A Very Special Little Dachshund Named "Dazzle"
A beautiful little 8-week-old Dachshund came to us from another breeder. She was a double dapple and 100% stone deaf and 90% blind. She could vaguely see objects only if they were a few inches in front of her nose. We could tell that she had been well taken care of and extremely loved by her breeder's family; she was happy, confident and enjoyed being held.
Incredibly intelligent, she learned touch commands almost immediately. Her memory was extraordinary and she soon learned every inch (literally) of our home and yards. The only time she ever bumped into something is when she was running at full speed and the object was out of it's normal place. Her confidence built even more as she ate, slept and played with her "brothers & sisters".
[The 3 pictures below are the kids on the dogpillows and blankets beneath my computer desk, which is a favorite gathering place. In the below picture, Dazzle is the one who is sound asleep upside down.]
[The below picture are Dazzle & Silhouette (her favorite playmate) curled up asleep together. Silhouette heard me get the camera and sleepily lifted her head but her eyes were still closed when the picture was taken...lololol]
She became fully integrated with the other members of the family and frequently is the ringleader in games of chase, tag, hide & seek and tug-of-war. Her sense of smell is amazing - she can follow the movements of any chosen dog at a full run, inside the house and outside in the yard.
Her personality is bubbly and her demeanor confident; she won't be bullied and can roughhouse with the best of them, but her behavior is always appropriate. She is extremely affectionate with the other dogs and especially gentle with little puppies, letting them play-growl and play-attack her with the tolerance and affection of any seeing and hearing dog.
I did not know how she could learn to use the dogdoor, but she followed the other dogs, and soon began running in and out as though she had been doing it all her life. The dogdoor is always open for them, and leads to a securely fenced back yard. The chain-link fence is 5 feet high and buried 1 foot in the ground, making it escape-proof.
We have a fully fenced 1-acre front yard with a 1/4-acre pond. In the summer evenings, my husband and I take our "kids" out there to play. After sniffing the circumference of the pond, she pinpointed exactly where it was and races confidently around the edge along with the other dogs. We are always with them, of course, and keep a close eye on everyone.
When it was time to have her spayed, I was very nervous about how she would be able to handle the stress and pain - without being able to see, hear or understand what was being done to her. We brought her in early in the morning and picked her up later that afternoon, so she wouldn't have to stay overnight. I had torb (a narcotic pain reliever) on hand to make sure she was comfortable for the first few days. She sailed through it all with flying colors.
She has one little quirk. She still "baby-grunts." Anyone who raises baby puppies knows the delightful sound of the contented "baby-grunts" puppies give when their tummies are full and they are sleepily settling down for the night. She still "baby-grunts" as she snuggles next to me in bed, and the soporific sound lulls me to sleep.
As I watch her playing gently with tiny puppies, or racing around with the other dachshunds, or in my lap with her tail wagging furiously and her mouth wide open in a "happy face grin", or with the other dachshunds piled up in my husband's lap, I thank our lucky stars that she became part of our family.
A lady from the All American Dachshund Rescue League wrote: "People don't often realize how great these dogs can do if given a chance. We often get double dapples in the rescue and it is amazing just how great they do and how happy they make their families. Many shelters put these dogs down immediately when they come in or if a rescue will not take them, but we are trying to show them and the public just how trainable and adoptable they are."
There are so many dogs that need homes, purebred and mixed. If people could make room for in their hearts and homes for just one rescue dog, it would make a world of difference - especially for that "special" dog.
