When it’s time to put everyone out for the night’s last potty stop, our blind Dachshund Callie is the only dog who pretends not to know what the routine is. Not only that, she pretends she can’t hear us. (We call this phenomenon "transitional blind-and-deaf syndrome.") She rolls over and plays dead.
When we approach her, calling her name, at first she lies absolutely motionless. Then, almost imperceptibly, her little tail starts moving. It’s like an involuntary action triggered by the unbearable tension of the situation … human demanding action, Dachshund refusing to budge. A tense stand-off. ("If I play dead long enough, eventually this annoying fellow will just go away and leave me alone.")
But the tail gives her away, and pretty soon it moves in rhythm with the urgency of my voice. The more I call her name, the faster her tail moves. I stop talking to her, the tail slows down. I had already tried twice the other night to get her to go outside, and decided to get the video camera for the third attempt. Here’s a 30-second clip of a dead Dachshund wagging her tail:
Rolling Dog Farm Blog 
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