Dachshunds in Spring: Draper and Rue's Rainy Day Blues

Welcome to the Wednesday Dogs of Dogster! Every Wednesday, we share a story from one of our Dogsters. This week is about Meagan and her dynamic duo of dachshunds, Draper and Rue.

Spring in Alberta isn’t the same as many of the springs around the world. We don’t have blooming tulip fields like you see on Instagram, and although the days are becoming longer, that doesn’t always mean they are sunnier. Our springs are often gloomy, dusty, unpredictable (cue random snow storms), and the melted snow brings a lot of mud…especially if it rains!

For our Dachshund duo, Draper and Rue, the wet season is less about splashing in puddles like it is for our 16-month-old and more about a shared dread of the outdoors. These two, with their distinct personalities, unite in their mutual disdain for rainy days.

Rue: The Reluctant Adventurer

Rue, our spirited outdoor-lover, is usually up for any challenge. The rain and puddles actually don’t bother her that much; she will happily trot through a puddle or sit in mud, and she seems pretty unfazed. In fact, sometimes I think she prefers to be a little dirty. But, it’s what comes after a particularly rainy day that makes her worry…bathtime!

When she hears the tub running before she even gets back inside, Rue knows what’s coming next. She’ll try to dodge it, darting as fast as she can to our white couch to try and “hide,” but her muddy trail betrays her every time. The bath is non-negotiable for this muddy weiner.

Draper: The Rain-Hating Royal

Draper, our self-proclaimed King, has even less patience for rain than he does snow. If winter’s cold was his nemesis, spring’s rain is his archenemy. The sound of raindrops pattering on the windows is enough to make him burrow his face deeper into his blanket fortress, refusing to emerge unless bribed with treats. Getting Draper outside on a rainy day is a negotiation that rivals high-stakes diplomacy. He’ll inch toward the door, sniff the air, and promptly retreat, his expression screaming, “Absolutely not.” He will do his business directly outside our door (along the tiny strip of dry deck to avoid getting wet).

On the rare occasions we coax him out, Draper’s low-slung body acts like a sponge, soaking up every bit of moisture from the grass. His long, luxurious fur collects mud like a trophy, and his tiny paws leave a trail of soggy prints across the deck.

The Bathtime Battle

The bath itself is always a struggle. Rue, ever the escape artist, will wriggle and squirm, hoping for a last-second getaway. It doesn’t matter how little water we use to fill the tub; she shakes out of fear as if we had just thrown her into a lake!

Draper, meanwhile, goes limp, adopting a “if I must endure this, I’ll be as unhelpful as possible.” The only silver lining for Draper is that once he is nice and clean, he will get the true royal treatment and get a little blowout (yes, we actually do brush + blow dry Draper’s fur…and yes, he actually does love it!).