Being a miniature dachshund, let alone a regular dachshund, means that I am quite a small dog. I stand no more than 13″ tall and 22″ long from the base of my tale to the tip of my nose, with only about 2.5″ between my chest and the ground. But unlike something like a chihuahua that’s skin and bones, I am muscle, stealth, and speed all built into one little black and brown torpedo.
Just take a look at the below picture. I may look like a cute and cuddly pup just chewin’ on a sock, but I can spring into action at any given moment.
Being a miniature dachshund also means I am good at escaping, and especially at hiding. For instance, if I do something bad at home, I will run under the bed where dad can’t reach me. I just stay there until all blows over, and then by the time I come out it’s too late to discipline me. It’s called strategic thinking.
But being so small also means I can access the holes, crevasses, and cracks that a bigger dog wouldn’t be able to. I snuck under the front deck of my summer home to search out the pesky gophers that were living under there. You can read all about that in my post here. When we’re in the woods, I can easily venture into a badger or other critter’s hole. Mum doesn’t like when I do this because she thinks I’ll get my nose bitten, but I keep telling her that whatever it is in there, I’ll bite its face off before it has a chance to do anything.
Miniature dachshunds have some issues with seeing over things, as you might imagine. When my dad didn’t cut the grass for a long time, it was like walking through a jungle just to go take a pee.
I’m not sure if other dachshunds do this, but when I catch a strong scent or hear something, I will hop along, bouncing high up in the air. The reason I do this is to get a higher point of view of what’s ahead and around me.
When I’m in the forest though, I’ll jump up onto logs and rocks whenever I can to get a better vantage point of the trail ahead. I might even lift my paw in the hunter’s stance.
When it comes to running through the woods, there’s some pros and cons to being small. For one, I can go under logs and sticks, and quickly navigate the undergrowth without being caught up in the thicker foliage which is at least a foot or two from the ground. I can also make it through the thicker scrub, unlike a bigger dog which would have to go around. Yet, when it comes to a gap such as a stream, or a bigger obstacle like a giant fallen tree, I start to run out of options. If the log isn’t too big, I will do my iconic gazelle-like leap over it. But if it’s bigger, I’ll hop up on and over. It all depends on how determined I am. If it’s a real chase, there’s not much that will deter me.
One time while out on our daily expedition, a big stick got caught in my collar. I wasn’t too happy about this as it threw me off my chase. You can see by my grumpy face below.
There’s many more pros and cons to being a mini dachshund, but I’ll touch on the rest another time. Or, feel free to drop some comments on what you think.
Overall, I like being a miniature dachshund, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, even if there are a couple of downsides. I think in my next life I’ll be an otter though. They’re cool animals, and I kind of look like one already.
Keep ballin’,
~ Crusoe
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