Living With The DANDIE DINMONT
By Peggy Carr Photos courtesy of Barbara Baese
A
nyone who lives with a Dandie or multiples of Dandies must possess two bones. Th e first is a strong backbone to maintain boundaries
in the home as the Alpha individual. Th e Dandie, with his melting expression, can easily develop bad habits. Because a Dan- die puppy is so “cute” it is hard for a new owner to correct bad behavior. Don’t let that happen to you! Th e other bone is the most important: a funny bone. Th rough the years I have managed to tap into my funny bone with all the antics the Dandies provide and want to share some of my favorites. Most show dogs have a very limited time in the show ring. Th eir roles as fam- ily members make them the memory keepers of our lives. Th ey seldom forget the routines they enjoy with their owners. I am often asked if more than one Dandie can share their lives. One must remember Dandies are terriers. Th ey can pose prob- lems if they are not taught from puppy- hood how to get along with all the family members, including the household dogs and cats. A family took an older puppy into their home. As weeks went by, the puppy got into several tussles with their older Dan- die. I received a phone call from the fam- ily, as well as the breeder of the pup. Long story short, the pup came to me for just a “few weeks.” Th at was three years ago! Th e first night he was here, I was dosing in my recliner when all of a sudden I heard a loud “No!” My husband had grabbed him by the scru ff of the neck much as a mother dog does. He tossed him across the room into my lap. Seems the pup had growled at my “heartdog” Denison. It was probably lucky it happened when we were able to correct him immediately. Now a champion, he
shares our home with two other Dandies and two Miniature Dachshunds. And who is the canine Alpha bitch? It is the thirteen- year-old rescue Dachshund! She only has to stare at him to correct improper behavior! Th ough one may live with multiples, each dog must be given private time away from the others. Many of our national club members are very active in performance events. It is obvious these Dandie owners are showcasing our clever breed. Kudos to them! Several years before Earthdog trials
came to AKC, I was active in the American Working Terrier trials. One of my friends had a Smooth Fox Terrier. Her husband had a construction company. He made a dig for us to practice in at a site. My husband dug a dig at our rural property. Her son dug one at her house, so we had three practice areas. One evening I loaded up a couple rats and cages and my Dandie, Buckwheat. We worked in the cool of the evening. My com- mand was, “Find the mouse.” My friend’s command was, “Get the rat.”
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