At home with Bun the sausage dog

More than 35,000 Instagram followers tune in to see the latest antics of pet influencer Alice Davies’ miniature dachshund, Bun the sausage dog.

Back in 2020, we caught up with the popular pooch to find out how she was spending her days between lockdowns.

What are Bun's likes and dislikes?

Bun is 4 and a half years old, although she’s smaller than most miniature dachshunds and weighs only 3.2kg, which makes it very easy for her to accompany us just about everywhere. Before the pandemic, Bun was a proper London dog, riding on the tube and snoozing in the pub on Sundays.

My partner and I work full-time as designers during the week, but at the weekends we love to get out of the city and enjoy the countryside – while taking plenty of photos of Bun, of course!

She loves going for walks, unless it’s raining, when she demands we pick her up. She’s also quite protective of us and will sometimes bark at people or dogs who stop to say hello. That said, she will be best friends with anyone who has snacks.

How did Bun’s life change during lockdown?

We already worked from home at times, so we were prepared when our respective offices closed. However, our 1-bed flat seemed even smaller than normal with everyone in the same room together all day!

When we were out at work, Bun would normally go to doggy day care, where she’d go on a morning walk and enjoy lots of cuddles in the afternoon.

As you can imagine, she loved us all suddenly being at home, from the extra time we got to lie in because we weren’t commuting to having a choice of 2 laps to take a nap on.

However, we had a huge health worry when we spotted a lump growing on Bun’s hip. At first, we thought it was an insect bite or sting, but then wondered if it was a spinal condition like intervertebral disc disease, which commonly affects dachshunds.

Our vet had just reopened, so we were able to drive there and get her checked over. Fortunately, it turned out to be a much simpler issue and Bun was back to normal in no time.

What did you do to keep busy?

Lockdown rules were hard at first, as we only have a small garden, which we share with our neighbour. We would take Bun every time we did an essential food shop or ran an errand to try to get her steps in!

At home, we kept her entertained with a ‘snuffle mat’, which is covered with holes, knots and pockets where you can hide treats. It takes her ages to dig around and find them all.

We also looked forward to the Thursday evening clap for NHS and key workers. Bun joined us every week at the window, barking away and helping us cheer!

As an influencer, Bun often works with organisations too. Most recently, we were raising awareness of St Mungo’s and the important work it does supporting homeless people and their dogs.

During lockdown however, our usual collaborations slowed down, so we focused on simply spreading a bit of 'paw-sitivity' and posted photos we hoped would make our followers smile as they scrolled through their social media feed.

Now that restrictions are easing, what have you got planned?

We’ve moved to the countryside to spend some time with my parents, who also have a dog. Bun is thrilled with her new playmate and it’s reassuring that she has company if we leave her at home.

As and when we get back into our London routine, I wonder if Bun might struggle to adapt initially, so we’ll need to take extra special care of her. In the meantime, all 3 of us had birthdays during lockdown so we are keen to plan some socially distanced celebrations and have some fun.

Follow the adventures of @bun_thesausagedog via Instagram. From hiking in the Scottish Highlands to travelling on London’s tube (in her doggy carrying bag), she’s one busy dachshund.