Smooth, longhair, wire-haired dachshund: review

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“Relatives hinted: is it not better to put to sleep. But Gerda was so young ... "

Gerda was the first to appear. And it was a rash purchase: the children persuaded to give them a dog for the New Year. We took her five-month-old from her daughter’s friend, a classmate’s dog “brought” puppies. She was without a pedigree. In general, Gerda is a dachshund phenotype.

Photo: from the personal archive of Julia

What does this mean? That is, the dog is similar to the breed in appearance, but without the availability of documents its “purity” cannot be proved. In any generation, there may be a mix with anyone.

We live in the country, in a private house. The territory is fenced, and the dog has always been left to its own devices. Until a certain moment, none of us particularly bothered ourselves with any special care for her, walks, or feeding. Until trouble happened. Once the dog's paws were lifted. And life has changed. Everyone has.

If not for special circumstances, I would never have brought a second, and even more so a third pet

The second, and even more so the third dog, I would never have taken before. But Gerda was so sad when she was sick, that I wanted to cheer her up with something. It seemed to me that in the company of a dog-girlfriend she would be more fun.

Photo: from the personal archive of Julia

I was already afraid to take a tax on an ad. When Gerda became ill, she read so much literature about the breed. It turns out that discopathy, like epilepsy, are hereditary diseases in dachshunds. Absolutely all dogs of this breed are exposed to them if improperly maintained. A high probability that the disease will appear if the dog is from the street or mestizo. Still, I wanted to play it safe, and I was looking for a dog with documents. I could not step on the same rake again. In Moscow kennels, puppies were very expensive and were too expensive for us at that time: a lot of money was spent on Gerda's treatment. But I regularly looked at private ads in various forums. And one day I came across one thing - that for family reasons a wire-haired dachshund is being given. I saw a little dog in the photo, I thought: a mongrel-mongrel. In my philistine view, wire-haired is not at all like a dachshund. I have never met such dogs before. Bribed by the fact that the announcement stated: the dog has an international pedigree.

Despite my husband’s dissuasions, I still went to the specified address to just look at the dog. Arrived: the district is old, the house is Khrushchev, the apartment is tiny, one-room, on the fifth floor. I stop by: and two frightened eyes look at me from under a pram in the corridor. The dachshund is so pathetic, thin, frightened. How could I leave? The hostess made excuses: they bought a puppy when she was still pregnant, and here - a child, nights without sleep, problems with milk ... Hands do not reach the dog at all.

It turned out the dachshund's name is Julia. Here, I think, is a sign: my namesake. I am for the dog, and I went home faster. The doggie, of course, was with an injured psyche. What pounded the poor thing, it was not in doubt. She was so scared, afraid of everything, even could not take it in her arms: Julia was written with fear. It seemed that she did not even sleep at first, she was so tense. About a month later, my husband tells me: “Look, Juliet climbed onto the sofa, sleeping!” And we breathed a sigh of relief: getting used to it. The previous owners never called us, did not ask about the fate of the dog. We also did not contact them. But I found a breeder of wire-haired dachshunds from his nursery and took Julia. He admitted that he tracks the fate of the puppies. Very worried about the baby. Even asked to give him a dog back, offered to return the money. They did not agree, but placed an ad on the Internet and sold the baby for "three pennies." Apparently, it was my dog.

The third dachshund appeared by chance. Husband joked: smooth-haired, hard-haired, but long-haired not. No sooner said than done. Somehow, in social networks in the help group for dachshunds, people asked to urgently pick up a 3-month-old puppy, because the child developed a terrible allergy to the coat. I didn’t even know what a dog was. Took her for a while, for overexposure. It turned out a puppy with a pedigree from one of the most famous kennels in Belarus. My girls are calm about puppies (I used to take puppies for overexposure until the curators find families for them). And this was well received, they began to educate. When the time came to attach her, her husband did not give.

