Dog A
FOR ALL SEASONS by Anne Rosenberg
When I picked up Weezy, a chocolate miniature wire dachshund, five years ago, never would I have imagined she would be the start of a legacy. Never would I have imagined that I would have a Baker’s dozen wire dachshunds in my bedroom. Never would I have imagined that my horse farm would be transformed into a dachshund playground called Ev-Ry Earthdog, complete with earthdog, fast cat, agility and a venue for nose work trials. GCH Willow Springs Island Breeze MW BN RN FDC BCAT SWN THDX, CGCA CGCU TKI (Weezy) came from Cyndi and Alex Branch who own Willow Springs Dachshunds in Georgia. After earning her grand championship, under the loving handling of Cassandra Vargas and Angela Lloyd, Cassie, Angie and Alan Bower arranged a breeding for Weezy to CH Alegna’s Ever So Clever MW (Owen). Based on Owen’s pedigree, Alan selected him for gorgeous conformation and the working gene carried by the Rose Farm’s dogs and the Saytar line. The puppies from this union changed my life. Sly and his sister, Sassy, (CH Willow Springs Ev-ry Sassy Girl BN RA TD FDC NASP NJP CA DCAT SBN THD CGCU TKN ATT) were whelped via c-section on October 29, 2019. This was my first litter and, of course I had to keep both puppies after they passed their 8-week evaluations by Cassandra Vargas and Angela Lloyd. (Littermate Sassy is following in her brother’s footsteps but took time out for a litter of her own.)
From birth we knew that that Sly had the “right tools to do the job”. He has a bit more leg under him and nice short hocks that enable him to work well underground. He was a gangly teenager, but you could see his potential. A good protective coat and a set of choppers with a scissors bite and well-placed canines to be
reckoned with round out the package. He adored Cassandra Vargas when she handled him in the breed ring and proudly moved around the ring earning a grand championship when he was 13 months. Everyone wants to produce a purposefully bred dog – balancing and preserving form and function. Most breeds were bred for a singular, well-defined purpose that largely dictated its conformation. As a breeder, in addition to being an excellent “badger hound”, my dream was to produce “the whole package” – form, function, focus and fun versatility and temperament, but I never dreamt it would start with my first litter!
The very essence of the dachshund is its role as a Badger Hound, working below ground against a formidable quarry. Success as a “hole dog” requires the right conformation and the right temperament. Since most dogs are not proven in the field, we’ve used the varied performance tests to confirm that our dogs adhere both to the conformation standard, the temperament and work ethic required to get the job done. In New Jersey, where we live, dachshunds are often used to hunt woodchuck, raccoon, and red fox (although bunnies, squirrels and other rodents are fair game when hanging out at the farm). The size of the dens demands a Miniature (Zwerg or Kaninchen) and weather conditions make a wirehair coat desirable. Additionally, since my dogs live inside as family, they need to be highly biddable and responsive. Pack manners are vital. A steady stream of visitors to the farm and earthdog site provide an excellent opportunity for early socialization of puppies. These requirements, although basic, are the foundation of the developing breeding program here at Ev-Ry Dachshund. In 2015, I was completely new to AKC and the companion and performance events. In fact, when I went into the obedience ring for the first time (without any preparatory lessons or training) with my dachshund, Seriously, and the judge asked me if she had nail polish on, I proudly replied “yes! She does therapy work and the patients love it!” (It was sparkle purple.) We were disqualified and I vowed to figure out this obedience thing! We didn’t approach this whole journey seeking “versatility”, but rather as making
GCH DC Willow Springs Ev-Ry Sly Fox VCD1 RE FDC OAP AJP JE FCAT SWN THD RATN CGCA CGCU TKN ATT 10 Dachshund Club of America Spring 2023