Tuesday, October 6, 2009

mid-atlantic doxie fest: fashion and food



Hey, it's me Baxter, your roving rover reporter reporting again from the Mid-Atlantic Dachshund Phestival. Now, between you and me, dressing up isn't always what it's cracked up to be, especially when the pictures leaked to the internet are taken out of context, but here at the festival everybody knows that dressing up is purely for fun. We're back inside to watch the costume parade, and let me tell you there were a lot of dressed up doxies!






I really liked all of the costumes but I gotta give a high paw-five to the human who dressed up as The Cat in the Hat and pulled along his double dapple doxies in a wagon who were dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2 and I think a green turtle - my mom thinks maybe that was Yertle. There were pumpkins and lobsters and hot dogs and sharks and even a skunk! Thank goodness he didn't smell like one.



Doxies in costume weren't the only dogs in disguise at the festival. Some doxies here bore a striking resemblance to other things without even trying. They were everywhere. One fella's mom was carrying him like he was a big stuffed toy that she just won at the carnival. At the races, I sat next to a "short haired" black and tan who was really a long hair, only his mom had him groomed short. I also played with a long haired red who reminded me of a golden retriever. All throughout the festival I ran into piebald doxies who looked more like spaniels because of their markings, and a wirehaired doxie that mom said looked more like Buck the Shaggy Briard Sheepdog from Married with Children. And every once in a while we would see doxies who didn't need a costume at all to be reminded of why we are called sausage doggies.








mmm sausage. That brings me to the topic of food at the festival, or fair food to be exact, like funnel cakes and hot dogs n french fries n lemonade. Mom says if all the fair food was similar to the steak n cheese sandwich that they did not share with me, then "fair" pretty much describes the food. No hot melted provolone and fresh baked italian bread for this sandwich, just cold liquid cheese and soggy peppers covering lukewarm steak on a stale bun. So my tip for this trip, pack your own food cuz there is plenty of open space and seating for a picnic. Or break away from the barking and explore the surrounding town for good eats. There are definitely better options only minutes away.







Speaking of tips, mom says humans should wear comfortable shoes because there are a lot of lines worth standing in. The time goes by fast with all the doxie watching and butt sniffing. I don't even remember how long it took before it was my turn to get blessed, but you can see the waiting was totally worth it.






Now, the Mid-Atlantic Dachshund Phestival is more than just a day of fun for doxies like me. For some doxies, this is their chance to be adopted. My mom and dad and I spent some time with this little girl, Jasmine, a four year old long haired e-red doxie, while her foster mom took a much needed break from representing her rescue group. Everyone liked Jasmine because she was an absolute sweetie, the kind of dog that doesn't mind being held for hours on end. I also met doxies in wheel carts, old doxies and young ones in every color and shape and size. Like me two years ago, they are all in need of a good home. I hope they find their forever families soon.



So whether you're interested in going for a run, dressing up, adoping a doxie, or even just hanging out to doxie watch, the Mid-Atlantic Dachshund Phestival is one happening place to be. I hope you'll have a swell time at your next doxie festival. It may not be the same as this one, but I guarantee you it will be fun!

This is your tuckered roving rover reporter Baxter signing out. Woof!


7 comments:

AmyM said...

Excellent job, roving reporter Baxter! It sounds like you had a great time.

Alicia said...

Wow! Is there a Pulitzer Prize for Dachshund journalists? Baxter, and his team, deserve kudos for the great pictures and roving reports. Great job!

Oskar

Christy said...

I love sweepy pictures. He looks so sweet and content.

To answer your question. Tulip is a laid back dachshund. She really is sweet natured and calm really. She doesn't "normally" pull at the leash but she has one exception and that is squirrels. If she sees a squirrel its over. She gets this rabid look in her eye and her hackles go up. She scares me because a couple of times her leash/harnesses have come off.

The lady that has made Tulip's harnesses does an excellent job and they look adorable on her but I will say one thing they are made of cotton and they stretch. I've ordered mediums but after a week of wear they hang a little loose. Does Baxter's stretch out or do you use sturdier materials? I think her design fits Tulip nicely but like I said they are stretching out to almost loose on her.

Lorenza said...

Hi, Baxter!
Here we can't find costumes for dogs. Thankfully!
I love my dresses because they mean walkies!
I can understand you were so tired at the end!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

kalyxcorn said...

I haven't had a problem with stretching thus far. Where do you find it stretches? I like to reinforce the back with a "spine" made of sturdier stuff to alleviate some of the stress coming from where the D ring is attached. I also use interfacing on thinner fabrics. I did this to maintain shape but I can see how this might also help manage stretching. If you don't mind the extra bulk, your lady might consider adding a layer of bottom weight fabric to the harness's construction. Baxter's everyday blaze orange walkies harness has survived these past two years without a lot of stretch problems. That harness is made with a nylon woven on the outside and flannel on the inside so the fabrics are indeed thicker than what people normally use.

For security reasons, I like to make sure there is at least 2.5 to 3" of velcro overlap at the neck and 3 - 4" of overlap at the chest. Baxter has never tested this, but I also sew on a snap buckle/belt assembly at the neck for added insurance against bustin' out. Baxter's is a fixed length but with the harnesses I made for Choe and the raffles, I made it adjustable +/- an inch to accommodate shape changes (mostly I figure related to weight changes)

Anonymous said...

They are stretching underneath the harness around the chest. She uses the backing but the fabric is cotton all the way. They are comfortable and soft so I'm sure they feel good but underneath Tulip the fabric hangs off of her instead of snug after a week or so of use. I'm going to have you make one for Tulip, I'm waiting for another bill cycle. Tulip's birthday is December 5 so we have to be thinking of a birthday present for her. She'll be a teenager and you know how special that is in a girl's life.

Rowdy and Bette said...

Great job reporting on the fest Baxter! We felt like we were there!