This is Dora . . . she is the family's Dachshund. Actually she is the wife's Dachshund. We adopted Dora into the family several years ago when a friend's niece was given an ultimatum that the dog had to go or her live-in boyfriend was leaving. She decided that Dora needed a new home. I think we got the better end of the stick on this one as the boyfriend ending up leaving anyways. The wife wanted a dog since I had our Boxer, Maddie and Dora was in the right place at the right time. Though the wife thinks that Dora is her dog , , , and the rest of the family thinks she is the family's dog, the truth is Dora belongs to no one. Dora is her own dog. I think it is that German blood line coming through that makes her so independent.
The above picture is how we see Dora, but I think that Dora sees herself quite differently. I think Dora sees herself as pretty cool. The picture below is how I think Dora sees herself.
Trust me . . . Dora has a very high opinion of herself.
Dora is a different breed than our Boxer, Maddie--duh! Maddie is laid back and obedient. Dora is a bundle of energy (when she wants something--especially food) and does what she wants to do when she wants to do it. She has a tendency to view herself as the "alpha" dog despite the fact that Maddie is probably ten times her size and forty pounds heavier. Dora likes to be the top dog. We think that she has "little dog" syndrome, but who can blame her as almost every other dog in the world is bigger than she is. It has to be hard living in the land of the giants.
Because of this she over-compensates--primarily by barking. She barks a lot. Barks at every little noise there is--every car that drives by--every person that walks by--everything that startles her--whenever someone knocks on the door or rings the doorbell--she barks . . . and barks . . . and barks. It is enough to drive a person crazy, but we were told that this is a trait of the Dachshund (not to mention one of the traits of "little dog" syndrome). This is how she got her nickname, Door Bell. We find it appropriate.
Not only can Dora be a noisy dog, she is also an opportunist--especially when it comes to food. I do not believe that Dora has ever missed a meal in her life. It might be why she is a little rolly-polly--kind of like a Tootsie Roll. Dora loves food and will eat anything given the opportunity. I think it all tastes the same as she has never slowed down long enough to taste any of the food she eats. Where Maddie the Boxer can be finicky at times, Dora snarfs it all down in record time. We have to watch her once she finishes her food so that she doesn't eat Maddie's. But, Maddie is not a stupid dog--Maddie relishes eating slow and making Dora wait to lick the bowl. Payback is heck! The bottom line is Dora is an opportunist who will go to great lengths to get food.
Not only is Dora an opportunist she is one that easily gets offended if she does not get what she wants. That does not deter her from trying harder, it only makes her more insistent--more of the big brown puppy eyes, the slow whine, and then barking. She's cute, but compliments are not what she is after!
Once she gets what she wants she has no shame. Trust me . . . we have tried with the best of them. This dog has no shame when it comes to food--she will endure anything and do anything!
One of her more enduring qualities is that she enjoys playing--as long as everyone plays by her rules. She gets all the toys. She gets to determine what game is going to be played. And, she gets to determine that she is the winner. There are no ifs, ands, or buts to these rules--they are Dora's rules and if you want to play you might as well get used to them. One of her favorite games is to rip the squeaker out of the toys. Maddie treats her toys with tender loving care, Dora rips into them as on a mission to destroy anything that squeaks. It is like she goes to some deep dark doggie place . . .
Speaking of walks, Dora enjoys going on walks . . . but she has to lead. We go where Dora wants to go--she leads we follow. Heaven help us if we try to ever change that . . .
She likes to lay n things--especially people and anything that is straight out of the drier . . .
Dora the Door Bell is quite a hand full, but we love her none the less. She has entertained us through the years. She has kept us on our toes. We know who the boss is in this family and it is not me--it is Dora! She humors us when we think that we are in control or she becomes insulted. There is nothing worse than a Dachshund who has been insulted--they can give the cold shoulder with the best of them.
It's not Dora's fault. This is the way that God created her--for better or worse. Thus it is what we have to live with as we invited her into the family. Little did we know then that she would become the center of the family, but hind sight is 20/20. But we endure because we know she has plenty of problems of her own . . .
Also, we know what goes on inside of her little brain . . . even when she sleeps . . . visions of grandeur, domination, lots of food, and being the leader of the pack. Remember, she is the boss!
Despite her "little dog" syndrome, her super-sized ego, her barking, her hogging the covers in bed, her wattle, her deafness when called, and her easily bruised psyche . . . we still love her. And, she loves us . . . as long as we remember who is the boss . . .
. . . she is. Dora, the Door Bell, is the boss. Let us not forget it!
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