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I won't try to talk you into getting a rescue, but I'll just note that even with a dog you get through a breeder, there's no such thing as a "known entity" with dogs. If you're open to reconsidering adoption, I know someone who has gotten two dachshunds through the local dachshund rescue organization (not minis, though) and has been very, very happy with the dogs. This person was also a first time dog owner. The rescues, especially the breed-specific ones, are very good about ascertaining the temperment of the dogs and matching you with the right fit. Okay, I guess I tried to talk you into it. Good luck with your first dog! Dog ownership is awesome.

2:05 PM 09/25/2012 | 3 Votes

No.. It doesn't make sense.
There are tons of dogs in shelters (including puppies of the age you are looking for) who would love to be a part of your family for the rest of their lives. I agree with the above, perhaps look into a rescue organization. Be part of the solution, instead of the problem. Also off my soapbox now. Dogs are awesome. They are terrific family members.

2:16 PM 09/25/2012 | 1 Votes

Ok, while I really do appreciate the input, again, I am NOT looking for a rescue! I have looked into local doxie rescues, but as I said above, we have very specific criteria -- puppy, female, short coat, mini or "tweenie".... In the DMV, there are ZERO rescue dogs that match, as far as I've found. We have found one or two matches in the past, but they had additional medical/environmental needs that we could not meet in our home.
Other recs?

10:17 PM 09/25/2012 | -2 Votes

I'm not sure if the dachshund-specific rescues list via Petfinder, but these are the dachshund and dachshund mixes in the area: http://www.petfinder.com/pet-s... .
This doxie mix puppy girl is a cutie:  http://www.petfinder.com/petde... .
 
This puppy looks to meet CoHiGirl's specs exactly:  http://www.petfinder.com/petde... .
 
 

10:51 AM 09/27/2012 | 0 Votes

Honeybadger - That's fair, and I'm not being sarcastic when I say I appreciate the input. I'd be happier than anyone if a rescue worked out for us. But we've been looking for months; at this point we really, really want to get a dog reasonable SOON!
 
I also understand people have strong feelings about it, so I was hoping to head off some of the snark with my note. Guess it didn't work out so well. ;)

1:28 PM 09/27/2012 | 0 Votes

Go to the Washington Humane Society on Georgia Ave. or the shelter on NY Ave.  Save a life and find a great new friend.

2:26 PM 09/27/2012 | 0 Votes

You say you don’t want a rescue, but I don’t care: get a rescue. The Washington Animal Rescue League (warl.org) is far and away the best facility of its kind in the region. We went 7-8 times, looking for the right dog, and we finally found him. It might require multiple visits to find your match, but it will happen eventually.

2:38 PM 09/27/2012 | 1 Votes

FWIW, my sister has two dogs she got from breeders, and she has had to spend thousands of dollars on training, while my wife and I have an amazingly disciplined, intelligent, and loving rescue.

2:42 PM 09/27/2012 | 1 Votes

Sorry to jump in with another "get a rescue" comment, but the only way to get a "known entity" in terms of temperament -- as you say you want -- is to get an adult dog that's been fostered.  Even puppies from the same litter grow up with wildly different temperaments, and what may be true of a breed in general is never true for all individual dogs.  Further, it's hard to know an adult dog's temperament from observations of it as a puppy.  An older dog will have its temperament developed, and the foster person will be able to give you an actual description of the dog's adult behavior from observation, not prediction.

2:45 PM 09/27/2012 | 2 Votes

You want a puppy, that is a "known entity" - that is just unfair to the dog. No one ever regrets rescuing/adopting a dog or puppy - you can find the perfect dog for you out there. The only "known entity" would be what a foster can tell you after living with a dog. A foster through a rescue. All the papers are going to give you from a breeder is a false sense of security that the in-breeding won't cost you 10x more than what you "purchased" your dog for in vet bills down the road. 

