I own this little empire with huge attitude — inspired, of course, by those little dogs with tiny legs and Big Boss energy.
My personality is actually quite a lot like theirs. I’m emotionally unfiltered, probably a little too much sometimes, and very possibly on purpose.
But every story has to start somewhere.
Long Dog started with one little brown, smooth-haired dachshund named Lulu.
In 2014, Lulu broke her back.
It was a freak accident, and knowing the breed and their tendency towards back problems, the news was devastating. The vet gave us two choices: surgery or keep her completely still for two months.
We chose the latter.
Now, anyone who knew Lulu would understand just how ridiculous the words “keep her still” sounded.
Lulu was the tomboy of our two dachshunds. She had opinions. She had attitude. And absolutely nothing about her personality suggested that she intended spending two months quietly doing as she was told.
I changed a lot of my life so that I could be at home and care for her.
And somewhere during those long weeks, something incredibly special happened between us. We formed a bond that is difficult to put into words.
Lulu talked to me.
Not literally, obviously — although I might argue that point.
She had different barks for different things, and I understood them. I fondly referred to it as her “speaking French.” It had this gorgeous, slightly sexy little gruffness to it, and somehow, I always knew exactly what she was telling me.
With my characterful little muse lying at my feet, my brain did what my brain does.
It went into overdrive.
I started researching dachshund products, ideas, and businesses, and somewhere amongst all of that, this crazy little idea began taking shape.
My husband was away at the time, and when he came home, I prepared myself to pitch my new Long Dog concept to him.
All I could think was:
He is definitely going to think I’ve lost the plot. I’ve clearly been cooped up with an injured dachshund for far too long.
And yet, somewhere in the middle of something really difficult, Long Dog was born.
What started as a slightly crazy late-night idea became a business with a personality, a life and, most importantly, a heart.
Lulu passed away in 2023.
Even writing those words hurts.
Long Dog makes me incredibly proud because so much of Lulu lives within it. But that also means there will always be a little ache attached to it. My linguistic little muse is no longer lying at my feet, talking French to me.
Her sister, Mitzi, however, continues the family tradition. She is beside me while decisions are made, accompanies me on deliveries and takes her role in trips to the courier very seriously.
Through Long Dog, I also became part of the wider dachshund world.
And that changed me.
Because alongside all the funny photographs, ridiculous personalities, short legs, and enormous attitudes, I began seeing another side of that world.
Rescue.
Neglect.
Abuse.
Dogs who have been discarded by people they trusted.
And I struggle with that.
I am consumed by empathy. I want to help every single one. I want to yell at selfish humans. I want to fix things. I want to make a difference.
And somehow, whatever I do never quite feels like enough.
Dogs make love look easy. We humans are the ones who complicate it.
So I decided Long Dog needed to do more than simply sell beautiful things.
A compulsory R10 donation is included on every website invoice and goes towards helping dogs who need it.
R10 might not sound like much.
I wish I could ask for more.
But one R10 becomes another R10, and another, and another. With your support, those little amounts become something meaningful — something we can give back to the doggies who need humans to show up for them.
And that is really what I want Long Dog to be.
This online shop is my way of taking my talents, and the talents of other wonderful people, and creating something with personality and purpose.
I don’t want Long Dog to whisper politely from the corner.
I want it to shout.
I want it to be funny, emotional, slightly outrageous, sometimes inappropriate and completely unfiltered.
Because that is exactly what dachshunds are.
This is a shop that celebrates those ridiculous little bodies and enormous personalities.
A shop with heart.
A brand that actually means something.
I suppose my enemy in all of this is what I call disposable-commitment culture — the idea that something can simply be discarded when it becomes inconvenient, difficult or no longer fits neatly into our lives.
Dogs deserve better than that.
Long Dog isn’t here to compete on price or convenience.
It is here because I believe the things we buy can carry something more.
A real story.
A real person.
A real hand behind what has been created.
And a real contribution towards a dog who needed somebody to care.
Long Dog began because one stubborn little brown dachshund broke her back and, without knowing it, changed the direction of my life.
Her name was Lulu.
This is her legacy.
This is my slightly crazy, emotionally unfiltered little empire.
And if you buy something from Long Dog, laugh at something we’ve created, share one of our posts, support one of our makers or add another R10 to that growing pot of kindness, then you become a small part of that story too.
A community of people who love these little dogs fiercely — and who want to give something back.
Welcome to Long Dog.
I hope you enjoy owning a piece of something that matters.
A piece of Lulu’s story.
A piece of my story.
And now, perhaps, a little piece of yours too.
Kerrie
The business was originally all about Dachshunds when I started in 2014, but because all dogs are special, I decided to widen the range and even include a few feline friends.
I hope you will get as much joy from these pages and from our gift ideas and creations as I have.
– Kerrie & the crew