Meet Bruno.
He’s a miniature Dachshund living his best life in one of the greatest capitals in the world, London.
Bruno considers himself British royalty and who are we to disagree seeing as he has just over 200,000 followers on Instagram.
His daily dose of joy has been keeping his Instagram followers entertained for quite some time.
We spoke to Bruno’s owner Lindsay to learn more about this British Dachshund and life owning a member of the diminutive breed.
You can follow Bruno on Instagram here (@brunotheminidachshund).
1) How did you end up with Bruno?
Bruno the mini Dachshund (Photo: brunotheminidachshund / Instagram)
I had a love for Black and Tan dachshunds for many years before I got Bruno and my home was already filled with Dachshund related items that my friends and family had got me for presents. My mum worked in a vets and had sent me a photo of the cutest Black and Tan miniature Dachshund puppy. A few years later the same owner had allowed her two Dachshunds to have one litter of pups and my mum was straight on the phone telling me all about them! I honestly never in this world thought I’d be able to have my own one as I rent and just thought my landlord would say no…which he did initially. Somehow his wife managed to convince him to let me have a puppy and within days I went to see the puppies. I still went with an open mind and hadn’t committed either way but thought it would be a nice day out to hang out with the puppies but of course as soon as I met them I had to have one because it was love at first sight! A few weeks later Bruno came home (I cried on the way home holding him because I literally couldn’t believe I had my own dachshund!)
2) What attracted you to the Dachshund breed?
To be honest, it was purely the way they looked initially. I just thought they were so cute with their long bodies and short legs! When I became Bru’s mum I then started researching the breed properly (I know this isn’t ideal and I wouldn’t recommend this to new breed owners!) and I realised I was probably getting my hands full! The breed traits for Dachshunds are STRONG and they are the most stubborn breed I have ever encountered but this really adds to their personality and spirit. They are a small dog but they are mighty!
3) How would you describe Bruno’s personality?
Bru has a BIG personality but you will only really experience it once you get to know him and he trusts you. He is quite a shy, wary boy when you first meet him. He is like my shadow and will always choose to be near me if he can. He is incredibly loving and loves to cuddle which is why he sleeps in the bed with me every night (under the covers!). He knows when you’re sad and will do something silly to make me smile. Bru knows his own mind and is strong willed so if he wants to do something he will, it doesn’t matter what I think about it!
4) What does an average day look like for Bruno?
He’s an early riser so is usually awake by 6am, he’s always so excitable and playful in the mornings so will go find his favourite toy which he’s had for the last 7 years (lovingly known as stinky ball!) before eating his breakfast. I work full time so he goes off to day care for the day as he doesn’t like to be alone in the house too much where he will hang out with his dog friends before coming home. He always goes bonkers when I get home from work and will usually bring me stinky ball to throw for him before eating his dinner. We usually then cuddle on the sofa for the evening before another quick walk and then it’s time to snuggle up in bed!
When I’m not at work our days are very different as we love to go on adventures all over the U.K.!
5) Was Bruno easy to train?
Luckily he was! I have read a lot that Dachshunds are hard to toilet train but Bru learnt what he needed to do pretty quickly. He knows some basic commands like sit, paw, down and spin but he hasn’t got time for the more advanced ones like roll over. He thought I was ridiculous when I tried to teach him that and was having none of it.
6) Does Bruno need a lot of exercise?
Dachshunds might have small legs but they have good stamina. The standard size ones were bred to flush badgers out of their dens and they are hounds. Bru takes what he gets really, he is happy to be exploring waterfalls and mountains but equally he loves a day on the sofa cuddling. It’s really important to keep a Dachshund in shape and not overweight due to their risk of intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) so exercise is important!
7) Are Dachshunds high maintenance?
Bruno the mini Dachshund (Photo: brunotheminidachshund / Instagram)
It depends on what you mean by high maintenance! In terms of their coat and general needs they are low maintenance but in terms of their personality and breed traits I would say they are high maintenance, well they are highly strung at least! They like what they like and they’ll let you know about it if they don’t!
