We have many dachshunds fostered in Northern California. If you live in Southern California, you can still adopt! Healthy, readily adoptable dogs do require pick up, but for hard to adopt or special needs dogs please inquire to determine feasibility of transfer to a location closer to you. Please contact us for more info.

LAST UPDATED: 03-26-24

~ fin and MUNCH ARE being FOSTERED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA ~

AVAILABLE SEPARATELY OR TOGETHER!

One morning we got a call from a young woman who wanted to know if we could take her one year old littermate brothers. She was moving and had not been able to find affordable housing that allowed dogs. She tried family members, but they all each had numerous dogs already. Thanks to a foster agreeing to take them, in no time the boys were part of SCDR.

Fin and Munch had been very well cared for physically. They were inside dogs and had current vaccinations. However, the boys had not been socialized. They did not go on walks. They did not meet new people or have new experiences. Not surprisingly, they developed some littermate syndrome symptoms. This can happen when two puppies from the same litter are raised together.

Common behaviors that can develop in puppies with littermate syndrome include:

• Separation anxiety when away from each because of a co-dependence on each other

• Fear of new people, animals, objects, or experiences

• Fear aggression, which can occur when a puppy encounters a new experience, feels threatened or scared, and will react by barking, biting or trying to escape

• Reactivity when on a leash

• Aggression or nervousness in the more dominant puppy; timidity and withdrawal in the less dominant puppy.

We have seen these behaviors with the boys at times, so we think they will do better if adopted separately unless they find an appropriate home that can manage both. Although we are breaking them up, there does need to be another young dog in their forever home. Neither boy is ready to be an “only dog”. If adopted together, there needs to be more than one human in the house as they both always want attention. Their foster has been working hard on socializing the boys and exposing them to new things.

Fin is very smart and energetic. (He can jump on your counters!) He is a cuddle bug that loves to snuggle with any dog or person in the house. He has no sense of personal space and always wants to be touching you or be on you. He is very loyal and will follow you anywhere.

Munch is loving and eager to please and learn new things. His foster says he is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but that is what makes him so sweet. He is easily distracted by treats which means he may be the easiest to train.

They both walk nicely on a leash for the most part, although Fin can get distracted. The dogs are good with new people if they feel safe and are in a familiar environment. They are improving on meeting people in less familiar surroundings. Both dogs are vaccinated, microchipped, and neutered. They are crate trained.

If you are interested in either dog, please fill out the online adoption application and email Nicole at nicolesalacain@gmail.com. An adoption application and home check are required.

The tax deductible donation for each dog is $700.00

~ BRUNO IS being FOSTERED IN SAN JOSE, CA ~

We got a call one day from a woman asking if we could help with a dachshund that she had acquired from a homeless/almost homeless man. She had stopped and given the man money and noticed his dog. She asked if she could get the dog some food or anything else. The man said no and that he needed to find someone to take the dog as he wasn't allowed to have pets at the motel. (And to complicate things, the man himself had rescued the dog a few weeks earlier from a woman that had been about to just turn him loose on the streets to fend for himself).

Although the Good Samaritan took the dog, she already had 4 rescues of her own and couldn’t keep him. She asked if we would take him. We put out a plea for a foster home and found one. Bruno then became an SCDR dog.

Bruno is a great little guy. This little ‘mostly doxie’ is very friendly! (Being out on the streets is much better socialization than many dogs get.) He greets new people well and he is a cuddler. He will be on your lap, before you finish sitting down. We think he could live with older, respectful children.

Bruno loves playing fetch and will play for as long as you are willing to throw the ball. He also loves making his stuffies go “squeak, squeak, squeak!”. He is young and active. So we would very much like a home that is active and/or has a playful, young companion dog. (We don’t know how Bruno is with cats). Because he is young, he is not suitable for being left home alone all day.

Bruno is athletic and can jump onto tables and over low fences. He loves to get into the garbage so you will need to be sure yours is secure. Bruno expects to sleep in the big bed at night.

We had him neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. We also had some retained baby teeth removed.

If you are interested in Bruno, please fill out the online adoption application and email Nicole at nicolesalacain@gmail.com. An adoption application and home check are required.

The tax deductible donation for Bruno is $400.00

OSCAR & MEYER ARE being FOSTERED IN SACRAMENTO, CA
THEY COME WITH END OF LIFE BENEFITS!!

