Adoption Archives - Dachshund Rescue UK

A Dog Adoption Emergency

A dog adoption that saved a life.

Here is Sally’s story. A very ill dachshund puppy whose desperate owner reached out for help…

Rehoming | Adoption | Emergency Fostering

A few weeks ago we received a message from a lady who was troubled about the severe health issues her 11-month-old dachshund puppy was facing.

She had taken little Sally, her dachshund puppy, to the vet with breathing difficulties and had stayed overnight at the vet because she was frightened for Sally’s life.

The next morning her concerns became even greater. Sally was immediately referred to an emergency specialist veterinary hospital as her condition was rapidly deteriorating.

By the time we were contacted, the poor owner was emotionally and physically drained. The major problem was that despite having insured Sally up to this point, she had just changed her insurance policy, and during a “cooling” off period, she discovered that the insurance would not support any treatment of Sally !!! Something many of us are unaware of !!!!

Sally, by this stage, was on life support and her owner had to make a tough decision.

Sally needed scans and maybe surgery and she could not fund the costs. She reached out to Dachshund Rescue, and a very tearful conversation ensued.

She desperately wanted to save Sally’s life and with great courage, she asked that if she surrendered Sally, could we help?

We all know about loving enough to let go and despite her complete love for Sally she was prepared to surrender her to save her life.

We immediately authorised the scans to see what Sally was suffering from. It was believed Sally may have had pneumonia or fluid in her lungs.

Imagine the shock when the scans revealed Sally’s lungs were not where they should be!!! They revealed that Sally’s lungs had passed through a hole into her stomach due to a congenital hernia.

The little dachshund’s life was hanging in the balance and emergency surgery was required. Her owner stayed with her awaiting the outcome.

Sally showed incredible strength and came through the operation but she remained on life-support. The next few hours were going to be critical.

Later that evening Sally was taken off the ventilator and amazingly began to breathe on her own. She was even able to have a few spoonfuls of food. Sally’s owner stayed by her side throughout the night, ensuring she got the love and care she needed and making her feel secure.

The next morning we got the call to say Sally was doing amazingly well and her owner was in tears thanking us for all the understanding and support she had received. She was sent home by the medical staff completely exhausted having not slept for 48 hours. What incredible love for her beautiful puppy.

Sally continues to recover and we will let you know of her progress. This is a story of great love and sacrifice. Dachshund Rescue is proud to have been able to help.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of needing to rehome your dog, for whatever reason, feel free to reach out to your local Dachshund Rescue coordinator. We have a UK-wide team. You’ll find their contact details here

Dachshund Rescue Rehoming Adoption Emergency Fostering

We’re always on the lookout for good people. If you’d like to get involved in the work we do, check out the information on our volunteer roles here.

Being a UK charity, all of our work is funded by our fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors and supporters.

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Letting Go Is Hard!

Letting go is hard – a sad story with a happy ending…

This story tells of an incredibly kind gentleman who was responsible for saving many puppies whilst living in Spain. Two of them were dachshunds who became much-loved members of his family. Sadly, recent events have meant he has had to make a heart-breaking decision.

10 years ago, whilst living in Spain our gentleman came across a pet store in Barcelona selling puppies. Upon entering the store, he realised something was not right and that the welfare of these puppies was a cause for concern.

He got together with a group of friends to raise some funds and try to rescue the dogs. They returned to the store and brought at least twenty puppies between them and placed them with loving families.

On a visit to the vet, it transpired these dogs were only approximately 4 weeks old and not the 8 weeks he had been told upon original inquiries!!

Further investigations revealed these puppies had been transported from Eastern Europe and removed from their mothers far too early!! We can only imagine the suffering that occurred during this journey and the conditions they had experienced.

The dachshund in the picture was one of those puppies so you can see what a happy and healthy life now lay ahead because of the gentleman rescuing him.

