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IMAGE GALLERY
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“A Dachshund is
a half-dog high
and a dog-and
-a-half long.”
-H.L. Mencken
This page was last updated: November 23, 2009
Welcome to Three Rivers Dachshunds, a website maintained by a Dachshund owner and fancier in the beautiful Land of Three Rivers, Humphreys County, Tennessee, and dedicated to that most faithful and fun-loving of four legged friends, the Dachshund. On this, our Home Page, you can read the Bios of Izzie and Schatzi the Miniature Dachsies, who are the inspiration for this site and view their pictures in the image gallery above. You will also find Dachshund News articles of interest and Dachshund quotes that answer the question "Why Own a Dachshund?" at the bottom of this page.
Our Dachshund History page covers the history of the breed from the time they first appeared in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) region of Germany, and includes prominent Dachshund owners such as Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm II, President Grover Cleveland, and John F. Kennedy, as well as information about the sizes, coats, colors, color patterns, and temperaments of the Dachshund.
On our Dachshund Humor page you can listen to the song "I'm a Dachshund" by Otto the Dachshund and Jay Finnias Mutt, and read Dachshund jokes and comics.
Our Dachshund Links page contains Dachshund links and resources, and you can also apply to win Three Rivers Dachshunds' website award there.
If you would like to see Izzie and Schatzi in the land of their ancestors, the Von Knigge Dachshunds, visit our Off To Germany page.
We hope you enjoy your visit with us and that you learn a little about this wonderful breed and hopefully laugh a little, too, along the way!
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Izzie's Bio:
Name: Buck's Isabella Valentine
Breed: Miniature Dachshund
Color: Black and Tan; smooth coat
Born: September 7, 2006
Nicknames: Izzie; Isabella Rossewienie;
She was named after actress
Isabella Rossellini who is a Dachshund
owner (Ziggy and Yuma).
Izzie was a Valentine's Day present from her "Mommy" to her "Daddy" and since that day has been a total Daddy's Girl. There is nowhere on earth she'd rather be than by her Daddy's side.
She loves running, sunbathing, chasing bugs, squeaky toys, snuggling under blankets, playing with her little sister, Schatzi, and taking bites out of apples that Daddy has already half eaten.
She also loves finding Daddy when he hides from her. When she hears the words "find Daddy" the hunt is on!
Schatzi's Bio:
Name: Meine Prinzessin Schatzi
Breed: Miniature Dachshund
Color: Black and Tan; long hair
Born: April 23, 2009
Nickname: Monkey (She isn't fooling anyone -
she is a monkey in a little dog's body.)
Schatzi was a birthday present for "Mommy" from "Daddy" and she is a total Mommy's girl.
Her name, Meine Prinzessin Schatzi, is German and means My Princess Schatzi. Schatzi is a German term of endearment meaning little treasure, honey, or darling.
Schatzi is just a pup and as such, loves running, jumping, climbing, and, of course, chew toys. She loves giving puppy kisses and touching her cute little wet puppy nose to Mommy and Daddy's noses (so sweet). She also loves playing with big sis Izzie, and, like her big sis, she also finds bugs irresistable.
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Dachshund News
Hail, Otto! Now World's Oldest Dog
TODAY staff ; Oct . 26, 2009
This old dog may not be learning any new tricks, but he now holds the title as the world's longest-lived pooch.
Otto, a dachshund-terrier mix, is 20 years and 8 months old — that's about 120 in dog years — and he is being recognized for his great age by Guinness World Records.
Lynn Jones, 53, of Shrewsbury, England, has owned Otto since he was six weeks old. She and her husband, Peter, contacted Guinness after the previous record-holder, Chanel — also a dachshund mix — recently died at age 21.
So what's Otto's secret for longevity? Love, good food and regular trips to the vet, the couple say.
Still, the pet now suffers from arthritis and is no longer as active as he was in his younger days. "He doesn't really like walkies any more," Lynn told the UK Daily Mail. "He gets about 10 yards down the road and then looks back over his shoulder as if to say, 'I want to go home.'"
But what Otto lacks in physical ability, he still retains in spirit. "He’s still playful," she said. "He can still jump all over people when they come 'round."