Oscar and Meyer’s owner went into rehab. The owner’s parents contacted us about taking them. The alternative was the shelter. They were skinny, old, and terribly medically neglected. Their coats alone told of a hard life. We decided they were at least going to have a good last part of their lives and they came into foster care.

The boys were thrilled to become inside dogs with fluffy beds and good meals. While we were not able to make them younger, their eyes got brighter and their coats got shinier. They are now playful and have lots more energy. They enjoy playing with their squeaky toys and investigating everything. What they like best however, is being wherever their people are.

We had them both neutered, and the real game changer - we got them dentals. Their mouths were so sore when we got them, that they would not allow anyone to touch their muzzles. Now they are finally and, maybe for the first time in years, living without painful mouths.

Oscar and Meyer are now neutered, had recent dentals, and are up to date on their rabies. Because they were just neutered and spent most of their lives outside, they currently need to wear belly-bands in the house (which they are very cooperative about). They sleep together in the same crate at night.

We are looking for a retirement home for this pair. Because of their age, rescue will pay for the cost of euthanasia and cremation when the time comes for each of the dogs.

If you are interested in Oscar and Meyer, please fill out the online adoption application and email Nicole at nicolesalacaingmail.com. An adoption application and home check are required.

Oscar and Meyer are available for a very modest donation to SCDR

A Good Samaritan found a young doxie mix wandering the streets of Merced during some nasty weather. She took the dog in, made a report to the local shelter, made Found Dog posts, and checked lost dog listings and groups. Sadly, no owner was ever found. The finder then reached out to us to see if we could take the dog since she had large dogs that were not small-dog friendly. Keeping everyone safe was a full time job and could not be maintained long term, so the little dog had to go. Since we like to reward people who do the right thing by lost dogs, and because a new foster raised her hand, we were able to say Yes.

This little mix is a bundle of sweet energy. Her ability to leap and bounce earned her the name of Roo. We think her “Flying Nun” ears must give her extra spring! When she gets “the zoomies”, she could set a land speed record! She walks very nicely on a leash and is not the least bit leash aggressive. This is one charming dog!

Roo has learned to “sit” before getting a treat or her meal and is working on “stay”. In her foster home, she has a dog door and she has been perfectly housetrained. She enjoys chewing on a toy or cuddling with her person.

Roo is young and this makes her a little mischievous. We have to confess - she is a huge sock thief. She chews them lightly and hides them in her crate. She really needs ongoing chew toys to help satisfy her puppy urge to gnaw on things. She is now also learning not to do the puppy play nipping thing. When she is over excited and/or tired, she forgets. She sometimes also does this when getting harnessed (she gets very excited for walks!) or having a sweater put on her. She is smart, so she is getting better every day.

We think Roo could be OK in a home with kids age 10 years and up. She would probably do well with another young, active dog to play with. She would annoy a senior dog that just wants to be left alone. Roo is NOT cat safe. Because she is so young, she needs someone around most of the time. (She is too young to spend long hours in a crate, and she might get into trouble if left to her own devices.) A family that gets her out and about would be wonderful.

Roo sleeps nicely in her crate at night (but she wants a belly rub when you first let her out in the morning!). We have had her spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped.

If you are interested in Roo, please fill out the online adoption application and email Nicole at nicolesalacain@gmail.com. An application and home check are required.

The tax deductible donation for Roo is $300.00

~ MOCHI IS being FOSTERED IN OAKLEY, CA ~

Mochi’s original owners surrendered him to a small shelter, because they were no longer able to take care of him. His wagging tail and darling looks got him quickly adopted. However, he was soon returned for biting a family member. (We have no other details about this incident.) The shelter then reached out and asked if we would take him.

Mochi is extremely friendly with people and greets strangers with great enthusiasm and lots of kisses. He is a social butterfly. He adores going for walks, playing, and getting snuggles from his humans.

Mochi has two issues. One, is separation anxiety. When you leave, he must be crated. If you leave him loose, he will pace, drool, scream, and bark. His behavior is much better if he is left in the crate. It gives him a sense of security.

His second issue is that he will “resource-guard” his toys and food. He must be fed separately from any other dogs and you must not put your hands anywhere near his bowl once you put it down. He loves toys, but he will resource-guard them from the other dogs, so these are used only under human supervision. He will often bring a toy to people and will invite them to play. In these cases, when he has issued the invitation, it is safe to take the toy. His new owner needs to continue appropriate work with him on his resource-guarding.

