All my life, I’ve loved meeting Dachshunds and dreamed of having one of my own. In 2022, I finally made that dream a reality when I brought home my first baby girl.

I had a very specific list of physical traits in mind for my “ideal” Dachshund—but if I’m being completely honest, Tallulah didn’t check any of those boxes. Instead, she checked something far more important. We share a birthday. She was the same color as my heart dog Chihuahua and the same color as my late grandmother’s Dachshund. I followed fate rather than a checklist, choosing connection over coat length, pattern, or expectations. (Though yes—she did end up being a long coat anyway.)

Tallulah is the most spectacular dog. While she is not part of our breeding program, she is the reason it exists. At the time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to venture into breeding a second breed, so I made the decision to have her spayed. I do regret that choice now—but it’s okay. Tallulah lives her best life as a spoiled pillow princess, happily bossing around all the other Dachshunds and ruling her kingdom with confidence.

As a family, we eventually decided to take the leap into breeding a new breed. Falling madly in love with Tallulah made it clear—this was our next adventure. In 2023, we began our search for our future team of wieners.

We worked with several breeders across the United States to thoughtfully build a small, intentional foundation. Our goal was to achieve the most desirable traits in the fewest dogs, without compromising health or integrity. PRA-clear dogs were a non-negotiable, which meant finding breeders who truly health test—not just run a basic genetic panel and call it good.

That search wasn’t easy.

Many Dachshund breeders rely solely on genetic testing and label it as “health tested,” but that simply isn’t enough. We knew we wanted to do better. And by better, I mean following AKC-recommended health testing guidelines for the Miniature Dachshund breed.

Those recommendations include:

• Eye certification by a licensed ophthalmologist

• Patellar (knee) evaluations

• Cardiac (heart) evaluations

In addition, because coat patterns matter, we also had Merle (Dapple) sine lengths evaluated so we fully understand what we are working with and can breed responsibly.

Tallulah may not be part of our breeding program—but she is the heart behind it. She taught me the depth of love this breed offers and set the standard for what I wanted to build moving forward.