Six Perfect Sausages
There are shoots where the subjects are difficult, uncooperative, and have absolutely no interest in looking at the camera. And then there are shoots like this one.
I recently visited Beth at home in Suffolk to photograph the latest litter from Marthers Miniature Dachshunds, six KC-registered long-haired miniature dachshund puppies born on 16th April 2026 to mum Biscoff, Beth’s beautiful Russian Silver Chocolate & Tan Dapple, and daddy Jax. All six were reserved before I arrived, which tells you everything you need to know about the demand for Beth’s puppies.
The brief was straightforward: clean, beautiful portraits of each puppy, individual images that new owners could keep as a memento of their pup at just a few weeks old. Simple in theory. Slightly chaotic in practice, because puppies have their own ideas about where they’d like to be, and it’s rarely exactly where you’ve set up the camera.
About Marthers Miniature Dachshunds
Beth breeds KC-registered smooth and long-haired miniature dachshunds from champion lineage, based in the Suffolk countryside. What sets her apart from most breeders is straightforward: her dogs live in the family home. Not in kennels, not in outbuildings, but in the house, on the sofas, in the beds. They’re walked together off the lead every day. Retired breeding females stay with Beth for life.
She breeds with health at the centre of every pairing, using DNA and genetic matching to keep inbreeding coefficients well below the breed average, often at zero. All her dogs are PRA Cord1 clear with no history of IVDD in their bloodlines. Every puppy leaves with KC registration, a vet health check certificate, first vaccination, microchip, five weeks of free Kennel Club insurance, and a luxury starter pack.
You can find out more about Beth and her current and upcoming litters at marthersminiaturedachshunds.co.uk, or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
The Litter
The six puppies from this litter are a pairing between Biscoff (KC registered as DAXTARDLY’S COOKIE CRUMBLE) and Jax (KC registered as PRECIOUS DIAMOND). The colours produced were:
- Silver Chocolate & Tan Dapple Girl
- Silver Chocolate & Tan Dapple Boy
- Chocolate & Tan Girl
- Chocolate & Tan Boy
- Chocolate & Cream Girl
- Chocolate & Cream Boy
All six were reserved well in advance of leaving for their new homes on 13th June 2026.
The Approach
The shoot was done at Beth’s home, on a white background, with each puppy photographed individually. White backgrounds work particularly well for dogs like these, the rich chocolate, tan, cream and dapple tones sit beautifully against the clean backdrop, and there’s nothing to distract from the subject.
To give the images a bit of personality and help show just how small these puppies are, we used a small selection of props: pink hair bows for the girls, and bow ties, a cream one and a blue tartan, for the boys. We also used roses, a pink one and a blue one, which sit beside the puppies in some of the frames. At just a few weeks old, even a single flower is enough to put the scale into perspective.
The dapple puppies have extraordinary markings. The silvered patterning across their faces and coats is already well defined, and the colour really sings on a white background. The chocolate and tan puppies have that classic deep, rich colouring with the tan points coming through clearly on the muzzle, brows, chest and paws. Long-haired miniature dachshunds at this age have a softness to their coats that doesn’t last. It was worth capturing it properly while it was there.
Getting clean portraits of puppies this young takes patience. They’re alert, curious, and easily distracted, and they don’t stay still for long. The key is working quickly when you have their attention, keeping the environment calm, and not fighting the natural behaviour. Some of the best frames came when a puppy just sat and looked, that direct, slightly bewildered gaze that only very young dogs have.
Why Puppy Portraits Matter
For most new owners, the first few weeks with their puppy go by in a blur. By the time they’ve settled in, the tiny pup they collected has already changed noticeably. Professional portraits taken before the puppy leaves the breeder are the only record of those very early days. For puppies like these, which come from carefully health-tested champion lineage, those images are part of the story of where they came from.
Beth includes a professional photoshoot as part of her puppy pack as standard. It’s a thoughtful addition that not many breeders offer, and it reflects the level of care she puts into the whole process, from the pairing and health testing through to the day each puppy goes to its new home.
About The Sausage Dog Photographer
I operate The Sausage Dog Photographer alongside Foyers Photography, specifically for dachshund shoots. If you have a dachshund, puppy or adult, smooth or long-haired, and you’d like portraits done properly, I’d be glad to hear from you.
My studio is based at Unit 5, Allied House, Base Business Park, Rendlesham, near Woodbridge in Suffolk, convenient for Ipswich, Woodbridge, and across East Anglia. I also travel to locations across Suffolk and Norfolk for the right shoot.
Get in touch at bob@foyers.photography or call 07884 366342.
Sausage Dog Photographer
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