Susanne Mooney
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For years there has been speculation that dog owners choose dogs that look like themselves. A 2004 study done at the University of California, San Diego, claims to have finally proven this true. But what about dog owners who choose dogs that act like themselves? That’s exactly why Dachshund-owner Jamie Lehton had always wanted a Dachshund and why she now shares her life with a Miniature Dachshund named Ozzi. “[Dachshunds] are snuggly, stubborn, feisty and independent like me,” Lehton says. “My whole life I wanted a Dachshund. I get Dachshund calendars, Dachshund cards and I love the children’s books by Ezra Jack Keats…he has a Dachshund in all of his books.” The timing was finally right for Lehton in September 2005 and her Dachshund dream came true when she and her fiancé, Todd Imura, adopted six-week old Ozzi. Their black and tan bundle of joy is now 8 months old, weighs in at a whopping 11 pounds and loves showing just how stubborn and independent he can be. “During our obedience classes, Ozzi would get bored with the same tricks. He would sit and not do what we told him…but if it was a new trick he would do it because he likes to show off. You would think he didn’t know how to do the tricks because he would refuse to practice, but when it came time for the test he did the best out of all the dogs. He can be good when he wants to be.” Dachshunds originated in Germany and were named for the job for which they were bred: chasing badgers. The word “Dachshund” is German for “badger dog.” They were bred for their shorts legs and elongated bodies, which allowed them to move freely into the tunnels and chase out their prey. Though they are now domesticated, their hunting instinct still sometimes displays itself at home. When Imura and Lehton met, Imura already had a 20-pound cat named “Chicken.” Ozzi likes to bark at Chicken and force him out from underneath the bed or the couch just as his ancestors chased badgers out of their holes. Ozzi also loves to dig at the couch, dig at the carpet and burrow underneath blankets whenever he has the opportunity. |
“Right before we go to sleep he gets to snuggle in my lap in bed. He always wants to go under the covers,” Lehton says. Although Ozzi does display a few behaviors inherited from his ancestors, he also does one thing that his ancestors probably did not: he wears a sweater. “[Ozzi] always puts his sweater on when we go out and its cold,” Lehton says. “At first he hated the sweater, he’d bite us and bite the sweater to get it off…but the last time we were going out he grabbed the sweater and gave it to Todd.” The love Lehton feels for Ozzi is evident in her smile as she tells of Ozzi’s antics. He’ll grab hold of Lehton’s pants and not let go until she plays with him. He has no problem taking off with “important documents, shoes, socks or anything else” to get Lehton’s attention. And then there was the time he grabbed the toilet paper and spread it throughout the house. Through it all, however, he is a mama’s boy at heart. “He comes when I use my high-pitched mama voice,” Lehton says. “You know how moms talk to their babies, he’ll stop anything and come to that.” So will there be another mama’s boy for Lehton in the near future? “Todd wants a big dog. He likes snuggling and playing with Ozzi but he can’t roughhouse him because Ozzi’s so tiny; he wants a big dog to run with and wrestle.” We’ll have to check back with the future Imura family to see if Todd chooses a dog that looks like him, acts like him or maybe both. For more information on Dachshunds, visit The Dachshund Club of America at www.dachshund-dca.org. For more information on the UCSD study regarding dog owners and their dogs, visit ucsdnews. ucsd.edu and search for “dog study”. If you would like to introduce your pet to the community, email me at sofarkosmos@ hotmail.com. |