyndi was about 6 months old in this shot. I think the tongue must be a result of singing the national anthem . . . sure that is what it was! lol.
Make sure to see more pics of 'Lyndi' in Tipper's photostream.

Dumb Weiner Dog


And, we posted this video last year on the 4th, but it serves as a reminder to not let this happen to you! Be careful out there! The Humane Society of the United States offers up some nice tips to protect your dachshund on the 4th of July. Have a great one.

Dachshunds in History: Dachshund Hoopla!

Fantastic photos and text from The American Dachshund, November, 1965: Have you a tricky dachshund? Tricky as a Temagimi Dachshund? With some assistance from other breeds, Edita Van derLyn's Temagimi Dachshunds entertain crowds in the Miama, Florida, area. Here is Temagimi's Do Rian going through double hoops on a narrow plank atop stepladders 4 feet high.

Mrs. Van der Lyn's Herzi and Odette looking like seals as they cool off in Miami waters. You may see one of these Dachshunds in a TV episode starring Flipper, the porpoise.

The Puppy Corral

It's mesmerizing to watch these beautiful dachshund puppies.

Hot Dog Etiquette

Happy National Hot Dog Month! Carnivores rejoice! July is National Hot Dog Month, and it's the closest thing we've got to a National Dachshund Month. Oh, wait, every month is dachshund month. Anyway, enjoy this fun new video on the proper way to eat a hot dog.

DRNA Wins $1,000 Donation from iGive.com

A big congrats and thanks goes out to Dachshund Rescue of North America for all the work they do. iGive.com named the rescue group as one of the 50 charitable causes to win a $1,000 donation. Excerpt from the Greensburg Daily News: “We were thrilled to find out about this unexpected donation,” Jill Blasdel-Cortus, CEO and president of DRNA, said. “We would like to send out a big thank you to all of our members using iGive.com, and urge those who haven’t registered to check it out.”
Read all about it at the Greensburg Daily News. Above, 'Mojo,' one of Jill Blasdel-Cortus’s dachshunds, poses for a picture. Find out how your internet surfing can mean money to your favorite organization at iGive.com.

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

Hot Dog in a Bun

"Let's be frank, these are some doggone great boxers." Men's boxer shorts available at J.Crew. Lightweight cotton, peached and washed for softness. $18.50 or 2 for $20.

Kim Cattrall's Dachshund Photo Op at Harrods

Monsters and Critics reports: British-Canadian actress, star of the 'Sex and the City' series, Kim Cattrall poses for photographers with a couple of smooth coat dachshund puppies during the traditional Summer Sale held at the luxury London department store Harrods, Britain, 30 June 2008. Harrods sales are held twice a year and are opened by an A-list celebrity in the presence of owner Mohamed Al-Fayed.
The puppies were for sale in Harrod’s pet department, and later sold for about $3,500 apiece. Ahem. Source.

Our Special Dachshunds

Here's a special roundup of some special dachshunds. Thanks so much for sending in the pics and stories! We love Ralph Sinatra (wouldn't Frank be proud?) in his handsome tux! Ashley P. writes: I have a mini dachshund son named Ralph. He is a year and a half. I got him from a woman in Missouri who made him live outside in a kennel. She told me his mother and sister passed away a few hours after he was born. He was so nervous and anti social when I got him that we joined the Dachshund Meet-up group in NYC. Since then, he's opened up alot more around people he doesn't know. He's such a good boy!

"I believe that the Hot Dogs go on!" - misheard Sinatra line

Jane A. sends a humorous tale about her beautiful smooth black and tan girl: 12 year old 'Wiggi,' (Granadan Midadz Gorravan to people not bearing cheese) was a bridesmaid when her "mum and dad" got married earlier this month. She had her own posy of dog biscuits courtesy of Gatehouse Veterinary surgery, and is currently in disgrace for stealing the brides wedding ring, which in her nearly blind (cataracts and glaucoma) state she thought might just be edible. She stole the show!

And this piebald boy with a great name knows how to get comfortable! Liz C. writes: I have longed for a longfellow for many years, and now, I have my 'Henry Longfellow.' Here is Henry, age 1.5 years, at overnight camp with his sister, Sophie, age 3. How Sophie got into the plastic beach chair is one thing ... but how did the long one get on top of her without toppling the chair? Hank (aka Oh Henry, Hankster the Pransker) is a joy who brings so much love and laughter to my world.

"Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Video From Wienerfest 2008

Wienerfest 2008 from Matthew Tape on Vimeo.

Thanks to Canadian Tape for embedding the video from Wienerfest 2008 which took place in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday. All proceeds from the 8th annual event help organizations Helping Homeless Pets and Tiny Paws pay for veterinary costs for rescue animals. Read the full story at CTV.