Sadly, the rules and regulations about animal welfare in parts of Europe are not as stringent as those in Great Britain. So, it was no surprise when 6 years later our dachshund owner came across another similar dreadful situation.

Again, he felt he needed to help, and he came to the rescue of several puppies who were in poor health and with uncertain futures ahead. This time he found a beautiful female black and tan dachshund who would make the perfect companion for his first rescue.

It is so sad to know upon talking with this lovely man that illegal transportation of puppies across Europe is being allowed and how breeders are abusing the welfare of so many beautiful dogs to cause unnecessary suffering for thousands of dogs just to try and make money!!!! It is truly upsetting.

2 years ago, our rescuer came over to England with his dachshunds having achieved something special during his time in Spain. Imagine his devastation when changes in family circumstances meant he had to contact Dachshund Rescue and surrender the 2 dachshunds he had saved!!!

His dachshunds saved his life and kept him through some extremely tough times. But he had to accept that he could no longer give them the life they deserved.

He had to work, and he wanted his dachshunds to continue to be happy and be given the care he had given to them throughout their lives. He felt like he was betraying them after all the love and joy they has given him. Letting go was so hard for him.

Dachshund Rescue was able to find a wonderful home for the two dachshunds and the gentleman was reassured by the coordinator as to how they were settling and being extremely well looked after.

This is a recent story, and the owner is still very emotional. It is hoped that he will find comfort in knowing his dachshunds will have a happy and loving future. Letting go is hard but he should feel incredibly proud of his actions in rescuing so many puppies and hopefully, given time, reflect positively on what a special thing he did.

We provide UK-wide support for Adopting, Rehoming and Fostering via our network of regional coordinators.

Being a UK charity, all of our work is funded by our fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors and supporters.

Swimmers Syndrome

Swimmers Syndrome – Peanut’s Story

Before the story of Peanut and his siblings can begin it is important to have some understanding of “Swimmers“. This is a little-known disability that puppies can develop if the muscles in their legs haven’t developed properly.

The puppy cannot stand, and it can result in their limbs splaying out to the side in extreme circumstances hence the name “swimmers”.

Whether this is a consequence of breeding (nature) or being part of a small litter and not needing to move to get to food and therefore not using the legs (nurture) is debatable. The good news is that if caught early and with dedication there is every chance of recovery.

Earlier this year one of our coordinators received a call regarding 3 puppies with swimmers syndrome and it looked like unless homes were found these new puppies had no potential future ahead.

After a lot of research, we made the decision to offer them a chance and the coordinator began her search for three new homes.

It would not be easy as there needed to be a great deal of time and commitment involved and the owners would have to be prepared to go on a journey that nobody had any genuine experience of!!! However, three amazing families were prepared to help and support the puppies having investigated the swimmers syndrome condition and believing that they could help.

So, on June 28th, 2022, three couples met up in Kings Lynn to meet the new additions to their families who were named Peanut, Rosie, and Winnie.

Today we will focus on Peanut who is the black and tan male of the group.

Peanut’s issue was his folding his front legs beneath him being unable to stand. His owners produced an amazing idea.

They built a tunnel that kept his legs in the right place beneath his shoulders. They put little hurdles along the length which meant Peanut had to step over and use his legs correctly. Treats at various points encouraged Peanut even further, which as you know always works beautifully with our dachshunds!!!!!

Peanut is coming along, but occasionally, when excited, instead of using his legs individually to walk he resorts to a “bunny” style hopping movement.

His owner has a way of working on this too. She has discovered Peanut has a tickle spot on his paws. If touched it initiates a reflex reaction. This makes each leg move in turn and ensures isolation of movement and continued muscle development.

Peanut has formed a wonderful friendship with Danny who is a 15-year-old crossbreed rescue. The owner was concerned a puppy might be too much for her older dog, but Peanut has helped Danny recover his youthfulness. However, he is also good at ensuring Peanut doesn’t overdo the playfulness!!!!!

