Wire-haired dachshunds are known as great hunters with a very independent nature and strong character. And while they have a reputation for being stubborn and not exactly friendly, in the hands of a good owner, they become the smartest and sweetest companions. And Christin Geuting, a representative of Bresser GmbH, our German distributor, is certainly one of those people who bring the best out of their dogs. So, without further ado, let’s see what she tells us about her wire-haired dachshund Trude.
First things first – why did you choose this particular breed?
When I was a little girl, we had a wire-haired dachshund named Ben. Unfortunately, we had to give Ben away at that time because my brother had developed a very strong allergy to animal hair. After that, it was always clear to me that I would have a wire-haired dachshund at some point.
Dachshunds have their own will and like to show it. They know exactly what you want from them but think carefully about whether they just feel like it. This is always a challenge.
How did Trude come into your family?
When we made the decision to get a dog, I looked around for suitable breeders. During my search, I came across the website of our breeder. Here, everything just fit, and I knew immediately that she was the right one. After the first conversations, my assessment was only confirmed.
The puppies from the litter that our breeder had at that time were, of course, all taken. So, I waited for the next one, wishing for a wild boar-colored female. And when the puppies were born, there were six. Five of them were red and one puppy, a female, was wild boar-colored. She was the only choice, and she chose us.
What’s the funniest thing she ever did?
One of the usability tests is to have the dogs run free in a meadow while shooters stand at the edge with shotguns and shoot into the air. This tests whether or not the dogs are afraid of the loudness of the shot. It is essential for hunting dogs not to be frightened by gunshots.
Trude strolled across the meadow in such a relaxed way during this test and, when shot, first made a pile and then walked on comfortably (laughs).
What’s the cutest habit it has?
I don’t even know where to start and where to stop! If I have to limit myself to one thing, it is this: when I have Trude in my arms (yes, I hold her in my arms, and she often wants me to do it), she usually puts her head over my shoulder because she doesn’t want me to put her back down. She has been doing this since she was a puppy.
Everything that is important to us in a hunting dog, we have trained her without having taken a test afterwards. We want her to work with pleasure and success.
For a long time, the Helion 2 XP50 PRO was my favorite. When the Merger LRF XP50 came, it replaced the Helion for me because it is much more comfortable to observe with binoculars instead of monoculars.
What is the greatest challenge about owning a wire-haired dachshund?
Dachshunds have their own will and like to show it. They know exactly what you want from them but think carefully about whether they just feel like it. This is always a challenge.
I must say, however, that Trude was already very well educated by our breeder. She has made sure that the puppies gain a lot of experience. For example, she took the puppies to a school class, drove them in cars, took them to the water, and has already introduced them to coats and deer legs.
How did you train her for hunting?
In Germany, there are many official exams you can take with a hunting dog. The three most common types are:
– Usability tests. In this one, the minimum requirements for hunting usability are tested according to the hunting law.
– Performance tests. Here, components of practical hunting are tested. Some in simulated situations, others in real hunting situations.
– Breeding tests. These exams are adapted to specific breeds.
Trude comes from a hunting breed, and honestly, we have only taken usability tests with her.
Everything that is important to us in a hunting dog, we have trained her without having taken a test afterwards. We want her to work with pleasure and success, and since we do not want to breed her and the tests and the preparations are very time-consuming, official tests were not important to us.
Trude goes with us to the high seat, observes attentively and is very quiet. When I shoot something, I go with her to the shooting point (Trude usually already knows exactly where she has to go). I then let her search for and find the piece from the shooting point.
She participated in her first driven hunt when she was only eleven months old. We were in a group with very well-trained dogs who accepted Trude immediately. Trude then did what the other dogs did and barked at her first wild boar when she was eleven months old.
That was really a funny and exciting story. I went as a driver in this hunt. I saw Trude run into the blackthorns and then heard her bark. Then I just saw the wild boar come out of the blackthorns, and Trude came out afterwards, barked, and then stood proudly.
As cuddly and relaxed as she is in everyday life, she is different when hunting.
All in all, I can say that we practiced the hunting aspects by just doing them with her. Not in a practice situation, but when it came up. Since Trude understood very quickly what she needed to do, it worked out very well for us.
She participated in her first driven hunt when she was only eleven months old. We were in a group with very well-trained dogs who accepted Trude immediately. Trude then did what the other dogs did and barked at her first wild boar when she was eleven months old.
What is Trude like character-wise?
Trude is the most deeply relaxed dog ever. She is absolutely cute and adorable. In any case, she finds children more exciting and interesting than adults. That being said, she is totally related and fixated on me; we have a very close bond. She is always where I am. But it is very helpful when hunting.
In everyday life, she is an absolute fair-weather dog. When it rains, her paws can get wet, so she prefers to stay indoors. But she likes to run in the snow. Maybe because I love snow so much (laughs).
But when it comes to hunting, she is a completely different dog: excited, adventurous and wild.
Trude masters the dachshund look to perfection and clearly has her stubbornness, which she tries to assert every now and then. She definitely knows how to wrap you around her little finger with her charm.
What’s your favorite hunting story with her?
I think here I must definitely mention the hunt where I was able to shoot my first doublet alone. Trude and I sat in an earth cabin which was only covered with a camouflage net. So, everything was very open and especially exciting for Trude. After some time, a pack of red deer came out.
Soon, I had her in front at about 45-50 meters and was able to stretch a red deer calf. Trude was totally excited because we were so close; she saw everything and wanted to get to her prey. I then looked again with the Helion 2 XP50 PRO and saw that part of the pack was still standing there. When another red deer calf got free, I was able to shoot it, too. The rest of the herd then left quietly, and after a short relaxation phase, the already impatient Trude and I went first to the one deer calf and then to the other. Since I had absolutely no cell phone reception in this corner, we then had to walk a bit to inform the others, who then came and celebrated my hunting success with me.
In Germany, when a hunter kills a piece of game, he or she has the small hunting right. This means that they are entitled to the trophy and the offal. Since we only feed Trude raw meat, the hearts of the two red deer calves were her reward.
Since you mentioned Helion, we must ask – what’s your favorite Pulsar device?
For a long time, the Helion 2 XP50 PRO was my favorite. When the Merger LRF XP50 came, it replaced the Helion for me because it is much more comfortable to observe with binoculars instead of monoculars. The Merger is just super comfortable in the hands and has a great image quality. But I also take other devices with me from time to time to try them out and to be able to share my experiences with our customers and other hunters.
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