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World's Oldest Dog has Died at Age 21
Associated Press; VIRGINIA BYRNE; Mon Aug 31, 2009
A wire-haired dachshund that held the record as the world's oldest dog and celebrated its last birthday with a party at a dog hotel and spa has died at age 21... (FYI - Most people might think one dog year equals seven human years. But actually, a dog's first year counts for 15 human years. The second year is 10 years, and then it's five years for each year after that. So Chanel's age translates to 120 years old.)
...The dog, named Chanel, died Friday of natural causes at her owners' home in suburban Port Jefferson Station, on Long Island.
Chanel, as stylish as her legendary namesake, wore tinted goggles for her cataracts in her later years and favored sweaters because she was sensitive to the cold, owners Denice and Karl Shaughnessy said Monday. (See pictures of Chanel in the image gallery at the top of this page.)
The playful dachshund was only 6 weeks old when Denice Shaughnessy, then serving with the U.S. Army, adopted her from a shelter in Newport News, Va.
Along with her owner, Chanel spent nine years on assignment in Germany, where she became adept at stealing sticks of butter from kitchen countertops and hiding them in sofa cushions in the living room, Shaughnessy said. She also liked chocolate, usually considered toxic to dogs, Shaughnessy said.
"She once ate an entire bag of Reese's peanut butter cups, and, you see, she lived to be 21, so go figure," Shaughnessy added.
Karl Shaughnessy nominated Chanel for the title of world's oldest dog after noticing the Guinness World Records book had no record.
Guinness World Records officials presented Chanel with a certificate as the world's oldest dog at a Manhattan birthday bash hosted by a private pet food company in May.
Chanel loved the party, especially the cake, which had a peanut butter flavor and had been made for dogs, Denice Shaughnessy said.
Chanel exercised daily and ate home-cooked chicken with her dog food, but good care wasn't entirely responsible for her long life, said her owners, who attributed God.
"Dogs are God's angels sent here to look out for us," Denice Shaughnessy said.
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Scientists Discover Secret of Why Dachshunds Have Short Legs
The Times; Mark Henderson, Science Editor; July 16, 2009
The evolutionary secret of how the dachshund got its short legs has been uncovered by scientists with the discovery of a gene that explains the diminutive stature of at least 19 breeds.
Dachshunds, corgis, basset hounds and Pekingese are among the common breeds that owe their short legs to the mutation of a single gene that occurred several thousand years ago.
The discovery offers insight into the way genetic mutations drive evolution and may have implications for understanding dwarfism in humans.
In the study, a team from the American National Human Genome Research Institute, in Bethesda, Maryland, examined DNA samples from 835 dogs from 76 breeds, including 95 animals with short legs.
The scientists found that dogs from all the short-legged breeds had an extra copy of a gene that produces a growth protein called FGF4, which is known to be implicated in dwarfism in humans. The extra gene is a mutant of a type known as a retrogene, which lacks parts of the normal DNA code.
The extra retrogene leads to an overproduction of the FGF4 protein, which in turn appears to alter the times at which bones grow in embryonic development. This, the scientists believe, causes the legs of small dogs to remain short and out of proportion to their bodies. Details of the research is published in the journal Science.
As the same gene is shared between all the short-legged breeds of dog studied, the mutation is likely to have emerged early in the evolution of dogs. Fossil evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated from wolves at least 14,000 years ago, and genetic evidence suggests the evolutionary split may have happened earlier than that.
“It’s stunning to see a genetic modification like this,” developmental geneticist Douglas Mortlock of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., says of the new study, published online July 16 in Science. “This is the gene that makes wiener dogs short-legged.”
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Dachshund Survives Six Days in Badger Sett
Mirror.co.uk ; By Rachael Wheeler, February 11, 2009
Lucy the dachshund was at home recovering today after spending six days trapped in a badger sett.
The pet was out walking with her owners John and Janet West at Burley in the New Forest, Hampshire last week when she decided to explore the sett and disappeared eight feet down it.
After whistling and calling for several hours, Mr. and Mrs. West feared the worse but called the RSPCA and a rescue operation involving specialist animal rescuers swung into action.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service obtained a special licence to dig into the sett after five-year-old Lucy's whimpers were heard and a mechanical digger finally freed the dog after six days.
Guest house owner Mrs. West, 60, from Burley said: "I saw her little nose pop out, she shook her head and crawled out of the hole. She saw us and her tail started wagging."
Rescuers used listening equipment and a snake-eye camera to examine the network of tunnels but at first could find no sign of Lucy.