Mochi needs a home with an Alpha owner. His owner needs to be the one making all decisions, not Mochi. And although Mochi greets children nicely, because of his resource-guarding, he must have a childfree home (both now and in the future).

Mochi loves playing and wrestling with his foster dachshund brother. A new home with a non-resource-guarding, playful dog to be his buddy would be perfect.

If you are interested in Mochi, please fill out the online adoption application and email Nicole at nicolesalacain@gmail.com. An adoption application and home check are required.

The tax deductible donation for Mochi is $400.00

THE FLORIDA GANG

(Updated 03-03-24)

A member of the public had called SFACC about a man selling dogs out of his vehicle. The citizen was horrified by the condition the dogs were being kept in. SFACC investigated and discovered 13 dogs that were living in a car with 12 of them being dachshunds. They were all stuffed into one large crate. The owner had driven from Florida with them in the back of his Mustang. The shelter asked if we would take them if they got the owner to surrender them. Of course, we said yes. ACC worked with the owner over the course of a few days. At first, only 2 dogs were being surrendered, but by the end of it all, the owner surrendered 7 of the dogs, keeping a mom and young puppies.

These dogs are all shy and nervous in new situations and with new people, but once won over, they are incredibly loving. However, they are absolutely wild when let loose in the yard. Racing around for long periods of time at top speed. We have never seen anything quite like it. We are not sure if they are making up for the horror of being kept stuffed in like sardines for weeks or perhaps they never were given much space. They love being able to run and chase each other. In addition, it appears that each of these dogs has a black belt in Parkour (The activity of using skillful movements to jump over walls and other objects). They can scale walls, jump gates and bound from table to table to get to your countertops. You must have at least a 6 ft fence in your yard. (No chain link. It’s way too easy to climb, which they will ). Don’t plan on using baby gates to contain them to certain areas of the home. They will be over any gate you have in a nanosecond. Inside when you are home, they love to be lap dogs and cuddle up with you. These dachshunds do not want to be only dogs. They have always lived in a large pack and being alone is just too scary. There must be another confident, playful canine in the home. (not a calm couch potato buddy) Orlando became best friends with a young husky. The two played together nonstop so it appears the size of the dog does not matter. They are not suitable for a home with young children. They are not suitable for a condo or apartment. They are going to need a very secure yard in order to develop good potty habits. These dogs are long, so they need no stairs in the home or only a few stairs that can be easily ramped. They also need active homes. They are young and turbo charged!

Our Florida gang is neutered/ spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. If you are interested in one of these cuties, please fill out the adoption application and email Nicole at Nicolesalacain@gmail.com.

~ POPPY IS BEING FOSTERED IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA ~

One of our favorite small shelters to work with was reaching out for help with two puppies. They had been surrendered as “strays” by people the shelter believes were really their owners. These babies were under socialized - very shy and fearful of people. They could be handled at intake, but being in the shelter worked against them behaviorally and sent them in the wrong direction. They were getting worse each day. They needed to get out of that environment and into a home.

Our foster home that specializes in shy dogs offered to foster them. Within days of their arrival, the pups were perfectly happy and friendly. This sweet girl, Poppy, has a very doxie face and eyes and very doxie coloring (red piebald). Poppy is very playful, but she is also very cuddly. She has been learning basic manners, such as "sit" and is eager to please.

Poppy will do best in a home that has a young and very playful canine sibling. She is not an appropriate companion to an elderly dog. She is a puppy which means high energy and typical puppy traits – chewing on inappropriate objects, racing around like a Tasmanian Devil, stealing a spoon from the dishwasher, grabbing your favorite whatever and running off with it.

Poppy is still a puppy, so we are looking for the following attributes:

• Someone at home most of the day, stay-at-home parents, or folks who work from home.

• Another small, young dog for play and companionship.

• A very secure INDOOR place for the puppy to be when no one is at home.

• Applicants must be between 25 and 65 years of age.

• No infants or toddlers please, but children over 8 years old are OK.

Poppy is crate trained. She is using the doggie door and working on her housebreaking. She is spayed, current on her vaccinations, and microchipped.

