Of all the things one doesn’t need in life, this probably tops the list...

Puppy Love:
Almost six years ago I gave my heart to a little weenie dog named Sammy. Sammy was my first "puppy love", a REAL roly-poly miniature red Dachshund. Sammy came home with me after refusing to let go of my shoelaces at the local pet store. At three years of age, Sammy got a "sister". I immediately felt sympathy for Sammy when my daughter was born as I knew his "peaceful" life was about to change. My daughter (now two years of age) thinks Sammy exists for her personal amusement. She yanks his ears, slathers him in Desitin, pokes his eyes, and sits on him. She feeds him strange offerings like tin foil, toilet tissue, Legos, and earplugs. Sammy patiently endures my daughters persistence...chewing on mundane things...He’s such a tolerant dog.

I was doing breed/temperament research online, just in case it was ever noted that Dachshunds had a pension for toddler flesh. We were safe with Sammy; the breed (in general) has a fair disposition towards children and an extremely boring diet. Turns out Dachshunds, at least our Dachshund, prefers flip-flops, lizards, and mouthfuls of grass.

I got sidetracked while Googling "dachshunds" and happened to notice this cute little bag. Wow?! A purse that looked like Sammy! A perfect gift for a child obsessed with her doggie, a "staged" replacement in the instance that Sammy ever needed a break...Buying this Wildkin weenie dog was one of the wisest decisions we've ever made.

Bow-Wow Wow!
The Wildkin Dachshund PursePal is a plush, polyester "themed purse" that’s shaped like a Miniature Red Dachshund. The purse is approximately 17" long from nose to tail, 10 inches tall, and almost 5 inches wide from shoulder to shoulder. The purse features a removable nylon shoulder strap, a zippered closure running the length of the dogs back, and two reinforced nylon handles sewn into the dog’s sides for carrying. The dachshund has a coordinating blue collar with a tag that reads Wildkin PursePals. The center of the nametag can be removed for personalizing.

The body of the purse is soft, huggable, and plush. It's a stuffed animal gone handbag. There's nothing awkward or beady for little ones to choke on. The eyes are enameled, light brown with black irises, they’re very realistic and well attached. I couldn’t pull them off if I tried. On rare occasions I’ve even caught Sammy gazing into those eyes. The dog's nose is made from plush black velvet that's pin-tucked around the seams to form a triangular shaped nose. The fur is rust-like (reddish brown) in color, and feels like TY beanie baby, or Pound Puppy "flat chenille" fur. The fur is fuzzy, short, velvet-like and smooth to the touch. The wash/care tag recommends spot cleaning, but I’ve "bathed" the purse inside a pillowcase on the delicate cycle, and it's come out looking fine every time. No dryer shrinkage either, on delicate, your bag is safe from becoming even more of a "miniature" dachshund handbag. However, after a year of constant "toddler use" our purse pal's become a little worse for wear. Some of the fur piling is worn down in patches due to bubble gum incidents and obsessive pretend brushing. In the places where the fur has "thinned" you can see the underlying brownish material. But the little Dachshund is holding...

Ruff'in It!
As for actual storage and function, there’s not a whole lot going on with this pup, and it's certainly NOT trendy. This bag is definitely a novelty item. With the back zipper opened, the bag widens approximately 4 inches to reveal a single interior pocket. The interior compartment is lined in cotton and shaped like a tube, or a narrow kidney bean, not much will fit inside it. Ten small wooden stacking blocks, a washcloth, and four sets of squishy earplugs. Better there then in Sammy’s stomach. Come to think of it, there’s not a whole lot you can fit inside a real dachshund either, especially after a mouthful of grass.

My daughter enjoys stashing items in her furry little purse pal, and we’re never sure what we’ll find inside...Mostly things she would’ve fed Sammy. The bag is a hit both inside and outside of our home. My daughter loves her pretend puppy, and our friends love seeing her prance around the neighborhood with a weenie bag on her hip, and Sammy in tow. Who would have thought we would need a dog purse? One thing's for sure...Sammy is grateful.



*Wildkin PursePals are available in various dog and cat breeds, as well as livestock and an occasional farm animal.




The King of All Fish is hosting his first Write-Off! iamrachael’s Code Word? Dachshund. Join Today...Choose your *code word*, and start digging!!!


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