So you want a dachshund!  Know what you're getting into...there is more to dachsies than those cute little legs!  You will be happier if you choose a dog for temperament rather than appearance.  Please read up on the breed before moving forward! We especially like: Wiki, Canis, Dogcast, Your Purebred, and 5-Star Dog.  (This last site also has good information on rescue generally.)

Let's talk a bit about the ways most people add dachshunds to their home, and how the process works for us, so you will know what to expect.

Essentially, there are four ways to add a dachshund to your home:

1. Going to a breeder to buy a puppy or adult.

2. Buying a dog from a pet store.

3. Rescuing a dog from a shelter or animal control group.

4. Adopting a dog from a rescue group like DREAM.

Some ways work better for some homes than others.   Does it make a difference which one you choose?  You bet it does.  Your choice could mean, quite literally, life or death for several dogs.

1. Going to a breeder. When you get your puppy from a breeder, you will encounter either a good, responsible breeder, a "backyard breeder," or a puppy mill. It can be difficult to tell the difference, but here are some warning signs to watch out for. Responsible breeders breed for the love and betterment of the breed; the other two do it for profit and often to the detriment of the breed.

Good breeders will allow you to visit their facilities and meet the parents of your new puppy. Bad breeders will ask you to meet them somewhere.  (However, be careful here.  Some bad breeders will keep their breeding stock elsewhere, and only let you see 2 dogs who may or may not be the parents of your puppy.  You also will not see the conditions the dogs are kept in.  So, do the math.  If their ad says they have 3 litters almost ready, look to see if you see all the parents of those litters. )

Good breeders will limit their breeding of a female to once per year. Bad breeders will not.

Responsible breeders will not breed dogs like "double dapples" or other "designer colors" purposely. The puppies in these litters often have significant congenital health problems (in fact, a majority of double dapple puppies are born blind or deaf, and the breeders who create them see euthanizing those puppies as a cost of doing business.) Responsible breeders will not create dogs under those circumstances.

Good breeders will not breed a dog who has health issues like IVDD (disc disease), or who have sired/whelped puppies with the disease.

And, it is almost NEVER a good idea to buy a dog advertised in the newspaper - these are almost always bad breeders or worse, puppy mills.

The bottom line is: There are good breeders out there, and if having a puppy is very important to you, that may be the way to go. Rescue groups rarely have purebred puppies. Do your homework and make sure you are not inadvertently buying from a puppy mill. Google every breeder's name to see if there are any posts about him/her, positive or negative.  Ask if they are licensed by the Deparment of Agriculture (required for anyone breeding more than one litter per year).   Click here for additional insights on working with a breeder.

2. Buying a dog from a pet store, like Petland. One word: DON'T. The puppies in pet stores almost invariably come from puppy mills or bad breeders. Don't support this practice by buying from pet stores that sell puppies. In addition, we have seen MANY dogs with official "papers" from petstores that we would have thought were mixes if we'd found them in the shelter.  These breeders are breeding for volume and money, not quality. (Keep in mind that this is very different from a rescue group who "nests" in a petstore like PetsMart or PetCo to find adoptive homes for their dogs.) 

3. Rescuing a Dog from an Animal Shelter or Animal Control Group. This is the most direct way you can save a dog who is in danger. How is this different from working with rescue?  The outcome, a saved life, is the same, but there are some differences. Shelters generally have paid staff and government funding. Rescues are most often volunteer-run and supported by private donations. Shelters often require you to vaccinate and sterilize your dog; most rescues do that for you (and, therefore, their adoption fees are often higher than that of shelters). Shelters keep their dogs in kennels or cages; most rescue groups keep their dogs in foster homes. Shelters have regular hours and can be visited any time; many rescue groups do not have any facilities at all, so you often cannot visit a dog until you have applied to adopt it.

4. Adopting a Dog From a Rescue Group, like DREAM. That's where we come in. We rescue dogs from dangerous situations like animal control, kill shelters, and stray.  In some cases we accept dogs from families who need to give them up.  We want to get to know the people who adopt our dogs. We do not have a shelter or staff; our dogs live as part of the family in foster homes all over Atlanta and North Georgia. Because we are all volunteers, in most cases we cannot process long-distance adoptions. Let us know if you would like a referral to a dachshund rescue nearer to your home - we can generally help you find a needy dachshund anywhere in the U.S.

An important thing to note is that part of our mission is to place dogs in loving homes that will last the rest of their lives. Years of experience have taught us how to recognize situations that will work for different kinds of dogs and their needs. Although your home may be wonderful for one dog, it may not work at all for another dog. Please do not interpret this as meaning we do not think you have a "great home" or that you are not "dog people." We hope that you understand that our first priority must be with the individual dog, and finding the home that will work best for him or her.

Adopting a dog is a serious commitment. Unless you are adopting a senior dog, you should consider that your new family member will be with you for the next 12 years or so. What might happen in your life during that time? Moving? Children? Are you willing to take care of a dog during those transitions, for that many years? If not, please reconsider your application. If so, we are eager to talk to you!

The application is the first step in our adoption process, which has several stages:

1. Application. If you are interested in one of the DREAM dogs on http://www.dream.petfinder.com, complete the online application (link at left).

2. Matching. We review your application to see ifit is a good fit for the dog you have requested, or for another of our dogs.

3. Two-way Dialogue. You ask us questions and we ask you questions. You also can meet the dog if it is being fostered near you, or if you are willing to drive. During this stage, we will talk about all the dogs that may be a match, unless you have your heart set on a particular dog.

4. Reference Checks. We contact your veterinarian and personal references to get their point of view on you as a potential dog owner for that dog.

5. Home Check. We come to your home to confirm that it is appropriate for the dogs we have discussed.

6. Decision. If there is a good match between your home and one of our dogs, we arrange the adoption, you sign a contract, and you pay an adoption fee. If not, we keep your application on file for future dogs.

Our organization is run completely by volunteers, so the process sometimes does not move quickly. We are all doing the best that we can, with full-time jobs and other life demands. Most of us foster dogs, work with shelters, and perform reference checks and home checks. It is a lot of work; we do this work because we love the dachshund breed, not because we are paid (we aren't). Please be patient with us if we do not move as quickly as you would like.

Thank you for loving the dachshunds. We look forward to getting to know you.

Sincerely, DREAM Dachshund Rescue, Board of Directors

Kristin, Ivy, Michele, Sherry, Carolyn, Michelle, Belinda, Marybeth, and Vikki

Our available dogs