About Us

About Us

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Welcome to the ranch! Here in the South we lead simple, uncomplicated lives. We're located in south central Texas, about halfway between Dallas and Houston. In the summertime, it'll boil the skin off you. But in the wintertime...seventy heavenly degrees...now that's how we make it through the summer!

Come and meet our family...

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Jessica and Elmo
Our fiery little redhead is Jessica and Elmo is her baby. He's also known as Pooh, Mr. Pooh, Pooh Bear, Le Pooh...the list goes on and on. He's a wheaten wire with a soft wire coat. She likes to keep his hair long and curly. In the mornings, Elmo's head is on the pillow next to Jessica's until he lets her get out of bed. Jessica is now a law student at University of Miami, and of course Elmo is by her side to help her study. He relaxes her when the stress level gets too high.

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Zack and Ezra
Zack is our calm, quiet young man. Ezra is the entertainer. He'd put on tap shoes if he thought it would get him more attention. Ezra is dapple longhaired dachshund. Zack attends Texas A&M University. He comes home on weekends to help out around the ranch.

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Kelly and Olivia
Kelly is the homebody. She'd rather be at home on the ranch than anywhere in the world. Vetta, the red wirehair in the photo) has since passed away. Olivia is now her shadow. She's a momma's girl, so don't be offended if she doesn't want to get in your lap. Olivia is a red longhair.

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Jerry and Moose
Jerry is the Captain of this crazy ship. Moose, a standard wild boar smooth, is his dog. Moose uses his long nose as a finger...he pokes you with it when he wants something. With his huge body and tiny short legs, he makes everyone who sees him fall in love. We always say, "The Moose is loose!"

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Tyson
Tyson, our older son, works in different areas of the country building power plants. He still comes to visit, but at 6'4" his feet always hang off the mattress of the sleeper sofa. The photo is him alongside the giant smoker he built for us. When you read this, Tyson, we love you!

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Sadie and Earl
We're also lucky enough to have Jerry's folks living here on the ranch. Sadie keeps cookies and pies baked just in case one of the grandkids might be hungry. Earl gives treats to the dogs, so there are always at least three lying on their porch waiting for a little tidbit of something tasty. If you come to visit the ranch, theirs is the first house you will see. Their dog is Dottie, a double dapple longhair that we rescued. She is both blind and deaf.

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If you live in the city, it may be hard to imagine the immensity of everything that has to be done, and done well, on a daily basis here at the ranch. It's 24/7, and there are no "take it easy" days. Keeping our facilities clean, both indoor and out, is vital to the health and well-being of our dachshunds. The tasks may seem mundane, but keeping everyone healthy and happy is anything but. We have to be able to look into our dogs' eyes and recognize any sign of stress each and every day. To accomplish that, we have to know their personalities like the back of our hand so that we can recognie immediately if a problem exists. Sad eyes or drawn faces is an immediate red flag to look more closely to identify the cause and to fix it without compounding it further.

I'd like to tell you a little bit about how life is here on the ranch. We're up early drinking coffee and taking care of any last-minute details before the day begins. Then it's time to take care of the dogs. We put everybody outside to play, and cleaning up after them is no small chore. Then there is grass to be mowed, cows to be fed, and all the million other details that come along with taking care of a ranch.

Daytime between 9 and 4 is the best time to catch us by telephone. Our number is 979-364-3876. Saturday and Sunday is available by appointment only. If it takes us a little while to get back to you, please be patient with us. Here in the south, life moves just a little more slowly...

How did our obsession with dachshunds begin? Like most dachshund lovers, our first puppy walked into our lives and changed the world as we knew it. Then, of course, she needed a playmate. Our kids each wanted one, so we added two more. The next thing we knew, no more elegant area rugs and no more animal-free beds in the house. We fell head over heels, lock stock and barrel, in love with our dachshunds.

Little did we know at the time exactly how many wonderful color and coat combinations were available. Our first dachshunds were smooth coated, and of course we thought they had to be the very best. Then we bought our first wirehairs, and our eyes were opened to a whole new world of dachshunds. When we first laid eyes on a longhair puppy, we didn't even try to resist.

It's like Christmas for us each time a new litter of puppies arrives. We're involved from the very beginning..tying off umbilical cords and helping Mom through the delivery..until the time they leave us to go to their new homes. We hold them, talk to them, and love them each and every day. Is it a lot of work? Yes. Is it hard saying goodbye to them? Yes. Is it worth it? You bet! When a child sees his puppy for the very first time and tears start to roll down his face, nothing is more worthwhile for us. Or when an elderly person needs companionship and we have the opportunithy to bring joy to their lives, the fulfillment we receive is enormous.

To those of you who we've had the privilege of meeting through the years, either in person or by email, we hope we've done everything in our power to provide you with an intelligent, friendly, funny family member. To those of you who we've yet to have the privilege, we look forward to visiting with you about the wonderful world of dachshunds.