One wiener dog is never enough

Sabrina wastes no time getting comfy in her new home

Following the wiener-dog lover’s credo of “you can’t have just one,” Wessel and I adopted 8-year-old Sabrina from Dachshund Rescue a few months after my late, great Lucy met her maker. Roxy, my 14-year-old angel, took it all in stride. That was a year ago this weekend. We loved Sabrina immediately, but we had a problem. She weighed in at 18 pounds, when she should have been much less. At the time I wrote: “She’s a porker. An overstuffed sausage. A block o’ dach.”

Pet portrait: Q-kitty, 'Briner the Wiener, and Roxy (the foxy doxy with moxy)

Being overweight is good for no one, but for the wiener dog it can be fatal, as their short legs and loooong backs aren’t made to carry a big load. So, as I recounted in “The Biggest Loser: Wiener Dog Style” entries (part 1, part 2, part 3), we put ‘Briner the Wiener (hat’s off to Krispy for our favorite moniker) on a breakthrough diet. You know the one: eat less, exercise more. For months now, Sabrina has been holding steady at a svelte 12 pounds. She looks mahvelous.

Roxy and Sabrina take a break from their naps during a kayak trip in Virginia

Sabrina has fit right in with the family, too. One minute she’s playfully barking at and chasing Q-Kitty, while the next they’re side by side on a pillow. She even allows Q to give her a Q Signature Tongue Bath on the top of her head. As for Roxy, unless she and Sabrina are arguing over who gets what treat first, they get along swimmingly. Not that they like to swim, but they do love to go kayaking.

"Sit... stay.... good girl!" Sabrina earns her graduation cap at PetSmart ceremony

During our first glorious year together, I had one more challenge for Sabrina: learning a few manners. Sabrina wasn’t out of control, but she wasn’t controllable either. Taking a dog to obedience class is one of the best ways to bond with your pet, plus dogs like to know the rules. Thanks to Rhonda at the Durham PetSmart and us doing our homework, Sabrina became a model student. Her “sit-and-stay” is smashing, though her “come” can admittedly use a little work. Still, Sabrina was a star pupil and absolutely earned her diploma in “beginner education.” Not only can you teach an old dog new tricks, they can teach you stuff, too. Like, you’re never too old to fall in love. Happy anniversary, Sabrina!

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Tags: Dachshund Rescue of North America, overweight dogs, PetSmart, sit-and-stay, The Biggest Loser