At mealtimes Peanut is supported in the correct standing position and is beginning to hold this stance more independently. He also has a raised bowl to keep his front legs straight. He is on a protein diet to help his muscles build up and strengthen further.

Peanut does have a weakness on his left side, but his future looks bright. He loves being outside and exercising. He still has a long way to go before he is completing longer walks but he is being given the best opportunity to get there. He has a wonderful team behind him and his recovery from swimmer’s syndrome will continue.

Dachshund Rescue has supported Peanut and the other two puppies suffering from swimmers syndrome throughout their journey by providing essential hydrotherapy and physiotherapy sessions to enhance their recovery.

Peanut will be meeting up with his sisters very soon and we will update you on all their progress. We are thrilled to have found these gorgeous puppies’ wonderful forever homes and want to thank everyone involved in their journey to a happy life and a wonderful future.

Rehoming a Rescue – Ralph’s Story

Rehoming a rescue dachshund – Ralph’s Story

rehoming a rescue dachshund - a long-haired dachshund sits on a blanket looking out of a window

This story is written to highlight how our expectations when rehoming a rescue dachshund may not immediately be everything we envisaged. The first 24 hrs may be fantastic but once the dog starts to settle some behavioural issues can occur as the dachshunds character emerges!!

This is when the hard work begins, and although it may be easier to return the dachshund to the rescue, through feeling unable to cope, sometimes having the patience and willingness to overcome such problems can prove immensely rewarding. Ralph’s story is an example of this.

Ralph arrived at his new home with serious separation anxiety. He was unsocialised and unhappy around other dogs. He would mark his territory inside the home which meant his new owner would not be able to visit family and friends for a while!!

It was evident Ralph would need a lot of work and his new owner recognised immediately this was not what he expected and he was very close to giving Ralph up

With a lot of hard work Ralph became more confident with other dogs when out walking but he could still be nervous of some dogs and be reactive. With time his confidence began to grow and he became familiar with the dogs he was meeting.

Ralph’s owner also met up with licensed dog walkers to learn ways in which Ralph could progress with his socialisation and he is now a much-loved dachshund within the community. His owner now enjoys nothing more than seeing Ralph play with other dogs.

With even greater patience and time, Ralph’s separation and anxiety fears improved tremendously. So much so that he could be left alone for a couple of hours without any problem.

He is now much better with his toilet issues indoors and this has made his owner’s life much easier. It means Ralph can visit friends’ and families’ homes without causing any embarrassment!!!

Ralph has had to have an operation to remove some of his milk teeth which helped massively to overcome his other unpleasant issue of having bad breath. This is great for his owner as Ralph does enjoy a close cuddle.

The message Ralph’s owner really wanted to emphasise was that he had to lower the expectations of his rescue dachshund and accept all of Ralph’s flaws. He loved him because of his problems and understood this was Ralph’s chance to be happy and settled. He now realises that some of Ralph’s quirky behaviour can be typical of the breed!!!

Letting Ralph be himself has been the key alongside the acceptance of how life-changing the rehoming a rescue dachshund can be. From being on the verge of returning Ralph to the owner of (and I quote) a “happy, cheeky, funny, sweet little boy” has been a testament to how great results can be achieved and a new bond is made for life.

We provide UK-wide support for Adopting, Rehoming and Fostering via our network of regional coordinators.

Rescue Coordinator Lauren Thomas

Lauren Thomas is the Dachshund Rescue coordinator for London, Berkshire and East Sussex.

She has always had animals in her life and grew up around horses. She became a dachshund owner 8 years ago when Blue came into her life. Lauren had until this point worked with gun dogs and assistance dogs and she was fascinated by the complete difference in the psychology of dachshunds and other breeds of dogs.

Lauren Thomas, the Dachshund Rescue coordinator for London, Berkshire and East Sussex

Lauren’s dog, Blue, had a few behaviour issues when settling into his new home with her, and she was eager to work on helping him to improve.
She worked alongside a behaviourist and was fascinated to learn that the drives behind most breeds differ from those of the dachshund.