Photo: from the personal archive of Julia

I must admit that Michi is the most problem-free of all. She didn’t gnaw at anything: one rubber slipper didn’t count. While they were vaccinated, I went to the diaper all the time, then quickly got used to the street. She is absolutely non-aggressive, conflict-free. The only thing in an unfamiliar environment is a little difficult for her, it takes a long time to get used to.

The characters of the three dachshunds are all very different.

I do not want to say that smooth-haired are correct, and long-haired are some other. All dogs are different. When I was looking for a second dog, I read a lot about the breed, wrote to the breeders. They all wrote to me about the stability of the psyche of dogs. I kept thinking, what does the psyche have to do with it? It turns out that this moment is fundamental. In good kennels dogs are knitted only with a stable psyche.

Photo: from the personal archive of Julia

Judging by our rates, the most choleric and rapidly excited dog is Gerda, smooth-haired. Wirecoat - funny gnomes, spontaneous, funny dogs. They are excellent hunters, they have a very good grip: they sniff both the mouse and the bird. The long-haired hunting instinct is asleep, but for the company it may also bark at potential prey. The younger aristocrat, stubborn, knows her worth. She is beautiful, proud and quite complex and stubborn in learning.

Leadership in the pack - for the elder

In our family, Gerda is the oldest dog and the wisest. Behind her and leadership. She never crawls into conflict. In general, she is on her own, even while walking, the two rush around, somersault, and the older one always has her own program. She goes around all her places, sniffs everything. In our courtyard, two more large mutt dogs live in enclosures. She will approach one, teach life, then another.

Are dachshunds easy to care for

Oddly enough, most of the hair from a smooth-haired dog. She is everywhere. Such a short one, digs into furniture, carpets, clothes. Especially during molting is difficult. And you can’t comb it out only if you collect wool with your wet hand directly from the dog. But it doesn’t really help. Long-haired is much easier. It can be combed, rolled up, and it is easier to roll long wool from the floor or sofa. Wire-haired dachshunds do not molt at all. Trimming twice a year - that's all!

The misfortune that happened to Gerda changed my whole life

If Gerda had not been ill, I would not have become such an avid doggiver, would not have read thematic literature, would not have joined social groups. nets to help animals, would not take overexposure puppies, would not get carried away by cooking and proper nutrition ... The trouble crept up unexpectedly, and completely turned my world upside down. But I, however, was not ready to lose the dog. When she was waiting for Gerda in the vet. clinic near the operating room, I realized how much I got attached to her and fell in love.

Photo: from the personal archive of Julia

And it was like this: on Friday Gerda started to limp, on Saturday morning fell into her hands, on Monday she did not go. And how and what happened, I do not know. The dog immediately stopped jumping on the sofa, lay and whined. We did not attach importance, we thought: it will pass. When we arrived at the clinic, everything spun. Many complex procedures, anesthesia, tests, pictures, MRI ... Treatment, rehabilitation.

I understood that the dog will forever remain special. And you will need to devote a lot of energy and time to caring for her. If I were working then, I would have to quit or go on a long vacation. Mom and Dad were very sorry for me, they repeatedly hinted: is it not better to put to sleep. They cited the argument: “Think about what will happen next?” If you think globally, I agree: nightmare and horror. But, if, slowly, experiencing every day and rejoicing in small victories, then, it seems, is tolerant. I could not put her to sleep, Gerda was still so young: only three and a half years. Thanks to my husband and sister, they always supported me.

What we just did to put the dog on its paws. And the hormones were pricked, massaged, and taken to acupuncture, and she swam in the inflatable pool in the summer ... We definitely made progress: from a dog that did not get up, did not walk, relieved itself, Gerda became a completely independent dog. Long delayed the purchase of a stroller. They were afraid that she would relax and would not walk at all. For walks every two and a half hours they drove her with special supportive panties with scarf straps. It was on the street that the dog came to life, she had an interest: either she would see the dog, then follow the bird.

