Pet Blog: Meet Rachel Slavik's Dog!

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After a hard day of chasing down the big stories, WCCO's Rachel Slavik knows she can always come home to her Butters.

No, she doesn't have an obsession with churned dairy products … well, at least not publicly.

Butters is her loveable, 7-year-old, black and tan miniature dachshund.

And yes, the name is inspired by the beloved "South Park" character.

"Butters was actually named Dudley for about a day and a half, when we first got him, but it was very clear that Butters fit much better," Rachel said.

She first crossed paths with Butters while responding to a few newspaper ads when she lived in Baton Rouge.

"Butters was at the last home we visited and he came home with us that day," she said. "I think your pet picks you as much as you pick your pet."

Rachel says her original adoption criteria were thrown out the door after bringing Butters into her life.

"In news, the schedule is crazy so I knew a lap dog would be a better fit than one that always needed a ton of exercise," she said. "We wanted a dog that's known to be good with other dogs, kids, doesn't have a reputation for barking ... Butters fell short in all those categories."

But she says his amazing adorableness makes up for any shortcomings.

"I always think he's the most adorable when he first wakes up, even though he's usually waking me up too," she said. "He usually snuggles up to us, lays on his side and starts wagging his tail. Hard to be mad about the early wake-up when he looks so cute."

And Butters isn't one to shy away from those quintessential doggyisms.

"I don't know what it is about a dog chasing its tail, but it is by far Butters' funniest habit -- couple with his tendency to do what I call a 'doggy headstand' when he wants to play," Rachel said.

Butters unfortunately finds it difficult to play with other dogs, especially large breeds.

"He was attacked when he was a puppy by a Dalmatian and it traumatized him," she said. "If given several opportunities to meet a dog, he usually warms up to them. However, at the first few meetings he freaks out. Very embarrassing."

But Butters certainly loves to play with his humans, even when they're kinda busy.

"He always wants to play when I'm working out," Rachel said. "Sit-ups or push-ups, he gets in the way and won't move until I acknowledge him. Again, cute but super annoying."

How could anyone stay annoyed at a mug like this!

~Stephen Swanson

From pit bulls to pet rocks, Pet Blog covers it all. If you have a great animal companion story or a pet-related event that deserves a spotlight, email sdswanson@wcco.com.