My mother always brought home the animals that “had something wrong with them.” This left us with a number of different pets growing up, and while they were all special, one dog has convinced me there’s only one breed I want for the rest of my life.
Speckles was a short-haired dappled dachshund who had one brown eye and one blue, though the blue one was obscured by a cataract of sorts that left him blind at birth. The woman who gave Speckles to my mother warned us that he would lose complete sight by the time he was a year old.
This dachshund was the star of the family and epitomized doxie behavior: if you moved over one inch, he moved over two, and he behaved as if everything revolved around his world which, from inches above the floor, was a pretty good place to be. In the three years that Speckles was with us, he never lost sight in his other eye (and appeared oblivious to the fact that he never had it in the first place in his other.) But he was overweight and had a weak back–a characteristic of the breed–and after several surgeries, we had to put him to sleep.
So when my husband and I decided we were ready for a dog, I knew without question that I wanted a dachshund. But with all the good qualities Speckles showed me, I also became wiser to the risks involved with this breed. I recognized the importance of knowing a dog’s lineage and finding a reputable breeder. I read of dapples‘ risks of blindness and the importance of weight control and exercise to maintain strong backs.
I would never claim to be an expert on dachshunds, but I would like this blog to serve as a forum for dachshund owners (or those interested in owning a dachshund). To address questions/concerns or simply share stories.
Refer to all posts categorized “Everything Dachshund: Weenies on the Web.”
And we did find the perfect dachshund. Meet Sherlock, a black and tan short-haired mini! More to come on this guy…
