It was the annual Christmas walk for the dachshund-owning community in Guernsey, which attracted a record attendance of more than 60 people.
‘They’re so bolshy and confident, but they definitely know their own breed. Each year we get more and more members, and it gets bigger and bigger and bigger.
‘So it can be a little bit chaotic on the walk sometimes, but it’s fun,’ said organiser and dachshund-lover Rebecca Hobson.
She has two ‘little sausages’ – nine-year-old Tilly and four-year-old Molly.
‘We had a lady say: “Thank you for organising.
‘I’ve never been to one in Guernsey before”. They’ve been to ones in the UK where they’re quite popular, but never Guernsey, and she was surprised how much her dog really enjoyed it and the socialisation.’
Mrs Hobson founded the Facebook group Sausage Walks Guernsey five years ago, and initially it attracted 10 members. Today, there are nearly 300 who meet up every couple of months for a group walk.
‘I was going for walks alone and it just seemed I kept bumping into people with dachshunds, and I thought it’d be nice to set up a group so like-minded people could walk them together,’ Mrs Hobson said.
‘The Christmas one’s the best one because they’re all dressed up with their jumpers and their antlers and flashing lights, it’s lovely.’
Mrs Hobson said that she had noticed the dachshund breed soar in popularity on the island, spotting many puppies out on her walks.
‘They’re quite easy to look after and low-maintenance.
‘They’re very loving and very affectionate dogs. It’s definitely an up-and-coming breed in Guernsey.’
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