Dachshund

UPDATE: 9/28/09 Sydney was adopted by a wonderful individual who had had dachshunds in the past. She was seeking a dog that could be an only dog and Sydney fit the bill. Sydney loves sleeping in the bed with her owner, and even tries to keep her from getting out of the bed when the alarm goes off! Sydney is keeping the squirrel and gecko population at bay in her new home and takes great pride in this job. We are so happy that Sydney has a new home!

UPDATE: 7/19/09: Sydney now weighs 15 and 1/2 pounds so she has really slimmed down. Recently, she visited a home that was interested in her and we found that while she enjoys the general company of other dogs, she really doesn't like to play with them. She is seeking a home as an only dog or as a companion to a calm, older dachshund where they can hang out on the couch together or look out the window together.

UPDATE 6/7/09: Sydney has lost 2 and 1/2 pounds and now weighs 17 pounds! Progress! Her nails were trimmed back nicely when she had her dental cleaning, so she can now run! And run she does--she loves trotting around the backyard in her foster home and quickly learned how to use the doggie door. This dog is sweet, gentle and laid back---"easy to live with" is how we would describe her. She gets along with other small dogs and also cats. We'll continue updating her weight loss progress but in the meantime, we're all enjoying the company of this lovely dachshund. Do you need a gentle soul in your life? Sydney might be just the dachshund for you!

Sydney is a 5 year old black and tan female dachshund with a sweet, gentle personality. She was surrendered to our group by a family who found her as a stray several years ago. They were planning to move and were not able to take Sydney with them. Sydney is morbidly obese at this time; she weighs 19 and 1/2 pounds and should weigh 11 and 1/2 pounds. Once her vet work is complete next week, she will go to an experienced foster home that can help her lose weight and gain muscle tone. She will make someone a lovely, gentle companion. Stay tuned to hear about Sydney's progress towards weight loss!

Can you give Sydney 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, please be sure you take some time to read and learn about this breed. Dachshunds are personable and intelligent; however they take extra time and patience to housetrain and it is important to know this before you apply to adopt. There are many good books about Dachshunds currently available. Time spent reading one or two of them is well worth it.

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.

Unlike city animal shelters, we do not use a "first come, first served" philosophy when it comes to placing dogs from our program. Our goal is to thoughtfully and carefully select the correct home for the dog, and the correct dog for a particular home. The rescue foundation board has final approval on any adoptions for dogs from this program. After the home visit has been completed, the board will consult with the foster parent and/or home visit coordinator and make a determination on the proposed adoption. Decisions by the rescue board are final.

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.

While we do not preclude families with children as potential adopters, it is important to be aware that dachshunds and other small and toy breeds, as a rule, do not respond well to the sudden moves, higher activity level and more impulsive behaviors typically shown by children under 7 years of age. Please be aware that we rarely get dachshunds that are a good match for homes with young children; so anyone applying would experience a wait of at least a year or more to find a suitable dog. Instead, you may want to expand your search to breeds that are known to be better with children; such as Labradors, golden retrievers and boxers. Larger dogs may be better able to tolerate the activity, noise and rough play that occur in a home with children. Another choice is to postpone the adoption of a dog until your children are older and more mature and better suited to living with a small dog.

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.