Dachshund Café

I’ve been a fan of sausage dogs since I was little, but until recently, you were lucky if you saw a handful of them in a year. Now, even though they seem more popular than ever, nothing quite prepared me for the hordes that appeared when Nottingham’s Café Sobar opened its doors to the region’s first pop up Dachshund Café.

Waiting in the queue, we were surrounded by every combination of long-haired, short-haired, wire-haired, miniature and standard sausage dogs; older ones mingled with tiny pups, and many had dressed up for the occasion, with tweed jackets, flat caps and even a bow-tie.

Once all the dogs and their humans were safely inside, the gates went up by the door and there was a cry of, ‘Dachshunds can come off their leads’ – and within seconds, the short-legged hounds were swarming around the café. Some were shy and stayed close to their owners, but most were only to happy to explore their surroundings, meet other sausages and snuggle with their adoring fans.

As we sipped our coffees, the dogs tucked into a selection of doggie treats, which included pupcakes, dognuts, bark-scotti, and drank puppucinos.  
 

Having already hosted a successful pug café in Nottingham earlier this year, event organiser Anushka Fernando told me she couldn’t wait to host another one for sausage dogs:

“The event is going well really well. We were fully booked today, so we’re expecting around 200 Dachshunds to come along. We’re from Guildford, so our first event was there – but we knew our second would have to be in Nottingham.”

And volunteer James Morgan added: “Nottingham really seems to love their dogs, and the venue has been fantastic. It’s a great excuse for friends to meet, and none of the dogs are anxious because they are all similar sizes and have similar personalities – there are so many smiling faces this morning.”
 

As well as bringing joy to all those who came along, the Dachshund Café (and the Pug Café) also provides a boost for Café Sobar, which supports local drug and alcohol recovery charity Double Impact.

Café manager, Jason Loftus explained: “There’s always plenty of high-jinx at an event like this, but everyone seems to be getting on and it’s good to provide a secure, safe environment for the dogs. Our staff love working on these shifts, and the profits we make go to charity. It’s nice to welcome so many people, including some who have travelled from outside the area."

Were you at the Dachshund Café? Share your pictures with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the tag #lovenotts!

You can also follow Pug Cafe on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or check out their website here!

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This blog was written by guest blogger Catherine Allen.