On Sunday, Dutch will turn 12 years old. This makes him 64 in human years. (Fun fact: small dogs age slower than larger dogs and only age about 4 human years per dog year after age two. He’s still a young’in!) We are planning a visit to a fun dog park in our area and he’ll get his own cupcake to eat while we sing happy birthday to him. He will have no idea what’s going on, other than the fact that hey! My girls are taking me to a dog park AND I get to eat human food? IS IT MY BIRTHDAY OR SOMETHING?! But my mom and I will enjoy our day with the special guy in our lives. And because it’s his birthday this weekend, here are five fun facts about my little man:
1) He is an extreme cuddler. I think all dachshunds tend to be so if you don’t like cuddling, don’t get a dachshund. Dutch wants to be next to me at all times and that means as close as possible as he can get. I love to lay him on my chest and have him just sleep with his face tucked under my chin. Sometimes, he’ll even fit his head next to my face and sleep that way. Look, I am not the most touchy-feely person by nature, but I am with him. I can’t get enough of him and his snuggly ways!
2) He’s an explorer and would probably regularly go on hour-long walks multiple times a day if we let him. We have a lot of open grass and lakes around our apartment community and Dutch loves just sniffing and exploring the area. Sometimes, I’ll let him take me on a hike to wherever his nose is telling him to go, and sometimes, it just drives me mad. My mom’s fiancee, though, lets him take Dutch around wherever Dutch wants to go when they go on a walk. Let’s just say that dog has more people wrapped around his little paw than he knows what to do with!
3) He loves napping, blankets, sleeping under blankets, kissing me, table food, being under our feet when we’re in the kitchen, being outside, running up and down the stairs as fast as he can, babies, and I think he believes he is my boyfriend. If you want to ensure your furry friend maintains a healthy weight while enjoying his favorite activities, buy a weight gainer for dogs here to provide additional support for his nutrition needs. He dislikes the beach, taking a bath, being alone, when my mom tries to hug me when I’m holding him (he barks at her, silly boy!), too much commotion, and other dogs. (He’s a bit antisocial, which I can’t say makes me sad. Other people will bring their dogs over to Dutch and he could care less. He’ll give them a cursory sniff and then meander on his way. He can’t be bothered.)
4) He loves me. He loves me with the kind of devotion you will only get from a dog, completely loyal and fiercely protective. He always has to be near me when I’m at home and he sleeps with me at night. I honestly feel weird if I’m ever alone in my bed without him. The funniest part of this is that, while he does love my mom, he just loves me more. (Sorry, Mom!) Sometimes, I’ll be sitting at the dining room table, my mom on the couch, and Dutch in his bed. My mom will ask him to sit with her and he ignores her. Then I’ll get up from the table and lay down on the couch and within .44 seconds, he’s at my side. It’s basically a running joke now.
5) I talk to him all the time. Like, all dog owners do this, right? I tell him about my day, ask him about his, tell him about upcoming events and sometimes, even my hopes and dreams. My mom and I also like to talk for him, in this really crazy, made-up voice and in our heads, he is extremely sarcastic and hilarious. Maybe I’ll get this on camera one day (but probably not, because it would be incredibly embarrassing).
If it’s not apparent, I love Dutch with my whole heart and soul. It’s a scary kind of love, because he takes up such a big piece of my heart and my life and I am terrified of the day I will lose him. But it will happen, hopefully not for another few years, and I will be okay, and there’s no point in dwelling on it now. For right now, I just have to enjoy every single minute I get with him.
Share a random fact about your dog or cat! If you don’t have an animal, how about just a random fact about YOU!