Doxies R Cool

The image below illustrates exactly what my husband and I end up looking like when our 9 pound miniature red Dachshund, Good Golly Miss Molly, takes over our bed! It truly is a riot, not to mention chaotic. Do I complain? yes; Do I do anything about it? absolutely not! She’s my little princess and I maintain the bed is as much her bed as it is mine and my husband’s! I do what I can to make sure she is comfortable and sleeping peacefully, even if it means I end up having a restless night.

Many dog owners (me included), like to have their dogs sleep on top of or under the bed covers. However, there are some dog owners and trainers who adamantly discourage this behavior and encourage us to teach our dogs what is expected of him or her at an early age (by 8 to 10 weeks of age, your Dachshund’s brain is fully functional and able to learn) so they will grow up that way. Most dog owners and trainers also encourage teaching your dog household rules.

As far as rules are concerned, the only rule I believe is most important is the housebreaking rule. How many Dachshund owners think their puppies are easily housebroken? Not many I’m sure, but with a little help from learning the Dachshund “secrets” professional dog trainers don’t want you to know, I had Miss Molly fully housebroken at the young age of 10 weeks! At 1.5-years old, she still uses her wee-wee pads. In fact, when duty calls in the middle of the night, she will wiggle out from under the bed covers, jump down and go to her wee-pads and relieve herself, and then come back and wiggle herself back under the bed covers to resume her peaceful sleep!

Sleeping with me and my husband under the bed covers —– I wouldn’t have it any other way!

A report recently released by the University of Pennsylvania stated that the Dachshund is the most aggressive breed in the world, although most of us believe that tribute should have gone to the Rottweiler or the Pitbull. As a Dachshund owner, I can attest to the fact this breed can be temperamental. However, as far as the level of a Dachshund’s aggression compared to that of the Rottweiler or Pitbull, I clearly have a hard time paralleling the two aggressions to the Dachshund.

In fact, most Dachshund books will tell you that they aren’t complicated, they enjoy fun activities, they are food motivated, and they will want to sleep under the bedcovers with you, and curl up on your lap when you relax to watch TV. Does that sound like the world’s most aggressive dog? Not!

I know this is an unpleasant subject, yet, a very important issue to discuss. For those of you who own smooth coat Dachshunds, you already know this variety requires little grooming; a weekly brush and monthly toenail trimming is usually sufficient. But, did you know that your Dachsie has two anal glands (on either side of his or her anal opening at approximately five and seven o’clock) that if not expressed regularly, bacteria can develop, resulting in infection?

My two Shih Tzu’s, Sam and Libby, are professionally groomed once a month, at which time the groomer expresses their anal glands. However, Miss Molly, being a smooth coat Dachshund, doesn’t require professionally grooming, instead depends on her human mother to do the dirty deed.

The reason I bring this topic into discussion is because I believe there are many Dachshund owners, like me, who don’t think about their smooth coat Dachsies needing their anal glands sufficiently expressed, especially since they require little or no grooming. Well, unfortunately, they do need their anal glands cleaned out occasionally, and it is very important that this be done on a regular basis.

With that being said, I just performed this procedure on Miss Molly for the first time. At 1.5-years-old, this was a little uncomfortable, to say the least, for her, but she handled it with grace!

For those of you who don’t know how to perform this important grooming and health procedure, I am attaching a short video that is worth the watch.

If you want to show the world that you’re a dog lover, one of the classic maneuvers is to place dog bumper stickers on your car. It’s one of the easiest ways to display your affection for your tiny, tiny four-legged friends. 

There are certainly quite a few places online where you can find these great stickers.  Look around and find a sticker that you and your dog will fancy.

The dachshund (also known as a Doxie) is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. The breed’s name is German and literally means “badger dog,” from Dachs, badger, and Hund, dog. While classified as a hound in English speaking countries, some consider the classification to be in error, speculating that it arose from the fact that the German word hund is similar to the English word hound. In fact many dachshunds, especially the wire haired sub type, exhibit behavior and appearance that is far more similar to the terrier group of dogs.

The standard size was developed to scent, chase, and flush badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature was to hunt rabbits. Due to the long, narrow build, they are sometimes referred to as a wiener dog. Not withstanding the German origin of the dachshund’s name, within German-speaking countries the breed is known—both formally and informally—as the Dackel or Teckel.

Novelty presentations, such as a Doxie lover gift, are available on several resources on the internet.

As most of us have heard the news, Dachshunds are the most aggressive dog breed in the world, according to a University of Pennsylvania report recently announced.

Okay, well as a Dachshund enthusiast/owner, this news does not surprise me, nor do I consider it a revelation! The Dachshund breed dates back as far as St. Hubert (656 to 727 C.E.), known as the now-extinct St. Hubert Hound, which was known for its exceptional scenting skills and long, low body. However, the Dachshund breed today was developed in Germany by farmers, foresters, and hunters in the 1600s and 1700s who wanted a dog adept in tracking and scenting game, in addition, competent enough to enter animal dens and warrens, while restraining the prey and barking loud and long enough for the hunter to catch up to eradicate the prey.

Did this type of breeding make the Dachshund aggressive? Let’s examine the word, aggressive, for a minute. According to my dictionary, the word aggressive means attacking, boldly assertive. And Dachshunds were originally bred for what purpose? A dog bred to hunt badgers or foxes had to be aggressive, i.e. attacking, and being boldly assertive! Does this mean they display this kind of behavior toward their owners and other dog breeds? Absolutely not unless their owners are provoking them without cause or other dog breeds exhibit a behavior that is perceived as a threat or challenge.

Let’s be real. Any dog breed of any size or weight is capable of exhibiting signs of aggression. Take my two adorable brother and sister, Shi Tzu’s, Sam and Libby. On the average, they are sweet, loving, docile, and affectionate. But, occasionally and for no apparent reason, they will get into an altercation that unless I want to experience teeth chomping off a finger or two, I best leave well enough alone and let them fight it out without any interference on my part! My 1.5-year-old Dachshund, Miss Molly, stands off in the background barking at them, wagging her tail, making no move on them while they are interlocked with each other. Now that’s aggression and it’s not a pretty sight!

While I do not disagree with this aggressive dog report, it is important that we don’t accept our first thoughts and the statements made on this report at face value, instead, we should evaluate the accuracy of statements and the soundness of the reasoning that links them. In other words, exactly what data and reasoning supports this viewpoint? For example, approximately 6,000 dog owners were questioned about their dogs’ behavior and 33 breeds were ranked on their behavior. My first question regarding the Dachshund breed would be how many were spayed or neutered. As we know, spaying or neutering your pet will improve your pet’s temperament. While testosterone along does not cause aggression, it may facilitate and escalate the aggression.

My next question regarding the Dachshund breed would be how many were professionally trained. What I mean by that is, the owner, rather than a professional trainer, is likely to be the target of the aggressive behavior in a dog simply because of its relationship with the owner! More importantly, the uninstructed owner will often revert to using physical punishment or force that can be perceived as threatening or challenging to their dog!

In sum, I believe it is important to maintain a balanced perspective in any argument and/or statement. We should value knowledge and wisdom more than we value our ego, and more importantly, the measure of any argument and/or statement is not the depth or sincerity of belief, but the quality of the evidence that supports it. The Dachshund breed, in the hound category, can be aggressive, but so can all other breeds if provoked!