Dachshund

UPDATE 5/3: Pretzel has been adopted by a couple with several other dogs in the household. Pretzel quickly endeared himself and charmed his adopters, then made friends with the rest of the "family". Congratulations, Pretzel!

Pretzel is an adorable 7 month old red smooth male dachshund. He has a substantial black overlay to his coat, making it a very deep, rich, red color. He currently weighs 10 pounds but will continue to gain 2 - 4 more pounds as he matures.

Pretzel was found abandoned at a public facility, and with the help of the employees there, he was referred to our rescue program. We were glad we had an opening, so we could accept this darling dog. He is neutered and current on shots, and he had a small umbilical hernia repaired. He will be ready for a new home around May 11th.

Pretzel is curious and friendly but not overly active, considering he's still a puppy. He enjoys playing with plush squeaky toys and entertains himself well. He explores his foster family's back yard but he doesn't like to stray too far away from people.

Pretzel sleeps well through the night in a crate in the bedroom, without crying or whining. He knows how to "sit" for treats, and will also "spin" for treats. His foster Mom thinks that "roll over" will soon be added to Pretzel's repertoire. He's a smart little boy and eager to please.

Do keep in mind that Pretzel, being a young dachshund, is still in the "chewing" phase. He will need close supervision at first while he learns what is and isn't appropriate to chew.

We don't know what situation prompted Pretzel's owners to abandon him, but we are thankful that he was left in a location where caring people would ensure his safety. Pretzel is sweet and gentle, smart and loving, enjoys attention and likes to cuddle in your arms. He gets along well with other dogs and generally has a tranquil personality (for a young dog). He will be a charming companion to add to someone's home. Are you the one?

Can you give Pretzel a loving, permanent home with lots of attention? If so, read the rest of the information below and then contact us for an adoption application. Please be aware that our adoption applications are sent out by postal mail only, and are not sent by e-mail nor are they available on-line.

Before you contact us for an application, you must go to our group's website at: www.dfwdachshund.com/rescue and read *all* the FAQ's there. You will find information to most questions that you may have. In particular, please pay close attention to the information about the rescue dachshunds and housetraining. Dachshunds take extra time and patience to housetrain and it is important to know this before you apply to adopt.

Be aware that we do not have a public kennel facility for our dogs; our rescue dogs are fostered with individual families throughout the DFW Metroplex area. We do not permit visits to any of the rescue dogs until an interested household has filled out an application, and had a reference, vet and home check. Only screened and approved applicants may visit dogs available for adoption through our program. We will not hold dogs for homes that have not yet been approved by our rescue committee.

We rarely, if ever, have puppies available in our rescue program. If you are interested in a puppy, please contact us for the puppy referral packet to reputable breeders in our area.

In order to be considered for adoption through DFW Dachshund Rescue Foundation, you must:

Be over 21 years of age and have verifiable identification to that effect.

Be able to verify that you may have a pet where you live.

Live within the Dallas/Fort Worth area or no farther than a 50 mile drive from Dallas/Fort Worth to apply to adopt from us. We appreciate your understanding and hope that, if you live outside our service area, you will consider adopting a pet in your local area from a rescue group that services your part of the United States.

Be prepared to make a donation to our rescue efforts of $250.

Be willing to fill out an adoption application, the entire contents of which will be verified upon receipt.

Have a complete, secure, and safely fenced yard.

Be prepared to have a home visit from one of the rescue foundation members as part of the screening process to adopt this dog.

During the home visit, our representative will do a brief temperament evaluation of all current dogs in the household. We are unable to adopt to homes where any current dogs exhibit "people-aggressive" or "dog-aggressive" behaviors during the home visit. In addition, while we do not preclude adopters who currently own large breed dogs, due to size differential and a dachshund's predisposition to spinal injuries, we are also not able to adopt to homes when the board determines there may be potential for injury to the dachshund. This is to ensure a safe match for our rescued dachshunds.

Understand that DFW Dachshund Rescue Foundation has the right to deny *any* application for any reason. Reasons for the denial of any adoption application will *not* be discussed with the applicant.

While we do not preclude adopters who live in apartments or townhouses, be aware that most dachshunds bark a lot and generally do not make good apartment/townhouse dogs. We rarely have apartment/townhouse suitable dachshunds available for adoption. If you live in an apartment or townhouse and wish to apply, be aware that you may wait a year or more for a suitable dachshund from our program. In addition, for safety reasons, your apartment/townhouse must have ground floor access.

Our adoption application has been designed to evaluate potential adopters to ensure that each person who adopts a dachshund is not only aware of the responsibility that comes with adopting a dog, but also to address the suitability and permanence of each dachshund placed in a new home.

When considering a new home, our goal is to make the best possible match for each of our rescued Dachshunds. These special dogs deserve the stability of a permanent home where they will be loved, secure and safe for their rest of their lives.