The Wonderful World of Disney

It's Sunday evening, and when we were growing up, that meant it's time for the Wonderful World of Disney. It didn't really matter if you'd seen that week's episode already. This is that scene from The Ugly Dachshund.
Hope you're enjoying a great Labor Day weekend.

Dachshunds in Art: Dynamism of A Dog on a Leash (1912) by Giacomo Balla

Again and again over the last 2.5 years at The Long and Short of it All, we've wanted to feature this painting, Giacomo Balla's beautiful Dynamism of A Dog on a Leash (1912). That day has finally come because The Independent has done all the work in a fascinating story which details the novel concept of expressing movement on canvas, something rarely done until this time. Here's an excerpt:

And in the early 20th century, the effect finally made its way onto canvas. The wish to imitate the machine and the mechanised image seduced the would-be modern artist. We find oil paintings doing something that they had never done before – using multiple limbs to indicate bodies in motion. It appears in Marcel Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase and in the works of the Italian Futurists. Giacomo Balla's Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash is one of the most striking.
A lady is walking a dog; a widow and her pet. The lady has roughly 15 feet, variably solid and see-through. The dog has eight countable tails, while its legs are lost in flurry of blurry overlays. Four swinging leads go between them. The picture's sense of movement (if that is what it actually is) is created out of stark black forms and weird flowing lacey veils.
Even without these multiplication and motion effects, Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash would be doing something that's novel. There aren't many previous paintings that present us with such an abrupt close-up. Balla takes the kind of subject that Impressionism had specialised in, a street scene with bourgeois promenaders, but he picks out only a single detail, an almost randomly chosen clip, and makes it the focus of the whole picture.

Read all about it at The Independent.

Related: Dachshunds in Art

Have a great Friday!

New York's Oldest Dog

With the recent passing of 'Chanel,' the Dachshund mix who was on record as the oldest dog in the world, dogs are coming out of the woodwork to claim the esteemed title, and it's amazing how many of them carry a Dachshund gene or two.
Meet 'Paco Sosa Fetes,' a handsome red smooth who hails from Manahattan, and is believed to be the oldest dog in New York. Paco turns 20 years old tomorrow, September 5th. May bones rain from the sky! Excerpt from Reuters:

Paco exercises regularly and eats organic poultry, fish and fruit; and in good
weather he can be seen in Central Park with his human companion, filmmaker and
venture capitalist Bernadine Santistevan. But Paco's healthy regimen isn't
the only factor in his longevity, according to Dr. Talia Goldberg of Park East
Animal Hospital, where Paco has been treated since 1990.
"A lot of it has to do with the care that Bernadine provides him.
Acupuncture, physical therapy, Eastern therapy -- she goes well beyond for
him." Thanks in large part to this comprehensive wellness program and to
Bernadine being "in tune" with her dog, "Paco is still with us and in pretty
good condition," said the New York veterinarian.

Read all about Paco in a great article at Reuters.




UPDATE: 9.6 - 7 AM: Meet Paco's human, Bernadine Santistevan, in an expanded article at the New York Daily News.

Historical Dachshund Revelations

News from Germany circa 1968:

East German border guards recently asked their West German opposite members to help free a large, red Dachshund whose leash had become entangled in a bush near the communist death strip, a mine along the Iron Curtain.
"Odd," said one West German guard to his patrolling buddy. "Odd, isn't it? If it had been a man, woman, or child, they would have been shot to death!'

via the American Dachshund, January 1969; vintage photo source unknown.

We can learn a lot from Man's Best Friend.

Dachshund Author Jack Magestro Passes

Our hearts go out to the friends and family of author and Dachshund Lover Jack Magestro, who penned the wonderful "Redstripe and Other Dachshund Tales" series of books. Mr. Magestro passed away on August 21st after a lengthy illness.
We highly recommend his work, which is hugely popular amongst Dachshundists around the world.
Read a special appreciation of the author at the always delightful Dachshund Delights Newsletter.

The obituary from his local newspaper can be found here.

Thanks to our friend 'Clancy' for sending this in.

Canine Humor

Thanks to our pal 'Polly' for sending this in!

Recuperating

'Napoleon,' a 2-1/2 year old dachshund, recovers from an attack by a coyote in his backyard in Calabasas, California. The coyote leaped over a fence and tried to haul Napoleon away, but failed. According to owner Jane Chaudron, the coyote returned the next day and attempted to snatch the dog’s mother. Napoleon is a therapy dog with Lend a Paw. Source.

Mend quickly Napoleon.