Then on the fifth day Mr. West, 58, heard a faint whimper and the digger was called in last Friday.
The sausage dog only suffered a bald head from burrowing and was given a clean bill of health from a vet.
The couple said they will be making a donation to Hampshire Fire and Rescue's Animal Rescue Team to say thank you.
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Dachshund is National Hero for Saving Child
AR-News: (Norway); December 3, 2003
A dachshund has become a national hero in Norway. It happened after Daniel Refsnes Trevland, four, wandered off as his mother, Monica, was shopping in the western port city of Stavanger. The weather was terrible, with high winds and rain, and it turned dark as searchers failed to find Daniel after two hours.
Unaware of the search, Ivar Lunde, 67, had driven down to a rocky beach for Agathon's regular walk. After a while, Mr Lunde called for Agathon, but the eight-year-old dachshund dog remained at the waterfront, barking. Finally, the dog ran back to the car, and stood in the rain, refusing to get back in. "It was a very special sound," Mr Lunde said of Agathon's barks. "It was as if he was barking 'come here, come here'."
Lunde said Agathon, repeatedly looking back to make sure his master was following, led him to the waterfront, where they spotted a soaked and cold child on a slippery rock just off the shore. Mr Lunde managed to reach the little boy, carry him to shore and contact the police, so he could be returned to his mother. Daniel was not harmed.
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Dachshund Washed Overboard Reunited With Family
Associated Press; Nov. 26, 2003
EDENS LANDING, N.C.- A dog that washed overboard from a boat on the Intracoastal Waterway was reunited with her family 37 days after she disappeared.
Tulip, a long-haired dachshund who weighs about 10 pounds, disappeared Oct. 19 when a yacht sped by the boat she was in, causing a 10-foot wave to crash over the boat, said Sally Miles, who owns Tulip. Another dog, Poppy, was unharmed.
"We had the Coast Guard searching. We called police. We did everything we could think of," Miles said. "But because it was so far away from land, we knew she didn't make it."
Fortunately, Miles was wrong. On Tuesday, Marianne Orr, who lives about six miles from the Topsail Inlet where the boat mishap occurred, called Miles to say her children had found Tulip, her collar and identification tags still intact.
They used baloney and a hot dog to coax a suspicious - and tick- and flea-ridden - Tulip to let them catch her after 12-year-old Rob heard her whining.
"It's truly a blessing," Miles said. "It couldn't be any better than that."
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Dachshund Survives Bald Eagle Attack
CNN; March 15, 2002
Madison, Maine - Ava, a 13 pound Dachshund, has survived an "attack" by a Bald Eagle. On March 8, the Bald Eagle (an endangered species), swooped down and sank her talons into Ava near her rural Maine home. The bird then carried her around 300 feet before dropping her.
After two operations, Ava is now doing well. "She had to have the first operation to close the hole" caused by the eagle's sharp talons, explained her owner, Laura Martins. "After the infection got a little better, they wanted to clean up everything" with a second operation.
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Dachshund Survives 38 Days in Sub-zero Temperatures
Sources : Annanova, and The Swedish newspaper: Blekinge Läns Tidning; January 10, 2002
LYCKEBY, BLEKINGE LAN (Sweden)- "Onni" the Dachshund returned home today after surviving 38 days lost in the Holmsjö forest where she endured -20°C temperatures, severe malnutrition and the constant threat of wild lynx. Onni disappeared from a hunting expedition on November 29th.
Owners Nils-Eric Petersson and Maja, his wife, told reporters that they never gave up hope, taking out several ads in local papers, and driving to the forest each day to search. Mr. Petersson told Swedish newspaper BLT: "I used to go to the areas where she was last seen and lay (cage) traps similar to the ones used for catching foxes. I even placed one of my wife's coats in a cage in hopes that Onni would recognize the smell and stay there."
Phone calls reported "Onni sightings" from Fågelmara to Sällemåla, but investigations were unsuccessful. Then last weekend, a phone call came from a man who claimed that he was looking at a little, brown Dachsund sitting in his garden in Abyholm, north of the forest . "My wife and I drove up directly, and there sat Onni," said Mr. Petersson. "She was absolutely at an end, low down and just glancing at us." Swedish newspaper BLT described Onni as "haggard, so thin that ribs were showing and too tired to get off the couch by herself."