She discovered that for most dogs the main drive is to please the owner and gain their praise. Dachshunds have other ideas!!!!! Lauren was fascinated by what she was learning and how it changed her normal ways of dog training.

She has worked for dog charities, training assistance dogs for people with physical and mental disabilities. The role meant spending time working with the dogs to learn their personalities so that she could then find the owner best suited for each particular dog.

As you can imagine these skills fit alongside her work for the charity perfectly.

Rescue Coordinator - Lauren Thomas pictured walking across a footbridge with her dachshund, Blue

Lauren’s work in training assistance dogs was ideal experience for her role with Dachshund Rescue

More recently Lauren has been working for a charity that puts together teams of dogs and horses that act as therapy for children and adults of all disabilities.

Whether it be the physical exercise or emotional connection she finds the right ways in which animals can help. As you can imagine this is incredibly rewarding work.

One of Lauren’s concerns is how many owners expect their dogs to conform completely to their lifestyle.

She has learnt through her work with disabled children and adults that communication is sometimes difficult and you need to find different ways to relate to people.

This has made her very aware that the same is true of our dachshunds and that often they communicate their underlying emotions through aggression and barking.

She believes that sometimes we need to try to view situations through their eyes, to help us to recognise the cause of their anxieties, and then try to avoid those triggers in the future or find a way to work around them. Some good advice for all dachshund owners.

As a rescue coordinator, she wants people who apply to adopt, to do so only when they are completely ready to make the necessary commitment.

It is not always practical to believe our dachshunds can be “fixed” with their behaviour but they can improve tremendously with hard work.

Lauren has only been in her rescue coordinator role with us for a few months and she has really enjoyed meeting lots of new people and helping to find our dachshunds’ wonderful new homes.

She has loved being part of our team and is learning every day how different every situation is.

As you’d expect, Lauren is very busy and, like many of our coordinators, is always on the lookout for extra help.

If you are in and around Lauren’s neck of the woods and think you might be able to help with Home Checks, Transport, or anything else to support her in her work as a rescue coordinator for Dachshund Rescue, get in touch, she’d love to hear from you. You’ll find Lauren’s contact details here.

We’re always on the lookout for good people. If you’d like to get involved in the work we do, check out the information on our volunteer roles here.

Surrender Dachshund Kevin

Surrender Dachshund Kevin’s Story

Today we are looking at the story behind the surrender of a dachshund, Kevin.

Surrender Dog Kevin - Kevin relaxing on his pink blanket

Recognising the heartache and difficulty behind making such a sad decision is essential. No one goes into dog ownership with anything but the best intentions and the dream of a wonderful addition to their family.
However, sometimes it can go wrong. This is one of those stories…

Kevin first came to his owner’s attention in an advertisement. It had been a couple of years since she lost her Bichon Frise and she felt that the time was right to introduce a new dog into the home. It was December 2020 and COVID restrictions were in place.

The meeting with the breeder took place at an outside location as these were the social distancing rules at the time, however, alarm bells were soon ringing.

Kevin had no paperwork and there was no sign of the puppy’s parents. Here was an early dilemma! Leaving the dachshund behind meant exposing him to an uncertain future so Kevin was purchased and brought home to meet his new family.

Kevin’s first visit to the vet confirmed his dubious history. He was not of the age his new owner had been told, his vaccination certificate was not credible and the fact that he had a heavy worm burden confirmed that the worming program that was discussed had probably also not taken place.

At this time these findings only reinforced that she had made the right decision in bringing Kevin into his new loving home.

Everything went well for 6 months, there were young children in the home, however, initially, no issues came to the surface.

Things took a turn for the worse when Kevin was chewing on a bone treat and the owner’s 5-year-old just sat down nearby without doing anything that would suggest any need for Kevin to respond.

