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Gomez, 7-year-old dachshund, races to the finish line during a wiener dog race at the Auglaize County Fair on Monday evening. Gomez and his owner, Elissa Deeds of Defiance, won the standard-sized heat and went home with a trophy and $250.
WAPAKONETA - It isn't easy racing a 30-yard dash with little legs, but two groups of dashing doxins put the pedal to the metal to compete in the inaugural Auglaize County Fair wiener dog races.
The race featured two heats for the two sizes of dachshunds, standard and miniature. The standard averages 16-32 pounds at one year of age, and the miniature normally weighs less than 12 pounds at one year. Each winner received a first-place trophy and $250.
Gomez, a 7-year-old dachshund, and his owner, Elissa Deeds of Defiance, won the standard-sized heat. Skye, a 4-year-old doxin, and her owner, Kandee Shook of Wapakoneta, won the miniature-sized heat. Only certified wiener dogs were eligible to compete. Mixed breeds were not permitted.
Owners in the standard-sized heat try to divert their dog's attention away from the clearly more interesting patch of grass onto the finish line.
In total, seven dogs took off from the starting gate, bounding toward their owners 30 yards away. Some owners used toys to entice their dogs to sprint across the finish line, while others used treats and other means to gain their pup's attention.
Winston, Skye, Cara Mia and Peanut represented the miniature heat while Gomez, Frank and Jax competed in the standard heat. While some dogs crossed the finish line, others were more interested in sniffing their surroundings and locating the softest patch of grass at the grandstand.
Fair board member Chris Spellmire said he saw similar races at the Washington Court House Fair and wanted to bring the event to Wapakoneta. He said he hopes to continue the event and would like to see more dashing dogs wagging their tails and pumping their little legs.
Skye, a 4-year-old doxin, leaves the other competitors in the dust as she sprints down the 30-yard track to win first place in the miniature-sized heat.
Although dachshunds are small in stature, they have a mind of their own, according to the Dachshund Rescue of Ohio. The typical dachshund is long-bodied and muscular with short legs and large paddle-shaped paws for digging. The chest is deep and provides increased lung capacity for stamina when hunting prey underground. The snout is long with an increased nose area allowing for a keen sense of smell, which proved useful when sniffing out treats to cross the finish line.
As a "hunting dog," the dachshund is known for its instinctive eagerness to chase small animals, birds and tennis balls with great determination and ferocity. Dachshunds are statistically more aggressive to both strangers and other dogs, but noted for their devotion and loyalty to their owners, according to the Dachshund Rescue of Ohio.
