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At 18 lbs (she is a bit overweight and super heavy-boned) Mia crosses over into the Standard category. While she weighs more than all of our other dogs she is physically around the same size as our 11-12 lb dogs. She is just a bit longer in body than Sprinkles and the same height as Xanadu who weighs substantially less because of her finer bone structure.
Personally, I think they should go by length x height in dachshunds as weight seems to be an incomplete visualization for size. Both she and her sister Sprinkles bloodline tends to include extremely heavy bone and the tendency for obesity due to a more laid back lazy nature. Both traits help make amazing mothers with large healthy litters.
It really worked out well that Mia and Charlotte were raised together as adopted sisters because Charlotte has small dog syndrome and would probably have injured a sibling similar size to herself but she just bounces off Mia who is twice her size as an adult yet she thinks she can still bully. We try hard not to laugh…
Mia is an amazingly devoted mother except for one aspect she gags and makes the funniest faces when trying to clean her puppy’s poopy butts. I have never seen another mother dog do this it cracks me up! I mean I sure couldn’t do it with my tongue.
There really is no other dog we have ever owned quite like Mia. She is in one breath like her mother and sister a big lazy teddy bear that goes limp when you try to pick her up and wants to snuffle in your ear, then, on the other hand, has SO much instinct it’s scary sometimes. She goes from 0-100 in 2.3 seconds.
Mia is our family clown. Always has to inspect everything and everyone. She is also our most playful but lurpy dog. She is very difficult to pick up because the minute you try she turns to wet putty in your hands she is such a big teddy bear.
Wire hair Dachshunds are wired differently! The only way I can explain it is when the instinct kicks in (something squeals or a fight breaks out) her brain completely shuts off and she has to be in the middle of the action and doesn’t hear a word you say. Of course, this is exactly how Dachshunds were bred to be no backing down. Wirehairs seem to have retained that instinct the strongest.
When two dogs are fighting even just a growl over a bone my first thought is not who, or how to break up, it’s where is MIA because she is going to jump in any moment. A couple of times I have had the two fighting parties separated in my arms and she would still be trying to get to them. She has to be separated and distracted with food to help her turn that fighting instinct back off after. She never starts a fight but man does she like to finish them. Yet every dog in the pack adores Mia she doesn’t have a single enemy, believe me, these dogs can hold a grudge! Thankfully we don’t have fights very often.
After owning wires I understand why Dachshunds doing nose work can’t just be turned loose they would keep going and lose all recall no matter how well trained when that instinct kicks in.
It fascinates me that a coat type makes such a difference in personality although I actually think it’s the other way around.
Overall though we adore our big Teddy bear and couldn’t live without her exactly the way she is she is always the life of the party.