Kevin, however, reacted aggressively toward the young girl.
As this was the first sign of such behaviour the owner put measures in place, no more bones would be given as a treat and the children were warned to keep away when Kevin had food.

12 months went by and with the above-mentioned procedures in place there were no further issues, despite Kevin still being wary of strangers in the house he was establishing himself as a much-loved part of the family and the owner was thrilled.

However, as the weather improved earlier this year there was a family BBQ held in the garden. Everything was going well until Kevin found a bone that had belonged to a previous inhabitant of the space and a family visitor who came too close was bitten.

Once more Kevin was exonerated as the family had previously identified and dealt with his issues around food, they felt this was just a blip.

Unfortunately, two weeks later Kevin bit a child, one of the owner’s children had previously spilt yoghurt in the back garden and as she bent down nearby to pick up a piece of chalk she had been using Kevin reacted badly. The bite on her arm was quite severe.

This was the third time he had bitten, the time scale between the incidents was lessening and the aggression increasing. It was beginning to frighten the owner as to what could happen. She had to prioritise her children.

Kevin had been such a lovely dachshund who was a wonderful addition to the family, but now a heartbreaking decision had to be made.

With his biting history, the owner knew she had to be responsible and do what she believed to be the right thing. How could she potentially add this problem to another home? it just did not feel like the right thing to do, how would she feel if he bit another child?

At this point, the owner did not know that there was a breed-specific rescue or that they would take a dog with a bit of history it seemed the only option was to take Kevin to the vet to be euthanized.

This must have felt terrible in every sense, we know many tears were shed.

On arrival at the vet, the reasons behind the decision were discussed with the family.

The vet fortunately was aware of Dachshund Rescue’s work and called us, our regional coordinator was off like a shot to collect him!

The owner was thrilled that Kevin was getting another chance and rushed home to get all his favourite accessories to help him settle.

This story has a strong message for anyone purchasing a new dog and the owner has been incredibly brave in sharing her experience with us.

She urges people to research the breed properly, as her experience shows that some dachshunds can struggle to live with young children. She also wants to stress the importance of knowing where your new dachshund comes from and the need to be aware of its history.

Kevin was effectively saved from a difficult and uncertain future by the owner and she should feel that despite everything that prevailed she did right by Kevin in the first instance.

Kevin is now happily settled with one of our coordinators, and the family who had to let him go are regularly updated on his progress.

This was a tough situation to deal with for any dog owner and we were only too glad to be able to help.

In this case, the owner was a genuine lady acting as we all do in wanting to complete her family with a dachshund but found herself facing a real dilemma, something that could happen to any of us!!

It emphasises the importance of several things

This was a tough situation to deal with for any dog owner and we were only too glad to be able to help. There are some really important points to note though, most of which are obvious, but probably worth highlighting :

A puppy with no paperwork and/or no sign of the parents is an immediate red flag. (the lady in this case obviously recognised that in fact, it’s probably the one thing that thankfully helped her decide to take Kevin on).
This shows the value of doing a little research on the breeder. Most are genuine and want to do things properly, unfortunately, there are still some around that are focused on profit more than the care of the dog.
It’s also important to research the breed, something emphasised by the lady in this example. Some of the behaviours experienced in this case are not uncommon in dachshunds, forewarned is forearmed as they say.
Most dachshund rescue organizations, have rules around where they will rehome a dog. These can include things like; the age of children in the family, the presence of other dogs or pets, the amount of time an owner can spend with a dog, having a private garden etc. Though often not popular, a situation like Kevin’s story above, emphasises the need for these. Any rescue has a duty of care, not only for the dog, but also for the people taking on a rescue animal.

If you’re considering surrendering your dachshund, feel free to chat with one of our regional coordinators. You’ll find their contact details here.

Being a UK charity, all of our work is funded by our fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors and supporters.