It's a mystery how Onni survived her ordeal. The only one who knows is Onni and she's not talking.
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Baron the Racing Dachshund Retires Undefeated
Source: Baron the Racing Dachshund's Home Page; May 24, 2000
PLACENTIA, California - May 24, 2000; Baron the Racing Dachshund has announced his retirement after a stellar 4 year "racing career". His racing titles include 1999 Ultimate Match Race Champion, 1998 Champion of Champions, 1997 Wiener Nationals Champion, and 1997 Holiday Bowl Racing Champion.
Baron’s ability to run 50 yards faster than a world class human sprinter amazed everyone, and is no easy feat considering that his legs are only 4 inches long! He has run 50 yards in only 4.22 seconds, the fastest ever by a Dachshund, and has never had a close race at that distance.
Baron is retiring because Los Alamitos Race Course no longer allows him to compete in the Wienernationals, due to his dominating performances there. Says Jeff True, Los Alamitos Marketing Director: "He’s just too much dog for the competition".
His media adventures include two appearances on NBC’s "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", plus appearances on "Hard Copy", Animal Planet Network’s "Breed All About It" and "Amazing Tails", NBC’s "Fred Roggin's Sunday Night Sports" and various news and sports programs. He has twice received Certificates of Accomplishment from the Mayor of Placentia, and raised money for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in a 1999 Charity race.
Baron is now enjoying a "dog-gone-easy" retirement, and enjoys receiving email from his web page.
(Background: According to Jeff True, Director of Marketing for Los Alamitos Race Course, Baron will no longer be allowed to race there. Jeff has refused Baron entry into the Wienernationals since 1997, saying that he is "just too much dog for the competition", that his winning every year isn't "good for publicity", and that both Los Alamitos, and the media,"want something different every year". So in 1998 and 1999, Baron was featured in match races against the Wienernational "Champions" instead, all of which he won easily. Participants, fans, and the press have never been told that Jeff has been keeping the fastest past champions, including Baron, from racing in the Wienernationals. As one track worker said: "It would be embarrassing if people knew they are keeping the best ones out".)
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The Tree Climbing Dachshund
Denver Post of Colorado; September 3, 1998
Lakewood Animal Control responded to a dog in a tree call today. "I thought it was a mistake", said animal control officer Roxanne Offerson. "I never had a 'dog in a tree' call".
Joey, a smooth black and tan Dachshund scampered more than 30 feet up a 35' blue spruce tree. "All I could see was his tail" said Roxanne. "You could see the branches moving as he circled the tree. You couldn't see him".
A call to the community resources department brought Brian Sassolino, Chris Archuleta and their cherry picker. Roxanne, accompanied by Sassolino rode the bucket up to the top of the tree to retrieve Joey. "He stuck out his little head. He was so happy to see us," she said. "I could touch him. I couldn't get a good hold. I was afraid he would fall. I pulled him towards me then I scooped him in my other arm." Joey, was then placed on the floor of the picker for his ride down to be reunited with owners Jamie and Clancy King.
Joey has a natural appitude for climbing. Not the first of his tree climbing days, Joey is well known for climbing trees and bushes while chasing squirrels, rabbits and cats on his property. Since this little escapade, Joey has been grounded and restricted to leash outings until further notice.
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Dachsie Shows Gator Who is Boss
Sun Magazine of Boca Raton, Florida; January 10, 1995
A huge alligator swallowed a plucky dachshund who promptly chewed her way out. The eleven foot gator was found floating belly up in the pond the next day, and Daisy, obviously a lot tougher than she looks, was back pawing at her family's door.
"The dog didn't have a mark on her, since the gator gulped her down whole. At first I really thought she was a ghost," says Melanie Nelson, whose son, Mark, saw the gator snatch Daisy as she chased a ball next to the pond behind their house in the swampy country near Everglades City. But Daisy went straight to her dish and the family knew they had their pet back. "We'd lost dogs to gators before" Melanie recalls. "It's a hazard of living out here. But this is the first one who has ever come back."
She took Daisy to her vet, who explained that if any dog could chew its way out of an alligator, it would be a dachshund. "They are a lot feister than they look," says Nelson. "The vet says they were bred to go down a hole and kill badgers. Also, Daisy didn't need to make too big of a hole to get out. She's very low to the ground."
