AboutFieldworthy.com is the name of my website because "field worthy" is the goal of my breeding program.
I am committed to breeding standard longhaired dachshunds that are smart, sound, spurlaut, of functional size, stamina, and speed, with a spirit of cooperation and a will to succeed. My teckels have excelled in field work, tracking, and agility. Many, many thanks to their talented owners! |
Who I Am |
Patricia Nance is my registered name and I was born in Pfaffenhofen, Germany. Patt is my call name and I live on 39 acres in the hills of southeastern Ohio. In 2017, I retired from working full time as a staff RN on an inpatient adult Behavioral Health unit.
I have had dachshunds all my life and standard longhairs since I was eight. My first venture into a show ring was at age 12. I asked for obedience classes for my 16th birthday, attended my first field trials in 1975, judged my first field trials in 1983, and passed my first tracking test in 1986. My passion for dachshunds includes their working traits every bit as much as their conformation. I am interested in what is correct for the dachshund and in always learning more about this. I am not much interested in the show-ring flavor of the day. Size, ground clearance, having what it takes to be field worthy, are bedrock for this breed. |
Some History |
Dorndorf began in 1972 with my mother Emma Nance. Her 11 years showing and breeding standard longhaired dachshunds before she died in 1983 were wonderfully successful. One example of this is that the only female in the "A" litter, Dorndorf's Andrea L, whelped in 1973, was Winners Bitch to finish undefeated at 15 months old at the Dachshund Club of America National in 1974.
Before she died in 1983, my mother gave me my choice of the bitch puppies in her last litter, the 'F' litter. With this precious gift, Felda, I wanted to breed the best standard longhairs I possibly could. But what did "breeding the best" mean? In 1974, I went to my first field trials and become very interested in the "hunting spirit, good nose, and loud tongue" qualities of the dachshund. In 1976, I saw an outstanding display of these qualities by a wirehair of German breeding, Axel von der Grenadier Halde, at a field trial on the east coast. Axel opened my eyes to true dachshund field behavior. I had never seen a dog trail and voice on game like that! It has not been an easy row to hoe. My perspective of what constitutes excellent conformation hasn't changed much through the years. Unfortunately, the type of dog most valued in the show ring has drifted to more exaggeration; many are much larger-sized, heavier-boned, lower-stationed, and more heavily-coated than what renders the dachshund "especially suited for hunting game below ground, for beating the bush in search of game, and for trailing". Also, it has been very difficult to locate intact high-quality standard longhairs that voice on game. Trail voice, "spurlaut", is an essential breed quality that has been almost lost in the United States in the size and variety of dachshund I love most. But over the years, I have located several spurlaut longhairs with the results that all my dachshunds voice on game. |