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A Dachshund

If you’ve read my blog more than once or twice, you probably know how much I’ve wanted a dachshund puppy. I know some are going to say I should get a rescue. I have tried several times when there were dachshunds at the rescue places around here and several hundred others are trying to get them and so far, I have not had much luck going that route. Also, we have Boots, who showed up at our house in Texas. We have Rita, who showed up at our house in Texas. We had Cat, who showed up. All three of these we’ve cared for and loved and we’ve spent tons of money on Rita with her medical issues. Boots is good – but I’m allergic to cats and have to limit the time I spend with him. Rita does not like to be held or loved. Cat stayed in Texas so I kinda feel like I don’t even have a pet of my own.

Vince doesn’t want another mouth to feed but every time he brings up old Speck, despite trying not to cry . . I always cry. I miss him so much and I know there will never be a replacement for Speck. I’m not trying to replace him but dachshunds are the dogs I love. I love their personalities. Speck was the third one I’ve had. Even when I had the first one, that was mean as a snake, he had the most determined, “get it done” personality. Duke was my second one and he was black and tan. Then .. there was Speck.

When Vince and I got married, Chad and I had a chocolate lab and that dog dug holes all over the yard – holes that were big enough to completely swallow the riding mower. He chewed up everything – the corner of Vince’s work bench, the steps going up to the house. I’m surprised Vince didn’t load Chad, Chip and me up and take us back to Louisiana after a few weeks with that dog.

I wanted a dachshund and Vince said “NO! I will never have a dog in the house.” We were fairly newlyweds so I didn’t push the issue but you have to realize for me, ‘not pushing the issue’ probably means I still asked every day if he had changed his mind about a dachshund. I might have given up after a few years and one day, out of the clear blue, Vince came home from work and said “Do you still want a dachshund?” He had seen an ad for puppies up in the next county so we loaded up the van, drove up there and got us a dachshund. There were three puppies and Vince picked Speck. You know how the rest of that story went.

He keeps telling me . . we’ll get one, but I’m not ready yet. Over the weekend, I was looking at dachshunds online and found one that might have worked for us. We discussed it and he again said “NO! I’m not ready for another dog.” I told him . . I don’t want to get an older dog. I want one I can train from day 1 to be the way I want it to be (like it’s really possible to train a dachshund!). I also said “We aren’t getting any younger. If we’re going to get a puppy, we need to get it sooner rather than later.”

This morning, as soon as I got up, Vince said “I talked to the lady online that had the dachshund and we’re getting it. You need to get with her and give her the deposit.” WHAT??

The transaction didn’t go so smoothly but Vince told me . . go ahead and see if you can find one online and we’ll get it. I found one!

There was a solid red one, a piebald and a black/tan one. Vince liked this piebald one the best. I like that he has white toenails so I don’t have to worry when I clip his nails. I figured since Vince agreed, he could get the color he likes so . . this little piebald will be coming to our house sometime this week . . a lot depends on the weather.

I’m so excited .. but you already know that since you know how much I’ve wanted a dachshund puppy.

Any name suggestions?

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Girl! We think too much alike. I told Vince not 10 minutes ago that I’m thinking Oscar after my favorite color of green floss.

  4. I’m so happy for you, I knew Vince would give in eventually, I mean how could he resist? So looking forward to hearing of the puppy’s escapades . Oh Lord , what will Addie be like when she hears the news ,or are you going to surprise her, Yikes. Lots of pics please

  5. How about Pie since he’s a piebald? You’re gonna have so much fun…and frustration with puppy chwing. Congrats!

    • I’ve already been thinking about the chewing and peeing but I think I have a plan. Don’t I always have a plan and do my plans EVER work? NO!

  6. Oh my he is just too darn cute!! I think Oscar is the perfect name. Can hardly wait to hear all the puppy tales, Congratulations!!!

  7. Oh fun. My daughter’s been begging for a puppy…but I just don’t think I need any more responsibility.

    • That and puppies are darned expensive. Those annual visits are outrageous and we’ll have to get him neutered. And the heartworm meds are expensive. Add two more pets . . it’s time for Boots’ annual . . in fact, I made that appointment yesterday. Ughh!

  8. Oh my he is a super cutie!!! I love the name Oscar, but hopefully he isn’t a grouch. I feel about yorkies like you do dachshunds. The best do I ever had was a full yorkie, he was the sweetest thing ever. I have two rescues now, and I do love them, but they are different. Will I ever get another yorkie, I don’t know, but if I had my choice that would be what I would get.

    • My uncle has always had Yorkies and they are beautiful. One thing I’ve never wanted is a dog that has to be groomed. I went to get my hair cut today and the lady said “You haven’t been here since early November!” I said “Well, I’ve been cutting it myself”. It was such a mess but every time I’d think I was ready to get a hair cut, the covid numbers would go up and I would “trim” it myself and then I had to wait for it to grow out so I could get a real hair cut, then the covid numbers would go up.

      I had a hair cut appointment last week and had to cancel because of the snow and ice. We’re supposed to have snow and ice Wednesday and Thursday (today and tomorrow) so I was happy to have had my hair cut scheduled for yesterday. When I called the vet yesterday morning, the lady said “I can’t believe it’s already snowing!” WHAT? I have to get a hair cut . . I HAVE to get a real hair cut. It wasn’t much snow so I was able to go.

      • I always kept my Yorkie in a puppy cut, so much easier to handle. I am not sure I would have handled the grooming of long hair either.

