Katie

I wasn’t going to do it. I just wasn’t going to do it. Four dachsies and two Doodles (longhaired dachsie/poodle mix) were enough. I don’t care how cute she was, how many kisses she gave me, how playful she was… it won't work.

These were the things I told myself while visiting Becky and Bill Burguess in Power, Montana, in early November. Becky and Bill are the owners of 2 Dogs Long Kennel (www.2dogslong.com), their specialty being longhaired miniature dachshunds. (They also raise smooths but the majority of the little faces that bestow kisses upon you are of the longhaired variety.) I was there to deliver a dachshund – one that I had been fostering and whose rightful owner was going to meet me at the Burguess’ homestead. I was not going to arrive with one dachshund and go home with another.

And I didn’t. I got on that plane with an empty Sherpa^® bag. I won. She thought she had me. She thought those big brown eyes, tender kisses, and the perfect way that she fit in the crook of my arm would get me. She thought her antics were funny. She thought a puppy streaking across the floor with a squeak toy couldn’t be resisted.

Well, she was wrong. I resisted taking her home; I got on that plane, and I landed in Cleveland without her.

Big mistake. Because it cost me another plane fare to Great Falls, Montana, over Thanksgiving weekend to go back and get her!

I couldn’t help it. We were like a magnet to each other. Come on… you know what I’m talking about. It’s happened to you – that’s why you’re a dachshund nut. That’s why most of you have more than one. So that feeling of superiority you feel right now that is saying "I could have done it. I could have left without one…" Just come down a few steps on your ladder.

OK, see, I had an excuse. My girl of 15 years (Peewee) left for Rainbow Bridge in July. Even though this is a multi-dachsie household – those of you whose total number of dachshunds is divisible by 3 (or by 5) know what I’m talking about. They are all special… but you usually have one that is your special girl (or boy). The one that bonds tightest to you. That’s who Peewee was to me. And by now, four months later, I was missing having "my girl."

And so I had to go back to get her. "Katie" was five months old and was slated to be one of the Burguess’ breeding bitches when she became old enough (assuming her health and adult conformation were good). But Becky saw the chemistry between the two of us and she redirected Katie’s future. Her job is to place quality dogs into quality homes and, having known me for several years, she knew that Katie couldn’t find a better one.

And so back I went to get Katie, flying in on Thanksgiving morning and flying back home the following afternoon. Not only did I get my dog, I got treated to the full Thanksgiving spread, compliments of Becky’s (and Bill’s!) home cooking.

Of course no one liked Katie when I got her home – especially The Doodles. They proceeded to remind her that she was low dog on the totem pole. But Katie is not easily intimidated. She just thinks they are playing like all her pals at the kennel.

Katie tries hard to be a Doodle, but, alas, it takes half of your heritage being a poodle to earn Doodle status. So, Katie is the next best thing: A Diddle. This name inspired by all of the other dogs yelling "Katie Did It!" whenever they were questioned about who was responsible for some unclaimed mischief. And so, as much as she longs to be a Doodle, Katie has resigned herself to being a Diddle.

And Garbo’s official job is now "Diddle Duty." She has taken upon herself the task of keeping Katie out of trouble. All Katie has to do is poke her nose into some box or bag or shelf and Garbo is on top of her in a flash, pulling her away by the ear from the off-limits area, then throwing her to the floor (which isn’t far to go) and pouncing on her. In the photo to the right, Garbo is giving out "Diddle Discipline" for Katie trying to pull a string of harnesses-in-production off the table.

Katie has already become quite the traveler. She has already visited her Uncle Jerry in Chicago and her Aunt Shirley in Huntington Beach, California. Although I think both Uncle Jerry and Aunt Shirley were glad when Miss Diddle went home as we’re still working on Katie’s "guest" manners. She has also worked two full days in the Dachshund Delights booth at the Chicagoland Family Pet Expo.

Stay tuned for more "Diddle" stories – just like me, you won’t be able to resist.

If you are looking for a "Diddle", we can’t say enough about the quality of 2 Dogs Long Kennel, including the state-of-art facility, the conformation and temperament of the dogs, and the care that is given to both dog and perspective new owners. Their number is 406-463-2239.