But I wanted more, and we decided on an operation. What I really regretted after. Another anesthesia, a huge seam, stress, shock ... And again rehabilitation. Gerda was recovering very hard. Again she began to walk by herself, did not get up, bedsores formed, the muscles on her hind legs completely disappeared. We slept with her in a separate room so as not to disturb anyone. At night I got up several times, turned the dog over, because she herself could not turn. Again massage, swimming, training ...

Six months later, the dog stood on its feet. She, of course, will not be the same. And her walking is different from the movements of healthy tails. But she walks!

Then there were still difficulties, dislocations. And again, the operation of implanting the support plate. And again, recovery.

On a walk, I try to always be with Gerda, I support if it falls. Still, we bought a stroller. And this is a very good way out.

Photo: from the personal archive of Julia

The dog walks on 4 legs, and the stroller insures against falls, supports the back. Yes, that goes there - with a carriage Gerda runs faster than her healthy friends. At home, we don’t put on this device, it moves, as it can, on our own. She makes me very happy lately, more often she rises to her feet, walks more confidently. Recently, Gerda was ordered the second stroller, the first she "drove out" in two years.

We take turns on vacation

When we had one dog, I left it to my sister. But now no one will take on such responsibility for caring for a special dog. Yes, and we will not leave it to anyone. It is necessary to help her go to her needs. She understands what she wants but cannot stand. If Gerda is crawling or walking into the corridor, she must be led out immediately. It happens that we do not have time to get out, then everything remains on the floor in the corridor. There are “misses" at night. We know about this, others do not. Of course, we go on vacation, but take turns. This year, for example, my husband and son traveled, and then I went with my daughter.

Gerda and I have developed a special relationship during her illness. She is confident in me. He knows that I will not give it to anyone, I will not betray her. She feels when I just drive into the village where we live. Waiting for me at the door or looking out the window.

A lot of dogs are great and difficult

The most difficult thing is to bring a second dog to the house. And when there are more than one, it doesn’t matter how much. Financially, of course, is not easy. We must all contain. Dachshunds are definitely more fun with each other. We rarely go to the site with other dogs. I do for them what I can do. You can’t jump above your head. And now I have to work, and I need to study children, and household chores. Our dachshunds communicate with each other.

I also pay attention to the mongrels, they are young, you need to run the dogs. I release from aviaries 2 times a day. They walk separately: babies with babies, large with large. And it's not about aggression. They would love to rush together. But I'm afraid of injuries: one awkward movement - and I have another spinalnik ...

How to treat a sick dog healthy

Everything is good between the girls. Gerda does not understand that she is not like everyone else. If she needs to rush, she will do it in a stroller. She does not feel flawed, and others treat her as an equal. Moreover, I did not lead Gerdu to them, but they came to her territory. Michigan was a puppy at all.

Photo: from the personal archive of Julia

But we had a difficult case this summer. I took an oversized dog for an adult dog, a pet cur. After 4 days, terrible fights began. And my girls, Julia and Michi fought. This has never happened before. They fought for death: apparently, for the attention of the owner. Gerda did not participate in the brawls: she is confident in my love.

First of all, I gave the mongrel to the curator. But the fights did not stop. I kept them in different rooms. I re-read the literature, turned to the dog handlers for help. A month later, under my strict control, the relationship between Julia and Michigan became the same. They again welcome each other's company.

Now we have everything, as it was before: we boldly leave them alone at home, we don’t close anyone anywhere.

Individual approach to each of the fees

By the way, I am engaged in upbringing with each of the girls separately. On walks we train with the youngest, she is the most receptive. I train Julia very carefully, unobtrusively, as if by the way: she’s been very intimidated since childhood, I try not to injure her with commands and shouts once again. Gerda is a smart girl, she understands perfectly, everything is special with her.

True, it’s difficult ...

I am often asked if it is difficult to keep so many dogs? True, difficult. And yes! I get tired. Therefore, I want to give advice to those people who are still in thought, whether to take a second, third doggie. Please really appreciate your strengths and capabilities. It’s easy and simple to keep someone and five dogs, but there are many to one.

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