Digging in

Drawing from instinct with dachshunds

Back in May I visited my cousin and her husband who have a dachshund. Their fence had these gaps under it filled in with big rocks because the dog kept trying to dig his way out. Apparently, it’s a dachshund thing. It made total sense. That long body was made for burrowing.

Later, I googled it (as one does), and yep—it turns out dachshunds were originally bred to dig into badger dens. Their digging instinct runs deep, so when they’re not hunting, they will dig for comfort, fun, territory... Finding it funny and endearing, that stuck with me as I imagined their long bodies bending and stretching like a slinky or noodle.