If you are interested in Poppy, please fill out the online adoption application and email Nicole at nicolesalacain@gmail.com. An adoption application and home check are required.

The tax-deductible donation for Poppy is $300.00

~ JEREMY IS being FOSTERED IN MARIN COUNTY, Ca ~

There are some areas of California where the shelters are not beyond capacity with dogs. These shelters then help out the crowded shelters by taking some of their dogs. Jeremy, a cute little doxie mix, was moved to this nicer shelter from the horribly overcrowded Kern County shelter. However, this new shelter had very tough behavioral requirements that poor little Jeremy couldn’t meet. (Most of our dogs would fail their requirements.) His foster was willing to continue fostering him as an SCDR dog so to save him from being euthanized, we agreed to take him on.

The behavioral issues he had shown when he first arrived were: (1) He demonstrated on-leash aggression towards big dogs and running children. (2) He was also shy with new people, especially men. These are pretty much standard behavior and what we often see in previously socially-neglected small dogs.

Jeremy was placed on Trazadone (an anti-anxiety medication), and his foster worked with him on his “aggressive behavior towards big dogs” when he is out and about. He has shown massive improvement. He also now walks extremely well on leash with very little pulling. He’s a very trainable dog.

Jeremy has begun to warm up to strangers much quicker than when he first arrived. (He can definitely be bribed by treats). He is very attuned to human emotions and actively tries to comfort someone who is sad. Jeremy also likes older children (teens and up).

Jeremy is a “Velcro dog”. He just wants to be by his person(s). He has a few stuffies that he loves to play with. He is also a “shoe connoisseur”. (He also has a penchant for relocating shoes although fortunately so far he has not chewed any.)

Jeremy is not much of a barker, and the threat of a spray bottle of water is all it takes to quiet him down. Alas, wonderful as Jeremy is, he is not cat safe.

Since Jeremy is so people focused, we believe he could be an “only dog” although he would have no objection to sharing a home with another dog. A canine sibling does not have to be small - right now he has shown a fondness for Labs.

Jeremy is vaccinated, microchipped and neutered. He sleeps in a crate at night under lots of snuggly blankets.

We are no longer accepting applications for Jeremy. Please look at our other dogs available for adoption.

~ RORY IS being FOSTERED near PLEASANT HILL, CA ~

rory CAT-SAFE!

Rory came from an overcrowded East Bay shelter. He was picked up as a stray, but he had a microchip. Alas, his owners never responded to the messages or mail sent to them by the shelter. Rory was then adopted out to a family with children and was promptly returned for nipping one of the kids (no details were provided). He was adopted a second time and was returned for biting a child that laid on top of him. At that point he became ‘rescue only’ and the shelter asked SCDR to take him.

The shelter said he is a Dachshund mix. He may or may not have doxie in him. He strongly resembles a “Doodle” (doxie/poodle blend).

Rory is being fostered with 4 dogs of various sizes and is fine with all of them. He is also tolerant of the cats in his foster home.

Rory will let his foster mom do anything to him. He has never made any attempt at biting. Tummy, ears, brushing, picking him up - none of it is an issue. His foster dad is a different story. Rory’s very nervous and barky around men. He can also be unpredictable with them. He’s made strides with his foster dad, but Rory still at times will nip him (or his jeans) when his foster dad comes into a room.

Rory needs a “no kids” home. He will do best in an all female household or with a very patient dad. Rory needs to have rules in place, so he realizes he is not the alpha-dog running the show.

Rory is young and very energetic. He enjoys multiple walks and is a good hiking buddy. He needs a home that will continue to get him out and about and lots of exercise.

Rory is housebroken and uses a dog door. He enjoys sleeping in the big bed, but you should only allow this if you give him permission to get up on the bed first (because you need to be the “Alpha”). He is always up for a cuddle. He knows “sit”. He would love a playful canine companion.

The ideal home for Rory would have the following attributes:

• Someone at home most of the day, or folks who work from home.

• Previous dachshund experience is a big plus.

• Another small to medium sized dog for play and companionship.

• A very secure INDOOR place for Rory to be when no one is at home.

• Applicants must be between 25 and 68 years of age.

• No young children please, but we will consider families with teenage children.

We are no longer accepting applications for Rory. Please look at our other dogs available for adoption.

~ LUCY & DESI ARE being FOSTERED IN MERCED, CA ~

they are a bonded pair & cannot be separated

both are CAT-SAFE!