8) What prompted you to start a social media page for Bruno?
I was already on Instagram personally and followed a few dogs on my account and thought it would be nice to document Bru’s life on Instagram. I had no idea it would become as big as it has and would lead to so many wonderful opportunities.
9) Do you have a preferred platform or preferred type of content?
I am only active on Instagram (but really feel like I need to join TikTok soon!) I try to keep my content fun and lighthearted and more recently I am really only doing video content.
10) Can you share some perspective into your creative process?
I usually post a variety of content which might vary from something short which makes people laugh (think Bruno in funny outfits!) to longer videos which show the bond between Bruno and I. I like to use Bruno’s personality to inspire me by capturing the funny things he does. We absolutely love to go on adventures too and I find when I’m away that I feel the most inspired which drives my creativity because all of the scenery is new and Bru is usually doing new things which he can’t do in the city like kayaking or swimming. I also do look out for trends on Instagram and will use those if I like them but with my own spin that fits Bruno’s personality. It can be hard to feel creative sometimes and I often feel pressure as I tend to bulk produce my content at weekends as I’m too tired after work to think about getting content in the week! The most important things that I stick to when creating content is to be authentic to our brand and to always ensure that Bru is happy and enjoying himself (and me too for that matter!)
11) What advice would you have for someone creating a social media page for their pet?
Try not to focus on your following number! Keep it fun and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Show off your pets personality and engage with your audience. If you really want to take it seriously then post consistently and keep up to date with the changes that are happening on the platform. Utilise all of the options for content available (stories/reels/lives etc), look at your insights to see what type of content your audience likes best and do more of that!
12) Do you have a favourite post? If so, why?
Gosh that’s a tough one! Honestly I really can’t choose! I would say the videos where I have posted lots of little clips of memories with Bru over the years are definitely my favourite though. I love that I have his whole life documented in one place to look back on.
13) What are the advantages and the challenges of being a Dachshund owner?
Bruno the mini Dachshund (Photo: brunotheminidachshund / Instagram)
The advantages are definitely the masses of love and cuddles they give you, their huge personalities and the way they know when they need to make you laugh. Their size is also an advantage for me as it’s super easy to travel with Bru especially around London on the tube. Oh and did I mention they are super CUTE?!
The challenges are also their personality! They are strong willed and stubborn. They bark A LOT so do not get a dachshund if you want peace and quiet! I think some people think they are handbag dogs but they most certainly aren’t. It is quite common for them to experience separation anxiety because they just love being close to their humans. They can also experience a horrid spinal condition (IVDD) which can be life changing for both them and their humans (please ensure you have insurance as the surgery and rehab is extremely expensive).
14) Can you share with us your favourite or funniest story with Bruno?
There are so many, again how do I choose?! Last year I took him kayaking for the first time in the Lake District. The lady who we hired them from wouldn’t let me take him on one as she said it was dangerous but she agreed he could go on a canoe. Half way out into the lake we moored up and I swapped with one of my family who was in a kayak so we could experience it. The whole way around the lake he stood at the front of the kayak barking his head off and trying to attack the paddle. He was also wearing a shark life jacket so we were hardly inconspicuous. It was such a peaceful day on the lake and Bru was causing such a scene having the time of his life I couldn’t help but laugh the whole way around. Luckily the lady didn’t say anything when we got back (we swapped back into the canoe). I’d love to take him out kayaking again!
15) What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back to when you first got Bruno?
Don’t bother trying to crate train him for the first 11 months of his life…! As I said Dachshunds are strong willed and stubborn. Everything I read said to ignore the crying and they will settle but Bru never did, he cried for hours and hours and it was really stressful (the neighbours were upset and I had awful sleep for months!) He won eventually because I couldn’t take it any more and took him up into my bed, he never went in his crate after that night. I actually love having him in the bed, especially at winter as he’s like a hot water bottle that never goes cold!