  10. I am so happy/tickled pink for you! I like your idea of Oscar! (I also like the name Ollie .)

  11. Judy he is going to be a cutie. My daughter suggested naming him Vince so when you call–maybe one of them will come. Here are some we have used that was good. My daughter’s doxie was Spike, we have also had dogs named Freedom, Liberty, Justice, Patriot (yes we were on a patriotic kick). We have Astro, Toro, Benjamin, Fred, Sam, Duke, Reagan, Clutch, Rocky, Ricky, Oreo, Shadow just to name a few.

    • That made me laugh out loud! I could see me saying “Vince, Come eat!” and both of them coming into the kitchen.

      When Chad was little, a dog showed up at our house. See a pattern here? Chad wanted to keep him so we said yes. Chad wanted to name him “Spikehorn”. That may have been a name of a critter in a movie. I said NO! I am not going to be out calling “SPIKEHORN!” The dog was black with a white circle on his throat so I suggested Popcorn because the white looked like a piece of popcorn and Chad agreed so . . we had Popcorn and Chip for a while.

  15. I like Oscar for him! What a cute puppy! Can’t wait to hear about the new adventures you all will have!!

  16. Congratulations. Zeus, Hover, Ruffle, Chip, Frito, Fudge, Bourbon, You are going to have so much fun. Crate train.

  17. Hi Judy, I am so happy that you have found your dachshund puppy. I emailed with you before that my husband is a dachshund breeder in SC. I know why you love the breed so much. They all have such different personalities. I love the uniqueness of the piebalds, too. Can’t wait to read more about him when you bring him home.

    • I remember and I mentioned it to Vince but there was no way we could drive to SC to pick a puppy up and no way I’d stick a baby on a plane for transporting. I know your pups are super good!

  18. Oh oh oh oh oh….you know how I feel about Dachshunds. I have 7 here. He’s a beautiful Pie.

  20. …I like the name “Latte” as in cafe au lait style but I’m pretty sure you’ll name him Oscar which is also cute.

  21. Oscar is a good name -it has that hard vowel sound at the beginning that gets their attention which helps with training.

  22. I was thinking Tucker, since he’s going to be trained to tuck in and snuggle! I’m envious. Although, hubs did tell me recently I could start looking. Sort of. It will probably be several months before we’re ready, however.

    Congratulations!

    • I know you’re probably not looking for a dachshund but the lady I’m getting this one from is closer to you than to me so if you’re ever in the market for a dachshund, let me know. She’s been super to work with.

  23. He is adorable and I can’t wait to watch him grow! You know Addie will want to call him Speck! My girls name everything Disney names…the Beta fish is Snow White and the kitten is Oaken from Frozen. I love Oscar…too cute!

  24. I’m so happy for you!! We’ve been married 50 years this April and I always wanted a dachshund too. My husband has always bought labs. They are great dogs but, now in our 70’s, our labs have knocked us down. We have a 7yo and 3yo lab. I answered an add for a 1 yo black/tan female dachshund. The people were crazy about her but couldn’t take her with them when moving. We bought her and she is the BEST!! She is not a barker, is potty trained, and loves to cuddle. We are both crazy about her. The labs love her and include her in their play…..so cute.; Named her Millie. My other pick was Lilly. So my suggestion is to name your new baby Lilly.

    • Love that story! I had a lab when Vince and I got married (which I just said in this post). I was much younger and stronger and Chip had been to obedience school and wasn’t a difficult dog but one day I came out of the vet, with him on a leash, and the people in the car next to me got out with two big dogs and it was all I could do to hold onto Chip. He was never around other dogs so all his training seemed to go out the window. I told myself then . . I will never have another dog that I can’t pick up and hold easily in my arms. Just not worth the risk as we get older to try to control a dog that weighs almost as much as we do. OK . . not really ALMOST but that’s my fault! 🙂

  25. Oh, is it a boy? Then Lilly wouldn’t be right. We’ve named our boy labs Stan and Ollie after Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. My husband is a big fan of that old comedy team. Ollie’s nick name was Babe. So my new suggestion is Babe.

  26. Congratulations!
    I like Oscar and Ollie. Agree about having white toenails- all 3 of my dogs have black nails.

    • I have a little oscillating grinder that I use for Rita’s nails and will for the puppy. Rita has white nails, as did Speck.

  28. Oh my goodness, He is sooooo cute! I just love him. How could anyone turn this down! I am so happy you are getting your puppy! We have had Rusty, Tootsie Roll, Blackie, Tessie, Floyd, George, Arnold, Meiling, Shenlei, Rose, Quincy and Bella. We had cats named Herman, Cloe, Little Kitty, and Bob. Bob was a huge Siamese!! I can’t wait to hear how he does and how Boots accepts him!

    • Boots has never had a problem with Speck or Rita but I’m guessing a puppy is going to be a little more “in his face” than they were. We’ll see.

  29. Glad you are finally getting yourself dog. He is a cutie. I thought of Otis or Toast for names. It may even be easier with a brand new puppy living in the basement most of the time. Hoping he is a cuddler.

  30. A new puppy to love and snuggle…he’s precious! I’ll bet Vince is as excited as you are, though he probably won’t admit it!

  31. He’s so cute! I also like the name Oscar. Looking forward to seeing lots of pics and stories about him!

  32. I’m so excited for you!! He is so adorable!! Oscar or Ollie sounds great to me! I am so looking forward to hearing about your adventures with him. We’ve always had big dogs but I am rethinking that after the last vet visit. Trying to control an 80 lb lab that is exuberant is hard!! My husband used to train dogs but hasn’t had the time to finesse Bridger’s behaviors so with his retirement in a couple of days I think some remedial training will be happening!

  33. That is the cutest bundle of joy I’ve seen in a while. Those puppy eyes get me every time. I’m so happy for you.

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