First pup opened it's eyes this morning!!! Of course, it was the male. I definitely think he was conceived on the first of the 4 days that Cobie and Bayli "hooked up". That was Cinco de Mayo, so maybe his name should be something Spanish!!!
I'll try and get some up later this afternoon or tomorrow. All of their eyes are opened up, otherwise it's still pretty much par for the course (females just laying around sleeping and the little male motoring around the whelping box investigating everything). The little male did give my 3-year old daughter a kiss though yesterday when she was holding him. Wish I'd gotten a picture of that.
Hey FB, Thanks for posting the pics. As you can all see they're around 3 1/2 weeks old now and they can hear, see and are getting pretty active. The first pic is of the male. He's the most outgoing right now and is quite the explorer. He's got his pappa's coloration on his paws, which is quite unique for a Black and Tan mini doxie. He's also the one in the second pic that is trying to get out of the whelping box, which is typical of him. The third picture is just all of the pups together. And the final pic is of the two females snoozing. In just a little more than 6 weeks two these little buggers will be going to their new homes in KY and VA to help slay some bunnies!! ;D -Joe
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Very cute. I could be looking for a dachshund next year, but I don't have rabbits here, only snowshoe hares. Do you think a dachshund could still be used, these hares don't hide in holes often but they stand still under bushes or conifer trees while we pass just beside them... And what about the longhair, is it a problem when going in the field?
Hi Kitana, First, if you're going with a Doxie, the long hair is really the only way to go, especially where you're located. Whether or not the doxie is right for your conditions or not, I'd have to ask some questions. First, what type of terrain will you be hunting in? Doxies are great for getting under things and have a pretty good nose for tracking, although they still can't touch a beagle for a cold scent line. They work real close, which is helpful if you're hunting in small lots around industrial parks like I do. They're not as fast as a beagle or a Jack Russel, so they're really not always running the rabbit, but are kind of pushing it alongk, at least in the initial stages. I know some people out west use a little bit larger doxies for hunting jack Rabbits (I think Hawkstirs got a litter of 15 pounders coming) which are similar in size to the snowshoe and which also don't usually use holes. I know of a falconer up your way named Jo Turley, who hunts a Gos on Snowshoes, although I don't think she uses a dog. -Joe
Joby, funny you mentioned it. Pheby is about a week from delivery. All is going well. She weighed in at 19.5 lbs this morning. Belly running low and hard to get to move anywhere in a hurry.
I was looking at the wire-haired rather than the long-haired for hygienic questions, but I much prefer the looks of the long-haired.
As for the ground, I don't have much english vocabulary to describe it, but it is mainly coniferous wooden areas with trails and a little bit of deciduous trees, and small/medium open fields surrounded by woods. The best places to hunt snowshoes are in the fields at the edge of the woods, or in mature coniferous woods.
I'm mostly interested in a small breed, not too much energy, and I don't want to do tremenduous training: obedience basis of course, and good instincts... So low maintenance breed! lol
Everything I hold in my hands today could be only a memory tomorrow. Carpe Diem.
Kitana, Than a doxie is the way to go. They're not hyper like a Jack Russel and they don't have the odor of a beagle. The long hairs don't really shed that much at all, probably due to the fact that their hair is really only "long" when compared to the smooth variety of the breed. They love to unwind and just relax when not hunting and will usually lounge around the house, although once they're in the field you can really see them come alive. Training is pretty basic and not too demanding as much of what they have to learn is best done in the field. The wire haired variety of the doxie is indeed a pretty dog, but it is VERY VERY difficult to find one with a good coat. What I mean is one that isn't soft and fluffy underneath the "wire" coat. When one of these types of coats gets wet, it is worse than having a smooth in the field. Long hairs are really the way to go. -Joe
And what do you think of the show lines vs the hunting lines? Is there as big a difference between the 2 of them in Dachshunds, as can be seen with other breeds? I've plenty of clients and friends with doxies and all of them are a real pain when small critters (squirrels, rats, cats, anything small that moves) are around, so far their instincts doesn't seem to be so diminished...lol
Everything I hold in my hands today could be only a memory tomorrow. Carpe Diem.