Rehome my dog – if at first, you don’t succeed …

Rehome my dog – Bertie’s Story

Earlier this year Bertie was surrendered to the charity. It is rare that we would consider a crossbreed and he clearly had Jack Russell in him, but this was an emergency.

He had begun to show aggression and had bitten. He was becoming increasingly protective of his male owner as the lockdown ended and children were coming into the home as his wife was a nanny. For obvious reasons, it was necessary for them to let Bertie go.

There was no immediate home available and so he was put into temporary foster. Within 24 hours he was showing aggression again and had bitten his foster carer’s partner.

Bertie had to be removed immediately and one of our coordinators was able to collect him and take him home. It was clear he was incredibly stressed and needed time. His issues meant it would be difficult finding him the right home.
He was very reactive to noise and reacted badly initially to any visitors. Barking was also a problem and much of this was anxiety related.

He settled in with the coordinator’s family and was fine with her 2 dachshunds. She would have kept him, but his youthful exuberance was too much for her older dogs who enjoy the quiet life!!

Eventually, a new home was found after much searching and off he went.

It did not go well 😔 The new owner’s dachshund did not react positively to the new addition and was overly aggressive towards Bertie.

Within 48 hours it was apparent poor Bertie would have to move again. Fosterers were found and yet again he was moved.

Of course, this was not what anyone wanted, and it was devastating for everyone who wanted this lovely boy to find the happy future he deserved.

So back to the drawing board and the search resumed.

A couple were found who were prepared to give Bertie a chance, so a week later he travelled to his second new home. Surely this was going to work!!

Bertie tried hard but again there were problems. He started guarding one of his new owners and became aggressive towards her husband and their Labrador. After 2 weeks they couldn’t continue to keep him and again he would have to be moved.

Back to our adoption applications and all the coordinators were looking out for the home that would suit him. We had to get it right. All the moves between homes were not helping Bertie’s issues and he needed an experienced owner who would be able to give him time and the proper training.

Eventually, one application became known that sounded perfect. A quiet home with lots of space and land for Bertie to release all his youthful energy plus, another young dog in the household, who was receptive to other dogs in the home.

Luckily, a family related to a dog trainer was available to offer help and support. They were told EVERYTHING about Bertie’s history and his problems, and they were thrilled to be considered and eager to give Bertie his opportunity.

rehome my dog - berties story a dachshund jack russell cross sitting on a young girls knee

Their 14-year-old daughter put in a great deal of work creating a training programme to support him as it was clear Bertie was a highly intelligent dog who would respond well to new challenges.

This was Bertie’s sixth placement, and it took place just a few weeks ago!!!!

We are delighted to tell you he has settled in brilliantly. He is learning new tricks and revelling in his new environment.

Everyone involved in this story could not be more thrilled with the outcome of this emotional rollercoaster. It took a long time but all the time and commitment to Bertie has been worthwhile.

We will ask Evie to let us know how his training is going and update you on his progress in a few weeks. We love a happy ending 💜💜

When we get a call to “rehome my dog”, we’re always willing to help. As you can see, it’s not always as straightforward as we’d like. It’s great to see that our team of voluntary coordinators were able to work together to provide a successful conclusion and a new permanent home for Bertie.

Being a UK charity, all of our work is funded by our fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors and supporters.

Rehoming a Dog – Franks Story

This is the sad story of Frank and how we found ourselves rehoming a dog who’d already been rehomed.

Frank came into the care of Dachshund Rescue a year ago due to some very upsetting family circumstances after his owner sadly passed away.

Her daughter could not help as she was expecting a baby and knew this would not be the best place for Frank to be as he was already anxious.

With great sadness, Frank was surrendered to the charity and rehomed.

However, it soon became clear that Frank was struggling to settle in his new home and his worries were exacerbating.

After Christmas 2021, Louise Van Vuren became the new coordinator for Frank’s area and he was immediately brought to her attention.

