Words: Ellie Munro
Tea and Sausages I’ve been working in a dog grooming salon for almost five years now. I have had aggressive dogs, dogs that poo all over the place, dogs that cry until my ears ring, dogs that lick my face until I feel like I’m suffocating: I’ve met lots of interesting characters. Nothing, however, makes me wince more than Miniature Dachshunds. Stereotypically, they are barky, stubborn and, most scarily, can slip a disc in their back with one slight movement. I distinctly remember the moment I said ‘I would never have one of those dogs. They’re just not my cup of tea.’ Do you see where this is going yet? Of course, despite my rejection of them, I sleep with one of them by my feet every night. Well, he’s meant to be by my feet, but he’s more often inside my pyjamas with me. In December 2021, I had just gone through my first break up, and what does every girl in that situation do? Blow her savings. To be fair, I wasn’t looking to buy a dog, I was merely, innocently looking at pictures of them. But then I came across a litter of Miniature Dachshunds, with an advertising picture that I initially thought was a baby seal.
Lifestyle
He had velvety grey fur, deep black whiskers, and big green eyes that were accentuated by little brown eyebrows. When I clicked on the ad, I saw that he was the last one left, ‘awww, no one wants him.’ My heart strings had been tugged. So that was it. A few short hours later, I was a mum. Clearly, I’m a decisive person, so after thinking about it for approximately 24 seconds it was decided; this was Slinky. ‘What on God’s green earth? Why have you got that?’ my friends asked, though I don’t think they were surprised. Plus, how can you not fall in love with a dog that has eyebrows? The months that followed broke every prejudiced idea I held about sausage dogs: he never barks, he can run for miles like any other dog – although, he is very stubborn. The vet knows to ask me if he’s on hunger strike again every time they see me marching him towards the door. You know what’s good about having such a ‘basic’ dog? We have Slinky mugs, Slinky tea towels, Slinky flower pots, Slinky toothbrush holder, Slinky tote bags, Slinky crockery, and every Birthday,
50