Mole Patrol: Bubba Breaks His Record

We're hoping that you remember 10-year-old 'Bubba,' the red shaded smooth who loves to hunt moles at the cemetery. We first featured Bubba last year in a fun little post: The Working Dachshund: Bubba's on Mole Patrol at the Local Cemetery. We're excited to report that the Nebraska Dachshund keeps on digging, and has broken his own record for number of moles...uhmmm...exterminated in a year. That's right - he's at 74 moles so far this year, breaking his record of 73 last year. Holy Moly! That's a lotta moles! Excerpt from the Fremont Tribune:

“He actually hears them,” cemetery sexton Jim Clarke said. “His ears perk up and his tail starts wagging and he runs and digs them up. He’ll hear them from 100 feet away.”
Never straying far from his human Betty Reandeau, little Bubba flashes a doggy smile while waddling along the cemetery’s cement paths. With head held high, he almost seems to gallop as he makes his rounds.
Suddenly, he stops, listens, sniffs the air and then nose-dives into a mole hole. Taking matters into his own paws, he digs furiously.
A mole doesn’t have much of a chance against Bubba, who chomps it in the middle then tosses the dead animal over his back.

Read all about Bubba at the Fremont Tribune.

Maggie's Trip to the Vet

(click any image to enlarge)

Maybe we're biased, but even Maggie's x-rays are cute. We love her little paws. Your Long and Short of it All hostess, 8.5-year-old 'Maggie' had a bum paw on Monday, and wouldn't even walk. She would just lay on her side, and hold her right paw up in the air, as if she was saying "Fix it!" There didn't appear to be anything caught or stuck anywhere, and Dad couldn't go to work and just leave her at home in pain, so it was off to the vets. After a thorough examination, the good doctor couldn't find anything, although she definitely had pain in one of the pads when it was squeezed. So, an x-ray was in order to see if somthing was lodged inside the pad.

Nope, there's nothing there. If the little princess was faking to get Dad to stay home from work, the plan backfired, because she definitely didn't want to go to the vets.

The vet did notice some degenerative joint disease in Maggie's shoulder though. The area in question should be a well-defined bone, and should not appear to bleed into the background at the tip the way it does in this x-ray. The vet recommended a glucosamine supplement, but Maggie is already taking one every day to keep her back healthy.
She was given a pain med, had her paw soaked in Epsom salts at home, and is no longer limping today. Now to get her thyroid results straightened out and plan for a future biopsy on an unusual mole she has on her side.
And she's the healthy one.

The Little Princess

Celebrity Dachshund Watch UK: Georgie Thompson and Rollo

Who? Us Yanks are clueless. This is Georgie Thompson and her Dachshund, smooth black and tan 'Rollo.' Miss Thompson is a Sky Sports News Host in the UK, and girlfriend of actor/entertainer Declan Donnelly. Still doesn't ring a bell for us. Regardless, the UK hottie will be hosting the Boomerang Pet Personality Awards in London on September 13th. Find out more at PetStreet.

Dachshund Missing Four Months Found 600 Miles Away

Welcome home Max, the escape artist. Apparently he climbed up on the couch, opened the window, and chewed through the screen to escape his Kingsburg, California home 4 months ago. Through the magic of a microchip, he was reunited with his family yesterday in Phoenix, Arizona, some 588 miles away! Read all about it at Arizona Central.

Alabama Puppy Mill Dachshunds Find Hope With All American Dachshund Rescue

Thank goodness for our dedicated folks in Dachshund rescue. More than a dozen Dachshunds arrived in Lewisburg, Tennessee, yesterday for a new chance at life with All American Dachshund Rescue. These Dachshunds were some of 217 dogs seized a few weeks ago in Talladega County, Alabama. "I always get angry, angry that people can do this to an animal," said Diane Irwin, President of AADR. The embedding on this video is a bit sketchy, and if you can't see it, you can watch it and of course read more at WKRN.

Related: Dachshunds in Alabama Puppy Mill Bust

Chanel, the Oldest Dog on Record, Passes Away

Our hearts go out to the friends and family of Dachshund mix 'Chanel,' the oldest dog in the world according to Guiness World Records. Chanel passed away at her home in New York last Friday at the grand old age of 21. Chanel had a big media blitz last year as the oldest dog in the world, even appearing on the Today Show. Read more at the New York Daily News.



Chanel's special 21st Birthday. RIP little girl.

