Wiener wonderland: Hundreds of dachshunds chase record in Hungary

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Throngs of dachshunds strut their stubby stuff in Hungary on Thursday as they tried to fetch a record for the country’s biggest ever single-breed dog walk.

Hundreds of dogs and their owners gathered at the Budapest City Park and walked in a long, noisy loop in the spring sun. The parade of pups was under the observation of the Hungarian Records Association, which was tasked with determining whether the canine cavalcade could be officially entered into the record books.

István Sebestyén, registrar and president of the association, said his organization would carefully tally the number of participating dogs — a challenge, he said, when so many hounds and humans were gathered in one place.

“We don’t usually take dachshunds on walks in droves, so this experiment has to correspond to our system of rules,” he said.

Dachshunds, a short, muscular breed with stubby legs, were first bred in Germany, and remain one of Hungary’s most popular dog breeds.

Also known as “wiener dogs” or “sausage dogs” for their long, low-slung bodies, they were initially bred for hunting badgers and other burrowing creatures. But their loyal, curious and playful nature has also made them popular as family pets.

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In Munich, Germany in 1972, a rainbow-colored dachshund named Waldi became the first official mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games.

Last September, the German city of Regensburg set the current world record for the largest dachshund dog walk as hundreds of the breed paraded through the medieval town center.

While some counts from Regensburg put the number of dogs at 1,175, Guinness World Records could only confirm 897.

On Thursday, Lili Horváth and her 1-year-old dachshund Zabos participated in the walk in Budapest. She said her furry friend “has very deeply human qualities and is very loyal, he’s really a love bomb.”

Valeria Fábián, who was walking her dachshund Zsebi, saw it differently.

“Few people are capable of giving this kind of selflessness, because people don’t have as much love and self-sacrifice as a dog can give a human,” she said.

By the end of the record-seeking walk, the Hungarian Records Association determined that 500 dachshunds had been present — enough to set a Hungarian record, but still short of the Guinness mark set in Regensburg.

Organizers, undeterred, vowed to try again next year — giving them plenty of time to muster more mutts for another shot at the title.