On their sixth-year anniversary, Ruvina Danaraj received the cutest gift from her husband. Peanut was only four weeks old when he was brought home.
The dachshund is now four years old and living a happy, healthy life with his family.
“Because of the shape of his body we have many nicknames for him, but we usually call him ‘saussy’ or ‘hotdog’,” Ruvina tells FMT.
Little Peanut has been around to watch his humans tie the knot and even welcome their first child. Ruvina reveals that Peanut does not care that their baby is human – “Peanut believes he is his baby brother”.
Ruvina, who had her baby in June, notes that Peanut loves him very much and is ever ready to protect the infant.
Indeed, Peanut is a very loving and loyal dog who is always looking out for his family.
“He tries to act all brave and bark at strangers to protect us, but he is actually the biggest chicken and would run away if they came near him,” Ruvina laughs.
Despite his initial shy demeanour, once Peanut has had the chance to sniff out a newcomer, he usually gets very friendly and won’t leave them alone.
“Giving him a treat is the easiest way to get him to like you,” Ruvina points out.
As friendly as he is, Ruvina reveals that he has sworn enemies: the vacuum cleaner, and the groomer who trims his nails.
Curiously, Peanut is also afraid of suitcases. It’s likely the thought of his parents leaving him alone to go on a trip that scares him.
The darling daschund absolutely loves being outdoors and going for walks. His short little legs do not in any way slow down this adventurous hound.
“We usually take him for long walks in the park, which he loves,” Ruvina says, adding that Peanut also enjoys joining his parents, who are equally as adventurous, on hikes.
Whenever his humans are not looking, this cheeky pup enjoys snacking off their plates.
“When he isn’t busy stealing our food, we usually give him his regular diet of lamb-flavoured biscuits and baked chicken breast.”
Ruvina knows this sounds like a fancy meal, but unfortunately Peanut is allergic to certain foods, and this seems to best agree with his tummy.
Peanut knows several simple tricks like “sit” and “lie down”, but Ruvina says that due to his unusual body shape and short legs, watching him transition from sitting to lying down always sends them into fits of laughter.
When Peanut was younger, he used to sleep on the bed with Ruvina and her husband. He even had a little ramp to help him up.
“But since our baby arrived, he prefers to sleep on the couch or his own bed, although he does still occasionally join us,” Ruvina shares.
She recalls an incident a few years ago the night before she left on an overseas trip.
“Peanut has the tendency to eat everything, and when I noticed his toy ball was missing, I immediately started to worry.”
Ruvina thought she could hear the ball squeak as Peanut walked. Panicked, she took him to the vet.
“It turns out the only thing wrong with Peanut was that he needed to poop. We eventually found the ball under the bed frame six months later,” she sighs.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.