For the launch of my travel memoir Destination Dachshund: Three Months, Three Generations & Sixty Dachshunds, Charlie the Dachshund was spotted in Penrith Press a couple of weeks ago – he is officially a star! Maybe not quite as popular as Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund, but he is only just starting his career, so let’s give him some time to achieve millions of followers. A week or two at least.

Talking of spotting – last call for #dachshundspotting as I am wrapping up my book launch comp this FRIDAY 13th May. Spot a dachshund and post it to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag and let me know! $50 Red Bubble Voucher up for grabs. Get your entries in!

Charlie was  also spotted in the Daily Telegraph in another article looking poised and ready for stardom. We have three dachshunds though. Where are the other two you may ask. Why were Barney & Rosie banished? The answer to that is simple – they were banned from the photo shoot. They are quite possibly the best dog in the world but as Melissa Bromley discusses here in her article Digging up the Dirt on the Dachshund , the loveable long-bodied pooch which is described as “A half-a-dog high and a dog-and-a-half long.” by H.L. Mencken can be…

“lovable, curious and feisty. They make wonderful pets and are very protective of their family and home. And, whilst they might be the smallest hound, they can certainly pack a punch.”

But …if Melissa had of done some Sir Richard Attenborough style observations of the Dachshund in its natural habitat, these are some of the things she may have noted about Barney and Rosie.

• They bark. At everything.
• They are over-protective (which produces barking) yet a the same time shy (which also produces barking)
• They won’t sit still unless in a sleepy comatose state.
• Although incredibly cute and being tan coloured they would have been a better colour dog against the navy shirt I decided to wear than Charlie, Rosie would have hidden under a coffee table and barked incessantly at the photographer, and Barney would have done a pee, whilst barking and wanting a cuddle at the same time. And Charlie, would have sat quietly the whole time posing. Just like he did here at Christmas. He is a good elf.

Don’t let this put you off buying a dachshund though. They are loyal, cuddly, and I simply could not live without one in my life. OK, so I wouldn’t drop dead instantly without a dachshund by my side, but as some of you may have read in Destination Dachshund I found it very hard to leave Charlie for a long trip overseas, especially after the sudden death of Coco, his sister, just days before we left on our holiday, and for me there must be one around until I am old and grey.

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Now also available in paperback – email me at lisa@lisafleetwood.com.au for a copy. 

• 5 Stars
• Amazon Best Seller in Family Travel
• Amazon Best Seller in European Travel