Snuggle Pup

All three of our dogs are kennel trained. Well, that's not entirely true. The Dachshund is still in the process of being trained. She's a pup and resistant to the idea of being in a cage. I can't say I blame her. She was abandoned at my vet's office (where my step-daughter happens to work). I believe she is pure bred doxie because her original family had paid more than $700 for her, but then had to move and couldn't take her with them.

 

She sat at the vets office for a little more than a month, going on three overnight trials to potential families, my step-daughter being one of them. The reasons for not keeping her ranged from "She hid from us and wouldn't come near us" to "Our house is already full, and as small and sweet as she is, we just can't handle a puppy right now." When she came to us for a trial night, her little nose raw from nudging at her cage door trying to get out. After about 20 minutes, we knew she wouldn't be going back.

Mini is a sweetheart - a bit of pain considering she still gets in to everything and will have the occasional accident on the floor - but still a little doll. She loves to cuddle and will jump on your lap to cuddle. I've also learned, like most doxies, she loves to burrow. I think it goes back to the original job of the breed - burrowing in to rabbit and other small animal holes. Yes, Dachshunds were bred to be hunters.

Anyway, my intention for this little bed is to have it stay in her kennel. It has a little "cave" at one end for her to burrow in to and lots of stuffing to make it extra soft. The bed was made from a flannel remnant I found at Walmart. It was just under a yard of material and worked perfectly to make this little bed.

The idea now is to train her, outside the kennel, that it is her bed where she can be safe and comfy. Then move it in to her kennel, which it should fit in to perfectly, so she will be more comfortable in there. Of course that is our plan, but doxies usually will do things their own way so I guess we will just have to see how this all goes. Wish us luck!