Oktoberfests sometimes have an added attraction of sponsoring “Weiner Dog Races”, where Dachshunds race each other over short distances. The idea of racing Dachs took hold in the US after UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in California began sponsoring races as fundraisers for Vet students in the 1970s. The popularity grew and now Dachshund Dash events are held all over the country.

Some areas that celebrate Oktoberfest now hold races for the breed that originated in Germany. People enter their weiner dogs (and some will have a race for weiner mixes) to bound 25 or 50 meters using the lure of toys or treats. Some of the dogs will fly down the track while others are more meandering or playing with another dog. Some races will have prizes like a year’s worth of a sponsor’s dog food. The dogs look quite cute as they pump their short legs across the distance, long hound ears flying. October is a favorite month for these races but some have them in the Spring or as part of their Winter Holidays.

The sport isn’t without controversy as, while the dogs look like they are having fun, this breed is predisposed to back problems and many do not recommend Dachshunds racing. The Dachshund Club of America is against it, although anyone who has owned a Doxie can attest they like to run on their own quite often. Of the videos I have seen of Dachshunds racing, none were forced to run if they didn’t feel like running; in fact, at times, the dogs moved at a slow shuffle, and that was perfectly fine.

In my local area the Oktoberfest Weiner Race was cancelled as that was when Hurricane Ian rained on N.C., and it wasn’t re-scheduled. Here is a link to a different Dachshund Dash that was rescheduled to October 16th, 2022 https://www.wharfdc.com/upcoming-events/2022-10-16-oktoberfest-wiener-500-dachshund-dash-rescheduled/ I will update this post with the results of the race 🙂

Happy Dogging!