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! I decided before I bred my first litter that I was going to commit myself to breeding standard longhairs of excellent conformation AND excellent field qualities.

It has not been an easy row to hoe.

My perspective of what constitutes excellent conformation hasn't changed much through the years, but 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". In addition, it has been exceedingly 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 I have located three spurlaut males, two Americans and one Swede, to sire four litters over the years with the results that, today, all my dachshunds voice on game.

I have made a lot of progress in my breeding program and, God willing, I am not done yet!
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Patricia Nance is my registered name and I was born in Pfaffenhofen/Ilm, Germany. Patt is my call name and I live in Ohio, USA.

I have had dachshunds all my life and standard longhaired dachshunds since I was eight. My first venture into a show ring was at age 12. I asked for obedience classes for my 16th birthday. I attended my first field trials in 1975, judged my first field trials in 1983, and passed my first tracking test in 1986.

The Dorndorf A litter was born in 1973. The early litters were bred by my mother Emma Nance who deserves all credit for fostering my interest in the breed...

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 continually 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.