The Extended Dachschund was originally bred to hunt extended badgers in the forests of Bavaria. It was used at this task until badger hunting was banned.
The Extended Dachschund has a tenacious and inquisitive spirit, and a love of diving down holes and exploring. Owners of the dogs have to be prepared to expect the dog to disappear for periods of time as it seeks new nooks and crannies to investigate.
Owners should be particularly careful not to let their dog put on too much weight. If extendeds become very overweight their bellies have a tendency to drag on the ground. This has even led to some owners strapping on a belly wheel to their pet to prevent injury.
Intro
The Dachshund has a naturally comical appearance, so we’re going to enlist it’s help in showing us how to exaggerate.
Cartoons are all about exaggeration for comical effect, so you’ve now got a license to stretch things out a bit.
Whenever you see ‘Over to you’, that’s your cue to try out the Idea for yourself. Just reading something is not enough, it’s better for you to try it out and now, rather than later when you will have forgotten all about it. Trying it out will also help you to remember it better.
The examples in this article all feature different dog breeds, but you could also apply the same principles to other creatures, including humans!
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
Exaggerate appearance
Exaggerate movement
Exaggerate traits
Exaggerate appearance
The dachshund already looks comical without any exaggerate going one, so it’s easy to maximise the effect.
With a Dachshund, the first exaggeration that springs to mind is to elongate it’s body.
What other exaggerations could you think of?
There are its short legs
association with the word ‘sausage’
Over to you:
What exaggerations could you think of for these dog breeds?
Great Dane
Chihuahua
Bulldog
Exaggerate movement
One way to get some ideas for this is to watch some videos of dogs, or even better; observe them in real life.
Over to you:
You now have a legitimate reason to watch dog videos! Pick a handle of different dog breeds and see what parts of their movement you could exaggerate.
Exaggerate traits
Now we’re going to look at some personality traits of different dog breeds.
Retrievers retrieve, are great swimmers, and really smart; Rottweilers are great guards and have a tough-guy reputation (yes, I know that there are lots of Rottweiler owners who say that their pet is a big softy.)
What would a retriever be prepared to do to retrieve something?
How smart is really smart?
How could you show what a great swimmer it is?
Over to you:
What traits do you associate with these dog breeds?
Terriers
Poodles
Spaniels
If you can’t think of anything for these particular breeds, then choose ones you know.
But I don’t like Dachshunds!
I get it, sausage dogs are not everyone’s cup of tea. The principles are still the same for other dog breeds and any creatures - including humans!
Here’s what we covered:
Exaggerate appearance
Exaggerate movement
Exaggerate traits
What’s next:
I publish a daily cartoon newsletter featuring doses of Dachshunds and other dogs, as well as a variety of other creatures. I also throw in a few cartooning tips from time to time. Add your name and mail to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.