There seems to be a common misconception out there that us wiener dogs (dachshunds) don’t fare well in the cold and deep snow – that since we’re small in size we’re just a lap dog.
This is of course not true. We were bred to hunt badgers, so although we may be one of the cutest things you’ve ever seen, you stick us down a dark hole up against two pairs of giant claws and razor teeth and we’ll hold our own.
All this to say that we can brave the cold and snow. Even though I am now pursuing the celebrity life in the big city, I was raised in the Quebec countryside where the winters are cold and the snow is several feet deep. I’ve learned to enjoy it. But I’ll admit, sometimes I still need a kick in the butt (literally) to go outside, but once I’m out there I love it.
And to prove it to you, I’ve been collecting some footage over the past while with my new GoPro video camera that I got for Christmas.
So I now invite you to grab a handful of popcorn, (or kibbles), sit back and enjoy my short but highly anticipated second GoPro video, entitled Winter Wienerland.
Doesn’t that look like fun?
You probably noticed my little bunny hops near the beginning. I do this to heighten my perspective when on a scent or trail. That’s why I said we have ‘back rabbit legs’ in my Anatomy of a Dachshund diagram on Facebook.
It may look like I had a lot of fun in this video, and I did, but I also take my expedition leadership very seriously. As said in one of my many #CrusoeQuotes:
“Crusoe does not go on walks – he leads expeditions.”
Expeditions are particularly fun in the winter because you can easily pinpoint a scent or spot tracks (as seen in the video). Whenever I do hear or smell something, I’m quick to hold the line by using just a paw signal. I’ve trained my humans well to recognize my different signals, which can include anything from ‘hold still’, ‘over there’, ‘give me a back rub’, or ‘go get me a beer’.
As you saw in my last GoPro video post, I am also a snowball fanatic. Mum says I need to go see a shrink (quack) about my obsession. In fact, they just passed a majority family rule that Dad is not allowed to make or throw snowballs for me while in the presence of other people. That’s how bad its gotten..
As you can imagine, I was not at all for passing that bill and will be doing whatever I can to undermine the system (probably by peeing on something).
I may be a celebrity, but no move is ‘too low’ when there are snowballs at stake.
Another great part of winter is just blasting through the snow. There’s something particularly fun about it that just about any dog can enjoy.
Now, my fans are from all over the world so likely a good portion of them won’t even have snow. But what does winter mean to you and your doggy? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook.
Keep filmin’,
~ Crusoe