Louise soon realised that poor Frank needed to be moved again. He was beginning to develop behavioural issues due to his anxieties, so his new home needed to be right.
This was her first rehoming a dog challenge too, so her skills and experience would be tested.

Louise lived near Frank’s current owners so she was able to go and assess his nature and character first-hand. She found a very handsome standard dachshund with lots of potential.

Louise quickly found a lovely lady called Eleanor and identified her as a possible adopter for Frank. She had experience of the breed too which is important in these difficult circumstances and she was ready to take on a new addition to her home. But this was just the start!!!!

It was evident Eleanor would need some support with Frank and so she was put in touch with a dachshund specialist trainer who works with us when we’re rehoming a dog in a special situation.

Frank was brought an Adaptil collar and was prescribed some garden exercise for a few days to help reduce his stress levels.

Eleanor was given some guidance on separation anxiety too. Frank’s past experiences had left their mark 😔😔

Eleanor responded positively to the advice and put into place all the ideas she had been given.

She worked very hard and within weeks began to notice a difference. She started to recognise what was triggering Frank’s anxiety and took steps to avoid these situations.

Frank’s confidence has grown so much now and Eleanor is thrilled with his development. She gets pretty emotional thinking about how well he has done.

Frank is by no means the finished article and the hard work continues with support from our trainer.

He is now a much happier dog who is settled and thriving in his new environment.

Thank you Eleanor for giving him the security he needed and a wonderful new home 💜💜💜💜

Rehoming a dog

Could you provide a loving home for one of our rescued Dachshunds?

We provide UK-wide support for Adopting, Rehoming and Fostering via our network of regional coordinators.

If you’d like to find out more head to our Adoption page.

Join our Facebook Group. It’s open to anyone with an interest in our favourite breed.

Adopting a Dachshund – A Dog with a Criminal Record

Adopting a Dachshund can be a rewarding experience.

Today we are sharing Alfie’s Story……. from the point of view of his new owner.

Adopting a Dachshund – Alfie’s Story

The Police kennels had asked Dachshund Rescue about the possibility of finding a new home for him.

Alfie had been put into the kennels over a biting incident and he had been there for nearly a year.

I first heard from Dachshund Rescue back in September 2021 about a 3-year-old male Dachshund called Alfie.

Little was known about him, but the police told us that in his time with them there’d been no biting. They said in fact that he was a sweet boy.

Luckily, Dachshund Rescue was there to help.

We were told he was a large Standard and that was confirmed when we saw the photos of him.

Alongside this, we noted he was very food orientated and he loved to spend time with humans.

Taking on a dog who’d been known to bite was a bit of a worry. However, we soon discovered his kind nature, and our worries were over.

Within 3 weeks we had picked him up and took him home to start his new life with us. Now, 4.5 months later (at the time of writing), Alfie has settled down nicely.

He is comfortable enough that he wags his tail and barks when in a deep sleep, and he’s starting training classes in the hope that it will help him gain a few doggy friends.

We’re hoping to improve his recall too so that he can be let off the lead.
Currently, he is quite headstrong, so most of the time he ignores us calling him.

He’s had plenty of adventures including beach and wood walks enjoying walks around the local towns and villages too.

A family holiday shortly will bring opportunities for further walks.

So far, he’s managed to bite through 2 leads and a harness within minutes, so these are firmly tucked away now!

His cheeky side is starting to come out and he’s gained enough confidence to start playing (aka, tearing his toys to shreds).

With the help of my family, we are still working through a few problems.
I know that there is no quick fix., but now I can’t imagine life without him.

Adopting a Dachshund can be a rewarding experience. Could you provide a loving home for one of our rescued dogs?

We provide UK-wide support for Adopting, Rehoming and Fostering via our network of regional coordinators.

If you’d like to find out more head to our Adoption page.

Remember, as with any breed, you should do a little research on the breed first to check if a dachshund might be right for you and your family. Here’s a good place to start.

Join our Facebook Group. It’s open to anyone with an interest in our favourite breed.