Adventures of Tammy - wire haired Dachshund

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Wow, I've arrived. I don't know how long I have been here already but my mother, Faith, has been telling me, and my 4 brothers and sisters, all about where we live and our extended family. The story goes like this – we were born, including me of course, on September 10th 2010 at Ballyboughal www.dachshunds.co.nz I don't know exactly where I live but it is near a place with a funny name – Otorohanga – or something like that. I don't need to say it very often so it doesn't matter. My human mother is called Jane, whom I love. Faith says she is very strict but never scary.

All of my brothers and sisters are living with their new families now and one day in October Faith says she heard a rumour about a very nice family in Mt Eden who had invited me to live with them. I didn't like the sound of this very much because I thought I would live with Faith for ever. Faith takes me to a private corner of the kennel and explains how all properly brought up dachshunds get to choose their lifelong human families, and Jane would be very carefully deciding who were suitable before asking me to meet them. I was a bit happier, even a bit excited about the future now.

The weeks went by and life at Ballyboughal  carried on routinely until in early November Faith came running to find me. I was trying my paw at digging – I thought I had done quite well - a hole about an inch deep which Faith sniffed at, saying when you're a big lady like me  you'll be a champion hole-digger. She said to leave my hole work and listen carefully. Tomorrow my new family were coming to visit so I needed to get a good night's sleep and be looking my best. They would probably arrive about lunchtime so there would be plenty of time in the morning for rehearsals. Sleep !! I was so excited and a little sad when Faith tucked me in for the night. This could be my last night at home and  I was so curious about my new family - would they be like Jane, did they have other little people like me, where would I live? Would I ever see Faith and Jane again? All these questions in my head, round and round, until, at last the sun started to rise and I could hear Faith stirring. I wanted to be first today so with a stretch and a yawn went to give Faith a big lick on the nose.  

Our little houses where we sleep are cosy and warm so sunrise is a bit chilly. Never mind Faith says, it's going to be a big day. She says I'm looking a bit scruffy and licks some of my coat into place. Jane comes out of her much bigger house carrying the usual tray which I know has our breakfast – yummy yoghurt and biscuits. A bad thought comes into my head – what if my new family don't know what I like for breakfast. Don't worry says Faith, Jane will make sure they know everything. The morning goes by in a whirl – don't dig any more holes Faith says, you'll get your paws dirty so it's a bit of rough and tumble with my  toys and my usual mid morning snooze. 

I was lying on my back when I woke suddenly – I had been dreaming about my yoghurt and puppy biscuit breakfast and I could still taste the yummy flavour – there was a scrunching of gravel on the road leading to our place. A human who I see now and again has a very big machine with big black round things at each end – Faith says it is a tractor but she doesn't know what it does. I run to the end of the pen which looks down towards to road but I don't see the tractor only a much smaller blue thing moving towards me. It is moving  very slowly  then turns away and stops outside Jane's very big kennel. 2 humans get out and are speaking to Jane and I suddenly think – I wonder if this is my new family. I look much more closely and move downwind a little so I can check their smell. H'mmm nothing wrong with that. Now they are walking towards me with Jane.

Faith says quietly to me 'stand up straight while I growl a little, just to let them know we might be small but we are serious dogs'. Jane points at me and says to the lady that I am called Tammy. I didn't know that but I quite like it – I say it several times to myself 'Tammy, Tammy – yes not bad. The lady, whom I  heard Jane call Linda looks very gentle and I like the sound of her voice – melodious and quiet. The man, who is very tall hasn't said anything yet and has one of his front legs around the lady. Jane tells my mother, Faith, that its alright, she can stop growling and we can both come into Janes big kennel while Linda and the man have a drink with Jane. All this is exciting and it's not long before I am sitting on Linda's lap.  I like it and she smells nice. It's not long before the tall man stands up saying – it's 3 hours back home so I suppose we had better get going.  Jane gives Linda a big white bag which she says has everything about Tammy in it. Tammy, Tammy – now where have I heard that before?  That’s me! It suddenly dawns on me that I might be leaving home right now and I run over to Faith and hide behind her. Faith growls – 'these people seem very nice and I think you have fallen right on your paws - anyway they promised Jane to come and visit from time to time'. I peer out from behind Faith's tail feeling a bit teary eyed and nervous. The tall man comes towards us and says kindly – 'time to go Tammy, and we'll be coming back soon'. I like his deep voice and the feel of his paws as he scoops me up in his front legs and we walk outside. The man opens the back of the big blue metal thing which sits on 4 round black things. 'Have a look at this Jane', the man says, 'see what I have arranged to keep Tammy warm and safe on the way home'. I look in the direction the man is pointing and see a sort of hole with something like fur inside. The man says, 'have a look in there Tammy' and puts me down just inside the hole. It smells good and is a bit dark which I like. It's a little house just for me with a fur carpet to lie on . As I go further in to investigate I trip over a lump on the floor – it squeaks....

continued Tammy page #2