Hello From Missouri USA


Carl Belken

New Member
Hi All,
I just found this website a few minutes ago and I just HAD to join!

How I came to be a Dachshund owner is as unusual as the breed itself yet at the same time it's so typical Dachshund.

I am a 60ish disabled married man who lives in a tiny little village on the Missouri River. A town of less than 200 people. We have leash laws but they are not enforced and almost everyone lets their dogs roam free.

For most of my life neither me or my wife liked small dogs. Oh no we were German Shepherd people. Our last dog was a huge Labrador. When he passed away we both swore that we would NEVER own another dog because they were too much trouble. We were perfectly OK with owning cats and that was how it was going to stay. Period.

One spring day my next door neighbor brought home a Miniature Longhaired Dachshund puppy as a gift to his daughters. They fell in love with the dog and named it Dolly. Dolly was in love with her new family especially the man of the house.

Dolly did not love her neighbors. She hated me at first sight and hated me as only a dachshund can. Hated my entire family especially my son Richard. Every time I was out in the yard she barked at me constantly.. I did not blame her. I had never met a doxie yet that liked me. Also I am 6'6" tall, have a beard, and weighed over 400 pounds at the time. I looked more like a grizzly bear than I did a human and Dolly saw her job as protecting her familly from threats like me.

I was determined to put an end to her barking by making friends with her. This was not going to be easy because she would not let me get to within 25 feet of her. Food and treats mean very little to her. I talked to my neighbor frequently but apparently Dolly thought he was using incredibly bad judgement by being friends with me.

As I am retired I spend a lot of time in the yard and garden. I decided that I would make friends with her by being very patient and ignoring her. Any move I had to make in her direction was plotted out ahead of time so as not to surprise her.

A month went by and she still hated me. A month and a half went by with no change. I did a lot of research on Dachshunds on the net. I eventually concocted a plan that involved an old dog owners trick.

I had seen where Dolly was going potty at. it was a small hole in the ground on my property. I took some fresh dirt, made sure the scent from my hands and feet were on it, and I partially filled the hole. When Dolly found it she got excited and started prancing around.

The next morning I was out working in the garden when I looked up and saw Dolly sitting in the seat of my John Deere Mower. She was glareing at me hatefully but not barking. I had a good laugh. For the next couple of days she would come over to see what " That Man" was up to. I made no attempt to touch her.

Several days went by an I was finally able to touch her. She did not like it but she tolerated it.

Eventually she made up with both me and my wife. She came over every day to see us. She liked us. Like grew to love and then love grew to a very deep love that I had never experienced in a dog before.

There were days I was hurting too bad to go outside. On those days Dolly would come over, find out what room I was in, then set outside and bark until I came out. She was just what I needed. I lost 80 pounds that summer due to increased activity.

That fall my neighbors divorced. The man moved out and Dolly got depressed. Then she got the idea in her head that I was going to be her new owner.

I loved Dolly but I was not going to allow her to move in. This went on for a couple of weeks or more. Finally one cold fall night there was scratching and whining at our door. I had never heard her whine before. We let her in. She never spent another night at her former owners home after that.

Dolly won. My neighbor eventually gave Dolly to us. I did not know it at the time but that one cold night I allowed the best dog I had ever owned to enter my home.

To this day Dolly acts as if living with us is a privilege.
 

Barron

New Member
Well hello Dolly

Carl

What a wonderful story, I thank you for sharing. Any photos of Dolly? Welcome to this site. Everyone here is family


Hi All,
I just found this website a few minutes ago and I just HAD to join!

How I came to be a Dachshund owner is as unusual as the breed itself yet at the same time it's so typical Dachshund.

I am a 60ish disabled married man who lives in a tiny little village on the Missouri River. A town of less than 200 people. We have leash laws but they are not enforced and almost everyone lets their dogs roam free.

For most of my life neither me or my wife liked small dogs. Oh no we were German Shepherd people. Our last dog was a huge Labrador. When he passed away we both swore that we would NEVER own another dog because they were too much trouble. We were perfectly OK with owning cats and that was how it was going to stay. Period.

One spring day my next door neighbor brought home a Miniature Longhaired Dachshund puppy as a gift to his daughters. They fell in love with the dog and named it Dolly. Dolly was in love with her new family especially the man of the house.

Dolly did not love her neighbors. She hated me at first sight and hated me as only a dachshund can. Hated my entire family especially my son Richard. Every time I was out in the yard she barked at me constantly.. I did not blame her. I had never met a doxie yet that liked me. Also I am 6'6" tall, have a beard, and weighed over 400 pounds at the time. I looked more like a grizzly bear than I did a human and Dolly saw her job as protecting her familly from threats like me.

I was determined to put an end to her barking by making friends with her. This was not going to be easy because she would not let me get to within 25 feet of her. Food and treats mean very little to her. I talked to my neighbor frequently but apparently Dolly thought he was using incredibly bad judgement by being friends with me.

As I am retired I spend a lot of time in the yard and garden. I decided that I would make friends with her by being very patient and ignoring her. Any move I had to make in her direction was plotted out ahead of time so as not to surprise her.

A month went by and she still hated me. A month and a half went by with no change. I did a lot of research on Dachshunds on the net. I eventually concocted a plan that involved an old dog owners trick.

I had seen where Dolly was going potty at. it was a small hole in the ground on my property. I took some fresh dirt, made sure the scent from my hands and feet were on it, and I partially filled the hole. When Dolly found it she got excited and started prancing around.

The next morning I was out working in the garden when I looked up and saw Dolly sitting in the seat of my John Deere Mower. She was glareing at me hatefully but not barking. I had a good laugh. For the next couple of days she would come over to see what " That Man" was up to. I made no attempt to touch her.

Several days went by an I was finally able to touch her. She did not like it but she tolerated it.

Eventually she made up with both me and my wife. She came over every day to see us. She liked us. Like grew to love and then love grew to a very deep love that I had never experienced in a dog before.

There were days I was hurting too bad to go outside. On those days Dolly would come over, find out what room I was in, then set outside and bark until I came out. She was just what I needed. I lost 80 pounds that summer due to increased activity.

That fall my neighbors divorced. The man moved out and Dolly got depressed. Then she got the idea in her head that I was going to be her new owner.

I loved Dolly but I was not going to allow her to move in. This went on for a couple of weeks or more. Finally one cold fall night there was scratching and whining at our door. I had never heard her whine before. We let her in. She never spent another night at her former owners home after that.

Dolly won. My neighbor eventually gave Dolly to us. I did not know it at the time but that one cold night I allowed the best dog I had ever owned to enter my home.

To this day Dolly acts as if living with us is a privilege.
 

Penny

New Member
What a lovely story. Can't wait to see her pics.
I lost my mind long ago since I have 3 now. lol Welcome.
 
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