Anyone who has ever owned a dachshund will be quick to tell you that they’re clearly among the most affectionate and well-mannered of all breeds…and our articulated friend is no exception.
Originally made by the father of a Dayton, Ohio woman, it’s sure to bring hours of fun to the little ones who are fortunate enough to find one under their tree this Holiday season!
Start by transferring the patterns for the three body pieces to some 1” x 6” stock.
• Be sure the grain of your wood runs from head-to-tail on your Dog for maximum strength.
• Note that thee are three pieces to the Dog and that they overlap at the finger joints.
• A NOTE ABOUT SIZE: This 15” long dog could just as easily be made to 150% (22-1/2”) or 200% (30”) of the sizes shown here.

Cut out the three pieces for the body, using your Bandsaw or Scroll Saw. Make it from your choice of 1/2" or 3/4" thick stock. Slowly and carefully hand-sand the inside hinge-areas on all three pieces with 150 to 220-grit sandpaper to achieve the best fit. Clamp the three pieces together temporarily and use your Drill Press or Horizontal Boring set-up to carefully drill the 1/8” holes for the 1/8” dia. dowel hinge pins. To ensure that your hinges work smoothly, be sure to center the holes in the hinge tabs, both top-to-bottom and front-to-back.

Unclamp the pieces and use your Disc Sander or Belt Sander to round the male hinge tabs where they’re inserted into their mating female slots. Do this slowly and carefully to avoid sanding into the holes you just drilled for the hinge pins. The object is to round these outer edges so they swing freely through their slots, allowing the dog to bend in the middle.

Temporarily assemble the three body pieces together with dowels – and NO glue – then use your Drum Sanders to sand the edges of all parts smooth.

Make two 3/4" x 3/4" x 3-1/4” long axle-holders and form your choice of 1/2" or 3/4" wide by 3/8” deep dadoes in the center of each for the dog’s front and back legs. Glue and clamp the body segments to the axle holders and allow to dry thoroughly.

With the body still temporarily assembled, use your Horizontal Boring set-up to drill the appropriate-sized axle holes in each end of each axle holder.

NOTE: The commercially available 2-1/4” dia. wheels we used came with 5/16” dia. axle pins. You can also turn your own wheels on a Lathe and make your own axle pins. If you do the latter, you may have to adjust the diameters of your axle pin holes accordingly.

Remove the 1/8” dowel hinge pins and finish sand the dog…being careful not to over-sand the areas around the joining hinge components. Apply the finish of your choice – even hand-paint the dog with non-toxic paints, if you prefer. Cut the ears out of vinyl or leather and attach them with glue and/or small nails (with heads).

Mount a small screw eye in the front for the pull string and reassemble the dog segments… this time, gluing just the ends of each dowel hinge pin so the hinges will articulate freely.