We had just recently picked up the 7 dogs making up our Florida gang (below), when we heard from the same Animal Control. This time they wondered if we might take a pair of young doxie mixes that had come in as strays. They had failed their behavior evaluation. Look at these faces -how could we say no?

Their shelter notes indicated they were tremendously affiliative and snuggly, but were terrified in the shelter environment. Their notes also indicate that they were “joyously reunited” after they were each removed separately for testing. We have found that to be true in foster care also so we are going to require they be adopted together.

Desi is a bit more outgoing of the pair. However, they both want to be in your lap the minute you sit down.

They are being fostered with both other dogs and with cats and have no issues with any of them.

They are young so a new owner needs to be sure they get daily exercise and exposure to the world. They are doing wonderfully with their housebreaking but will need some continued work in their new home.

They are both fixed, microchipped and current on their vaccines. They sleep together in the same crate at night.

Our standard puppy qualifications apply.

• Someone at home most of the day, stay-at-home parents, or folks who work from home.

• A very secure INDOOR place for the puppies to be when no one is at home.

• Applicants must be between 25 and 65 years of age.

• No babies or toddlers, but will consider families with children 8 years and up.

• Optional: Another small, young dog for play and companionship.

They are both neutered, current on their vaccinations, and microchipped.

We are no longer accepting applications for Lucy and Desi. Please look at our other dogs available for adoption.

(EDITED)

~ ZIZZOU IS being FOSTERED near SAN JOSE, ca ~

NO CATS, SMALL pets, OR BIRDS

Zizzou was found as a stray in San Francisco. At Animal Control, he behaved as many dachshunds do - he was absolutely terrified and made it clear no one should come near him. A staff member worked with him and they soon saw his sweet loving side. However, there was no doubt he needed to be out of the shelter environment as soon as possible. He was pulled by another rescue group and placed with a foster home. The foster quickly discovered that Zizzou is not a dog that can live with cats (and the foster home has many felines). The rescue then asked if we would take him as they had no alternative foster space. Of course, we said yes!

Although Zizzou has a very high prey drive, he is friendly with people when he is not in a scary environment. He loves to snuggle!

Zizzou is still a young dog. As such, he needs a home that will get him daily exercise and let him see the world. This will also help his confidence in new situations.  It appears he was in charge in his previous home, so he needs someone who is the top dog and can keep him in line. He needs a boss who will continue with his training. Zizzou is iffy with other dogs as he can get territorial with food and toys so he might be best as an only dog. (he is picky about which dogs he likes)

He very much enjoys squeaky toys and balls. He is very treat-motivated and he goes bonkers over cheese. He someone home most of the day.

Zizzou is a very long dog, so he needs a no-stairs home or one with only a few steps which can be ramped. He does not know how to walk on a leash and is terrified of walks (we are working on this) so he must have a yard.

Zizzou has been vaccinated, microchipped, and neutered. He had a hernia which has also been repaired.

We are no longer accepting applications for Zizzou. Please look at our other dogs available for adoption.

~ ROSCOE IS being FOSTERED IN TURLOCK, CA ~

Roscoe and two other dogs were dumped in a field in central CA. The owner of the field could not keep the dogs long term, so she reached out to a well known rescuer in her area. This rescuer contacted us to see if we could take the doxie mix. Fortunately a foster raised her hand and Roscoe came into SCDR.

Fortune was again on his side as due to a cancellation, he quickly got in to the vet’s office to get his medical taken care of.

Roscoe has turned out to be quite the charmer. He's friendly with people and he likes other dogs. He is young (his teeth are blindingly white), and he is an active little guy that enjoys romping with the foster pack.

Roscoe would love a canine sibling young enough to play with him. He's been in a foster home with kids as young as 7 and has been great with them.

The ideal home for Roscoe would have the following qualities:

• Someone at home most of the day, stay-at-home moms/dads or folks who work from home.

• Previous dachshund experience is a plus but not essential.

• Another young dog for play and companionship.

• A very secure INDOOR place for Roscoe to be when no one is at home.

• Applicants must be between 25 and 65 years of age.

• No infants or toddlers, please, but we will consider families with children 7 years and up.

We have had Roscoe neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

We are no longer accepting applications for Roscoe. Please look at our other dogs available for adoption.