Dachshund

UPDATE 4/4/08: Otto was adopted by a wonderful couple with the last name of Otto, so Otto is now Otto Otto! His owners had originally wanted to adopt a female dachshund, but after seeing Otto's Petfinder listing they knew it was a sign that Otto was meant for them. Otto is now an only dog and adores all the love and attention that is lavished upon him. He proudly takes walks around the neighborhood and already has his own fan club. There's a good chance that Otto will be doing some traveling with his new family and we know he'll enjoy that. We're so happy happy for you, Otto Otto.

UPDATE 2/1: Otto LOVES to go for walks and does beautifully on the leash. He steps out proudly as though to say "I'm leading the most important person in the world". He adores cuddling in your lap and will scoot up so he can lean his face against yours. He will look lovingly at you when he is your lap and responds to "give me a kiss". Otto loves attention and will do a little dance if a favorite treat is in sight.

Otto LOVES chasing squirrels--he will definitely keep your yard squirrel-free! When he's inside, Otto likes to stay near the window so he can keep an eye on everything going on outside. He wants to do his best to protect his family!

UPDATE 12/24: Otto's foster parents absolutely adore this cute little guy. Otto has learned that attention is good, and he manages to climb his way into any lap that is available to him. He also loves to wriggle around on the couch, all four feet in the air, thrashing to and fro to scratch his back, all the while making contented blissful grunts! Otto gets along well with his foster dachshund siblings and is a very easy dog to get along with.

Otto is one of 3 dogs from the same litter, surrendered by a woman whose home will be foreclosed on in January. She realized that she was financially unable to give these dogs the care they needed, and turned to our rescue program for help. Luckily, we had room. Otto was somewhat timid at first, but warmed up quickly and is very loving. He is a smooth black and tan dapple.

He has had all the needed vet work, including surgery to remove his rear dew claws which were loose and causing him problems. He will need to fully recover from surgery and have some time to master a few basic doggie skills such as crate training, walking on the leash and some housetraining. Otto's a smart fellow and he'll learn quickly. We anticipate he will be ready for a new home around the beginning of February.

Can you give Otto 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.

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 or townhouse dogs. We rarely have apartment or 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 or townhouse must have ground floor access.

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.

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.