July 13, 2024, 10:33 am | Read time: 4 minutes
“Everything for the dachshund, everything for the club, our lives for the dog.” That was the famous motto of the Dachshund Club from the German comedy series “Hausmeister Krause”. Even though the series has long since been discontinued, millions of people around the world share this love for the Dachshund. Therefore, it is no surprise that there is a World Dachshund Day and that many celebrities are big Dachshund fans.
What do artist Picasso, singer Adele, presenter Bettina Böttinger, and It-girl Kylie Jenner have in common? Their hearts beat so fervently for dachshunds that they themselves decided to become dachshund owners. Pablo Picasso had his own dachshund, Lump, who was not only a loyal companion to him during his lifetime but was also considered his muse. His characteristic work “The Dog”, in which the Spanish artist drew his dachshund, is still iconic today. Lump, who was born in 1957, is considered by many art critics to be the most important animal model in the history of art.1
Pablo Picasso charmed his friend’s dachshund
The tale of Pablo Picasso and his beloved Lumpito is every bit as captivating as the minimalist drawing itself. According to the legend, the bright dachshund originally belonged to the successful photographer David Douglas Duncan. When he visited his good friend Pablo in Spain, it was love at first sight between Picasso and Lumpito. The two were so smitten with each other that Duncan had no choice but to give him the dog. This was the beginning of a long friendship that was to last until death.2 Just ten days after Lumpito died, his world-famous master also passed away.
Pablo Picasso was in good company with his love of dachshunds. Romy Schneider, Andy Warhol, David Bowie, and Queen Elizabeth II were also big dachshund fans.3 The latter reportedly had four dogs at the time of her passing, one being a dorgi—a cross between a corgi and a dachshund.4
From dusty grandma dachshund to stylish family dog
Even though dachshunds had a somewhat dusty image for a long time and were seen as foresters’ or pensioners’ dogs, the short-legged dogs have been able to win over an increasingly younger audience over the years. Not very young, but much younger than the Queen, pop singer Jürgen Drews or TV presenter Bettina Böttinger are examples.
For both of them, their dachshunds will always be part of their family. The “Ein Bett im Kornfeld” singer explained in 2015, after the death of the family dachshund: “Fienchen was blind, deaf, and demented at the end. She could no longer stand, bumped into things everywhere, and had to wear diapers. But we loved her. Fienchen’s passing deeply saddened us, even though it was expected. “5
“Fienchen threw up on the passenger seat!”
From one dachshund Fienchen to the next, presentation legend Bettina Böttinger also has a dachshund called Fienchen close to her heart. Her four-legged friend provided an unforgettable experience on the way to the recording of her farewell show, as she told us at the beginning of the program. “I had two dachshunds in the car. Julius and Fienchen.” She continued, “Fienchen threw up on the passenger seat!”
Dachshunds are also very popular with the younger generation. “Hipsters have short legs” is even being said in some forums. Pop stars such as Adele, Liam Gallagher, and Jana-Ina Zarella couldn’t resist going with the dachshund look. Kylie Jenner also got herself a dachshund with Moo Pants.6
Great sadness Guido Maria Kretschmer loses his fourth dog in just a few months
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Making a splash at the start of the reality show
Dachshunds, along with their owners, have also made their mark on reality shows. Influencer Bria Fleming and her long-haired dachshund Milo, for example, created a great atmosphere in the luxury villa in the US reality show “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard”. With cheeky quips like “It’s Milo’s world, and we all just live in it,” the human-dachshund duo rose to cult status on American TV. Here is a short clip with memorable moments from the Bravo show.
One thing is for certain: Dachshunds are more popular than ever. According to the German breeders’ association VDH, the “charmer with short legs” is the second most popular dog breed in Germany after the German shepherd, with more than 6,000 in existence.