Life With Dachshunds
by Allison Janz

Often life is influenced by something that one either has no control over or it is always there. For me, being born into a family that is heavily involved in the sport of showing and breeding purebred dogs has greatly impacted my life. My family has bred and shown Longhaired Dachshunds for many years. My mom was the one who encouraged me to show my first show dog, Spencer. With her help, I started showing in Junior Showmanship at the age of ten. She was my support crew, coach, and mentor. Without her encouragement and support, I would not be where I am today. I have shown at all-breed shows and specialties in the Junior Showmanship and conformation classes. I have been to the Dachshund Club of America nationals where I met and competed with juniors from around the country. As I have progressed in my skill level, I have handled many different dogs. Many of the ones I showed, I trained from puppyhood on up. Working with many different Dachshunds has helped me to improve as a trainer and as a student of the dogs. Each one of the dogs taught me something that helped me to perform better in the Junior Showmanship ring.

I am also involved in other areas of the dog fancy. My passion is currently with conformation. I have shown several Dachshunds to numerous wins, from Best in Sweepstakes to finishing my bred-by-exhibitor dog to specializing champions and showing veterans. Through my experiences, I have learned proper grooming techniques and training. I love the challenge of presenting a dog turned out to the 9's and hoping that he will behave. Besides conformation, I have dabbled in obedience and field trials. As Dachshund fanciers say, one has to be more stubborn and headstrong than your dog, which can be a cha1lenge when competing in obedience. At field trials, I have helped beat brush and ran dogs in this fun sport. Being involved in many aspects of the dog fancy helped my dogs and me to be well rounded, and I have met many wonderful people along the way.

I plan to continue my involvement with the sport of purebred dogs. I co-own a gorgeous Dachshund puppy with my mom. My future plans are to breed her and show her puppies in conformation. Furthermore, I would like to give back to the dog community that has given me so much by helping future Juniors and teaching handling classes. My future career is to become a veterinarian and help clients take better care of their animals.