Related: Chanel coverage

Dachshund Dog Used As Bait

Picture: SHAUN DALY

Uggh. What a bad start to the week. Well, things can only get better, right? In a horrific story out of KwaZulu-Natal, a province of South Africa, a red smooth Dachshund named 'Jasmine' was stolen from her home by poachers and used as bait to lure wild animals into illegal snares. Apparently a dog's high-pitched cries attracts the wild animals. Jasmine was one of the lucky ones though; a neighbor heard her cries about 4 hours after she went missing and rescued her just as she was surrounded by bush pigs. Read the terrifying story at The Times.

Jasmine is reunited with her relieved owner, Anton van Straaten, after the ordeal. Picture: JACKIE CLAUSEN

When Wiener Races Go Bad

We try to avoid controversy around these parts, but sometimes we just can't help ourselves in the interest of Dachshund welfare. Above, crowds braved the thick drizzle to watch mini Daschunds jump over hurdles during the Hot Dog Pig races at the 61st Terryville Country Fair Saturday afternoon in Plymouth, Connecticut. Excerpt from the Republican American:

With a job description combining coach, animal keeper and entertainer, Brian Cromer, 24, a New Jersey college student, will return to the Terryville Country Fair today for a final round of five sets of pig and dachshund races.
Cromer, a seven-year veteran of David Feimster's New Jersey-based F & F Productions, is nearing the end of a career that began drag racing pet skunks at fairs.

Now, a few weeks ago, we featured a video where Dachshunds raced at a county fair in a circled pen, and then quickly ran back inside some sort of camper. The video was since removed from youtube, and we also removed the posting. We were curious how the dogs knew to race in a circle like that, unless they were trained to do so. We don't know for sure that these are the same Dachshunds in the above photo, but we think that they are.
These sort of public exhibitions - where Dachshund owners are not directly involved with the racing has us a bit concerned. Any agility or flyball fan will tell you that the hurdles these Dachshunds are jumping in the above photo are way too high for a Dachshund; they will injure their backs. Does that Dachshund look happy to you? Not to us. We see a painful "help me" look on his face.
It's a thin line to such public demonstrations as this and greyhound racing - something that Dachshund Lovers need to keep their eye on in the best interest of the Dachshund breed. This is also a thin line to Dachshunds performing in the Ringling Bros Circus, and Dachshunds racing on ice where they could be injured. Of course, it's easy to sit at your computer and judge things that happen on the other side of the country. But beware, Dachshund Lovers are watching. One wrong move, and we'll be all over you. Here's a link to F&F productions. We don't support them.
The fairs that support such activities should be boycotted and protested.

Weekend Wiener Wrap-Up!

Wiener Dogs rocked(!) all over the country this past weekend, starting with the 13th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals on Saturday in San Diego. Over 350 Dachshunds competed to be top dog. That's a lotta wiener dogs! The top 16 finalists will race again on Tuesday during the Padres game! Read more and see a fun pic at Sign On San Diego. These Wienerschnitzel races lead up to the finals that will take place in December as part of the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl weekend.

And in Reno, Nevada, hundreds cheered on over 150 Dachshunds during the Nevada State Fair on Sunday. Congrats goes out to 'Murphy' for taking the prize again this year! Way to go Murphy!

The Dachshund

The Dachshund
by John E. Donovan

A Dachshund sniffing round a tree
Made such a wondrous bend, sir,
He filled himself with mystery-
Not knowing his own end, sir.

Some other dogs have keener sight,
And some have greater strength, sir,
But no dogs manage, for their height,
To have so much of length, sir.

One time- at least, so people say-
One lost his tail by train, sir;
Yet two weeks passed until the day
The sad news reached his brain, sir.

The Dachshund looks a little bit
Like legs beneath a log, sir,
But once your eyes get used to it,
You see that it's a dog, sir.

Tomato Blast Festival and Dachshund Races

There's nothing better than fresh ripe tomatoes except maybe a festival to celebrate them that also includes Wiener races! Above, Ryan Engle holds his red longhair 'Cinnamon' after winning a heat at the Boyertown Area YMCA's third annual Tomato Blast last weekend in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania.
The event also included a Ketchup If You Can 5K run, Tomato Launch, and Tomatopalooza (entertainment).
Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue also supported the event with a booth.
Read all about the Dachshund races and C2CDR at The Mercury.

The Prettiest Dog in Lee's Summit, Missouri

'Lola,' a dachshund hound, won the prettiest dog award (of course!) and shared the proud moment with her owner, Kate Hartley, at the Puppy Promenade in downtown Lee's Summit, Missouri, on August 21st. Source.

Dj Laima

Dj Laima by photographer Jurazzz.

We're guessing that this Russian red smooth rocks out to the Swiss techno artist Dachshund.