cover image Day of the Dachshund

Day of the Dachshund

Jim Dratfield. Clarkson N Potter Publishers, $18 (112pp) ISBN 978-1-4000-4871-7

With their squat legs and sausage-shaped bodies, it's no wonder dachshunds have long been referred to as""weenies"" and""hot dogs."" Photographer Dratfield (Pug Shots, etc.) takes advantage of these ignominious nicknames, shooting a portrait of a dachshund standing regally in front of a hot dog-shaped concession stand and another in which two affronted-looking dachshunds are ensconced in bun-shaped casings (these same two dogs don hats for a second photo titled""kosher hot dog""). Fortunately, not all of Dratfield's 60 duotone photos play upon this hot dog theme. He includes the requisite shot of a glassy-eyed puppy wedged into a small container (""a pup o' tea""), a playful photo of a dachshund peeking out of a long""mail dox"" and an irreverent picture of a dachshund licking the naked buttock of a classical statue (""tongue 'n cheek""). At times, the book tries too hard for humor--as is evidenced by a heavily cropped photo of a dachshund lounging on a dock (""sittin' on the dox of the bay"")--but the photos succeed in highlighting the quirkiness and charm of this singular breed.