So why did the rancher get a dachshund to herd his cattle?” Somebody told him to get a long little doggy.” OK, I’m sorry that is a terrible joke. But for those of us who love wiener dogs, our appreciation for this peculiar breed is no laughing matter.
I grew up with beagles. I liked the hound dogs and even enjoyed it when they howled (for no apparent reason) at the full moon. I didn’t think it possible to love another breed as much as I loved my beagles. Then about a decade ago, my husband suggested we get a dachshund. It wasn’t an easy sale. My husband grew up with wiener dogs and said they were smart, loyal and great with children. He quoted Robert Benchley “Dachshunds are ideal dogs for small children, as they are already stretched and pulled to such a length that the child cannot do much harm one way or the other.”
We currently have two dachshunds. They have been with our family for so long that we sometimes take these tail wagging, unconditionally loving, licking and barking members of the family for granted.
Last night I came home from work to find the female in our Dan and Anne pair very ill. She was lethargic and lifeless. Suddenly my life with her flashed before my eyes. I remembered her as a puppy, the time I tried to take those four little legs jogging, (not a great idea, she finally sat down and looked at me like “are you kidding me?”) The time she went swimming with all of us, how she “sings” along to Celine Dion and Sissel. I could hardly breathe. I couldn’t get her to the after-hours veterinarian fast enough.
Wrapped in a fuzzy blanket I stormed through the door with all of the urgency that they have come to expect. Every minute I sat in the waiting room seemed an eternity. The doctor diagnosed our dog with a slipped disc. It’s not uncommon for dachshunds. It had caused her such pain that she had apparently skipped trips to the dog dish for water and had dehydrated. That’s why a back condition had turned into a life threatening condition. She was admitted and I left for home without her.
It was a long night. Her mate at home, cried all night for her, just intensifying the anxiety of the Smith children, who also cried for her. In the morning I was relieved to hear that she had turned the corner and could come home. She will be on bed rest for a couple of weeks along with medication to reduce inflammation. There is great hope that because she is younger and not overweight, she will recover.
The bill for this event may also take time to recover from. But as I held my dog again this morning I knew she was worth every penny. Not just to me, but to the loving family at home, who will not take her for granted again any time soon. As it turns out, Benchley was right, children cannot do much harm to a wiener dog,(and they will do a great deal of good for the children) but they can do great harm to themselves with one wrong move.
