When this little guy grows up, he may want to visit the only museum in the world dedicated to his breed – and he would be welcomed! At the Dackelmuseum, he would see more than 4,500 toys and paraphernalia dedicated to the Dachshund. Situated in lower Bavaria in Germany in the elegant Residenzplatz, the museum was started by Josef Küblbeck and Oliver Storz, two German florists whose Dachshund collection flourished (ha, a pun)  over the course of 25 years.

As an aside, you probably know that Dachshunds come in different sizes, but did you know that unlike in America where the breed is separated by weight, in Germany, the sizes are separated by chest circumference,  the division of dog show classes based on the size of hole they can enter as an earth dog?  In Germany, a “rabbit” size Dachshund is also recognized, a size smaller in stature than miniatures. When they are full grown (weighing no more than 8 pounds), these dogs’ rib-cage circumference is 11 inches or under.

Photo by Jen Smith Milo in celebration of National Purebred Dog Day 2018