March of the Teckels

Since I spend several hours a day walking Bailey, we see a lot of different dogs. I've seen some breeds that I don't recognize but most I do. I've been surprised by the number of hunting dogs I see, lots of pointers. There are probably more pure breds than mixes. When I talk to someone with a mixed breed they always say that they got it from a shelter. Most the male pure breds seem to be unneutered, I can't tell by looking if the females are unspayed but I suspect they are. And yet, pet overpopulation does not seem to be a problem on the same scale as it exists in the U.S. 

One of the breeds that I see very often around here are miniature dachshunds, or "teckels" as they are called here. I don't think I've ever seen the number or variety of them that I've seen here. They come in a variety of colors and coats – smooth, long-haired, and wire-haired. I'm quite taken by the breed, especially the wire-haired little guys, they are just as cute as they can be. 

On Sunday there was a "sausage walk" in Lille. It was a gathering of teckel owners at a public square followed by a walk through the city to the Citadel. Originally the plan included a walk around the Citadel as well, but I suspect that was shortened when enough people thought it was too far for the little dogs. Clay and I went to the gathering place where the walk started but we didn't follow them on the route through the city. I didn't get very good pictures but there were hundreds of very cute dogs. I thought that they should have had all the owners lift their dogs up over their heads for a group photo op. Being so low to the ground the group pictures just looked like a gathering of people with a few dogs on the edges. 

Someday, when I'm an old man and can't do all the walking I'm doing now, there may be a teckel in my future. For now, I need Bailey's longer legs and energy to keep me moving as much as possible.