I was absolutely thrilled to meet Otto last Friday in London's Borough market. The reason why? Otto is a Dachshund, just like my dog Kevin. The only difference is that whilst Kevin is a smooth coat one, Otto is a wirehaired miniature Dachshund. Dachshunds are also affectionally known as sausage dogs, for obvious reasons.
Like every Dachshund, Otto is very charming and very friendly, with a smiling face and a inquisitive, yet slightly mischievous, attitude. His owner told me that Otto loves coming to the market, as he adores the plethora of smells and sounds.
As I chatted to Otto's owner, it became clear that, although Dachshunds have a unique personality among other dog breeds, they share many traits and characteristics that make them so loveable.
Otto loves cheese, roast chicken and lying in bed, preferably under the duvet, where he likes to get as hot as possible. Also, every time he does something naughty, he blags out of it with 'butter wouldn't melt' innocent looks! Amazingly, so does Kevin, my Dachshund.
Dachshunds are German hunting dogs, originally bred to track, flush and hunt badgers. They come in three main varieties: wirehaired, smooth coat and long-haired. In addition, there are several colour combinations, such as red, black and tan, and salt and pepper, and two sizes - standard and miniature.
Dachshunds are highly intelligent, lively and corageous, despite their size. In fact, due to the way they carry themselves and from the deep bark coming from their barrel-shaped chest, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were dealing with an Alsatian!
They are lovely dogs and have had a big celebrity following through the ages. Napoleon, Queen Victoria, the writer PG Wodehouse, and even Picasso were all Dachshund lovers. Artist David Hockney, a very avid Dachshund fan, dedicated one of his books to his dogs, Stanley and Boodgie. Dachshund are very special dogs and, once you have been bitten by the Dachshund bug, you will remain loyal to the breed for the rest of your life.
More about Dachshunds: Dachshund Club of UK
And a little plug for my dog: Kevin The Dachshund