Why Own a Dachshund?
In answer to that question, here is a compilation of quotes about the Dachshund from books, in chronological order of publication, put together by Charles Simonds:
“It is frequently said - and truly - that any person having once owned a Dachshund will never care to be without at least one representative of the breed…. For his character, the Dachshund is famous. Few if any other dogs possess the same degree of sagacity, combined with affection and quaint individual characteristics that are a marked feature of this breed.... With children, no breed of dog can be more reliable than the Dachshund. Trustworthy and faithful to a degree, he is wonderfully gentle and sweet tempered, treachery being entirely foreign to his nature... To anyone who has, on any occasion, owned a Dachshund there is but little need to describe his charms. The statement that "a dog is almost human in intelligence," can be no more truly applied to any breed. Exceedingly clever, confident, amusing and utterly devoted, the Dachshund possesses a veritable personality of his own... Excellent as guard and house dogs, their great loyalty and quaint ways make them altogether delightful as companions, yet, as sporting dogs, they can successfully vie with the best. It is no exaggeration to state that the Dachshund is indeed a gentleman among dogs.”
- Milo G. Denlinger
“It is not surprising that the Dachshund has, in recent years, become one of the most popular of all dogs, for he has all the qualities most valued in a companion or household pet. His size makes him suitable to the small, modern home and the Miniature varieties may be kept without inconvenience even in small flats. He is alert, fearless, affectionate and hardy, so that he makes an admirable guard; while his high intelligence, loyalty, unfailing sense of humour and adaptability endear him to all who have the good fortune to know him intimately.”
- E. Fitch Daglish
“Like people, each animal has a distinct personality. Breed characteristics, however, are apparent in the majority of the specimens today.
Outdoors the Dachshund is hardy, vigorous, and tireless. Indoors he is affectionate, responsive, companionable in a restive mood, and hilarious in play.
The Dachshund is a very intelligent animal with a mind of his own. Though capable of responding well to training, he has inherited a goodly number of stubborn traits from his native Germany.
Our personal experience is that Dachshunds excel around young children. They were constant companions to my youngsters as nursery dogs, serving adequately as foot warmers during wintry nights. Their size, cleanliness, and lack of doggy odors are characteristics that most mothers appreciate.”
- Herman G. Cox
“The Dachshund has features which he shares with a great many of his colleagues, especially with other short legged, long bodied hounds. But if you are looking for that unique combination of qualities, those which make the Dachshund a distinct and separate breed that cannot possibly be confused with any other; if you are looking for a dog of moderate size; for a dog who does as well as a city dweller as he does as a hunting companion - then you must consider the Dachshund. If you want a dog who despite his unusual proportions is decidedly elegant, looks cleancut and well cared for with little effort on your part, again consider the Dachshund. If, finally, you want a dog who possesses a high degree of intelligence yet is free from neurotic quirks, a dog that is faithful though very much a person in his own right, lively and intensely courageous, then you will really have no choice but a Dachshund because, to my knowledge, no other breed combines all of these qualities to anywhere near the same degree.”
- Hans Brunotte
“The lively intelligence and mental alertness of the Dachshund, combined with its refined manners and engaging form, together with its unswerving loyalty, have gained the breed great popularity.”
- Katharine Raine
“The Dachshund is one of the world's most versatile breeds of dog, having many features to please many people... Although in many ways a dog who loves the outdoors, a Dachshund also loves his comforts, and will slip very easily into a "family dog" routine if that is what fits your way of life. A soft spot by the fire, or beside you on the sofa, or even on your lap is well appreciated by any of the Dachshunds I have ever met.
Where else can you find a breed of dog who comes in three different coats and two sizes? Such diversity is an added advantage in looking for "the" dog... Dachshunds are great with children, love them, and get on well with them... Dachshunds get on well with other household pets, especially when the introductions are made when one or the other is still a baby. They are marvelous watch dogs, too, having throaty "hound voices" that sound very impressive from behind a door.”
- Anna K. Nicholas & Marcia A. Foy
“For centuries, Dachshunds have lived harmoniously with people. A Dachshund can share every family mood: exuberant when you are gay; rarin' to go when you are ready for a walk, a ride, or a boisterous game; happy to curl up near you when you are engaged in a settled occupation; and most responsive to every demonstration of your affection.”
- M. William Schopell
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