3:01 PM 09/27/2012 | 1 Votes

To concur, a puppy is never a "known entity" - my parents have had two "pure-bred" rare dogs in a row and both have had pretty bad health problems (first, kidney failure and second, bad cancer) - both good breeders, but pure bred are all basically in bred. 
Also, any dog in this house sounds like it will be an untrained mess and add "tiny" to that, and you've got a yappy mess (daschunds are already the loudest and somewhat mean dogs).  I personally have issues with wanting a specific type of dog because, especially tiny yappy ones.  Add "likely unhealthy" and the fact that so many small-breed dogs are from puppy mills (because they are popular), no thanks!
but good luck! 

3:11 PM 09/27/2012 | 0 Votes

If your requirements for a dog are so specific that you absolutely cannot find a rescue or shelter dog that will work, then maybe it isn't in the cards for you to handle a dog right now.

3:25 PM 09/27/2012 | 1 Votes

Cohigirl, I have no idea where you got your information that a "breeder" dog will fit your needs.  Purebreds have many more health problems than mixes, with lots of congenital problems. (Even rescued purebreds have health issues!).  Puppy mill conditions, inbreeding, and all sorts of other problems plague purebreds. 
I completely agree with the comments about adults and fosters.  Training a puppy is a ton of work, and you have no idea what they'll be like as adults.  And fosters are vetted, so you already know if the dog is good with kids (small dogs can nip and bite as much as big dogs), is a barker, is housebroken, etc.  Though granted my current Akita was a handful in foster care and has turned out to be a tremendously gentle and lazy dog, so sometimes you have to take a risk!  But with so many homeless dogs being killed each day, it's unconscionable to not adopt a shelter or rescue dog.
FWIW if you're worried about shedding, don't be fooled by the short hair.  Those little hairs get everywhere.

3:59 PM 09/27/2012 | 1 Votes

I think folks are being a bit tough on the OP (though I definitely understand where y'all are coming from).

The size of the dog is an important issue, so I can understand why a purebred would be a "known quantity" in that area.  But at least via rescue groups (maybe less so at a shelter?). there seem to be many mixed-breed puppies that are mixes of two (or more) small breeds, and are virtually guaranteed to grow up into small dogs.

Raising a puppy is hard work, and I can understand why a first-time dog owner would want to reduce uncertainties as much as possible.  But I think a small mixed-breed or purebred from a foster environment might be an excellent bet.  Rescue groups really make an effort to get a good sense of their animals' temperaments and to make sure that the animal and its forever home will be a good match.

4:02 PM 09/27/2012 | 1 Votes

I think the biggest issue with the original post is that the reason given for wanting a purebred dog was the idea (or at least impression) that the OP knew what she was getting into with regards to health, temperament, etc. of the pup.  But if that's the concern, then an older dog that's a mix is probably a better bet.  But if OP really just wants a tiny dachshund because she likes the way they look and they're cute, then say that.   It's not going to be popular, but it happens.  BTW, both of our dogs (big dogs who have never had any serious health issues and are 9 and 13 years old) came from WARL.  WARL is great! 

4:25 PM 09/27/2012 | 0 Votes

I would also say look into fostering before you jump right in. It's the best way to find out how you will actually handle a puppy--and a dog in general. My bf and I adopted a purebred in December, and in his first 6 months of life he cost us more than $2,500. He just had health problems--and we didn't forsee any of these expenses. My sister has a brother of our dogs from the same litter, and his health problems are even worse. We also know that he came from good bloodlines, and were able to meet his mom--and had health information about his parents, and both sets of grandparents. It still didn't make a difference!
I would say try out fostering first--and then rescue a smaller dog. They are out there! Look at shelters around the east coast--there are so many different dogs that are surrendered, just because the previous owners either couldn't keep them, or wouldn't keep them. And, if you are set on having a puppy, you may find one that's right for you. City Dogs Rescue is a great organization within DC www.citydogsrescuedc.org
Good luck!

11:32 PM 09/27/2012 | 2 Votes

http://dcist.com/2012/09/mango... here's a pup for you!

3:43 PM 09/28/2012 | 0 Votes