ABOUT
If you've ever planned a vacation around your dachshund, stopped in the street to say hello to another doxie owner, or found yourself scrolling through hundreds of dachshund photos when you should have been doing something productive, you're in the right place.
Welcome to The Doxie Squad.
We're Sami and Valeria, an Italian couple who love traveling, exploring new places, and building a life filled with experiences rather than routines.
And like many great stories, ours changed forever because of one small dog with very short legs.
His name is Taco.
How Taco Changed Everything
Last year (2025), we were living in Athens, Greece. We had talked about getting a dog for a long time, but there was one problem.
We travel. A lot.
Many people dream of owning a dog and then slowly adapt their lifestyle around the limitations that come with it. We knew from the beginning that we wanted the opposite. We wanted a dog that could become part of our adventures.
There was one rule we established before even starting our search.
We would never put our dog in a cargo hold.
No matter how common airlines say it is, we simply couldn't imagine leaving a member of our family alone in a dark compartment beneath an airplane for hours at a time. For us, if a dog couldn't travel with us, then we wouldn't get a dog at all.
That decision naturally led us toward a breed that could comfortably travel in the cabin.
A dachshund.
Small enough to fit under an airline seat.
Big enough to completely take over your life.
The Journey to Meet Taco
Finding Taco wasn't as simple as driving down the road.
At the time, we were living in Athens while Taco was in Italy.
When he was finally ready to join our family, Sami flew from Athens to Rome, met up with his brother Valentino, and together they drove all the way to Mantua.
That's where Taco's first adventure began.
After picking him up, the trip continued back through Bologna and Rome using every form of transportation imaginable.
Cars.
Trains.
Buses.
The metro.
At just three months old, Taco handled it all surprisingly well.
For two days, Sami and Taco stayed together before another temporary separation became necessary. Taco remained with his grandmother, Donatella, for about a month while he completed the vaccinations and paperwork required for international travel.
Waiting was difficult.
But eventually the day came.
Taco was finally ready to go home.
Athens: Our First Chapter Together
When Taco arrived in Athens, he adapted almost immediately.
He quickly became part of our daily life.
Morning walks through the city.
Weekend adventures.
Coffee stops.
Ferry rides.
New people.
New environments.
New experiences.
The more we traveled with him, the more we realized something special.
Taco genuinely enjoyed it.
Many dogs become stressed when routines change.
Taco seemed to become curious.
He observed everything.
Watched everyone.
Stayed calm.
Listened.
Learned.
And over time he became the perfect travel companion.
Not because he never made mistakes.
Not because he was perfectly trained.
But because he trusted us wherever we went.
The Trip That Proved Everything
One of the most memorable journeys happened when we needed to return to Italy.
New airline restrictions made flying directly with Taco much more complicated.
Most people would have looked for an easier solution.
Instead, we improvised.
First came the train ride from Athens to Patras.
Then a long walk to the ferry terminal.
Then the overnight ferry crossing to Bari.
Then another long walk to Bari Centrale railway station.
Then another train.
Then Rome.
The entire journey lasted roughly seventeen hours.
What amazed us most wasn't the distance.
It was Taco.
He remained calm the entire time.
No drama.
No panic.
No complaints.
No accidents.
The moment we stepped off the ferry in Bari, however, he immediately found the nearest suitable spot and relieved himself.
After holding it for seventeen hours.
That was the moment we looked at each other and realized this little dog was made differently.
The Big Move to Mexico
Not long afterward, another challenge arrived.
Mexico.
After spending time in Italy, we prepared for the journey that would eventually bring us to our home in Playa del Carmen.
The trip was long.
Very long.
Door to door, nearly twenty hours.
Again, Taco surprised everyone.
He remained quiet.
Relaxed.
Patient.
Curious.
He simply observed the world passing by around him.
When we finally landed in Cancun, officials performed the standard animal inspection procedures. They checked documents, reviewed everything carefully, and even confiscated Taco's travel blanket due to local hygiene regulations.
Fortunately, everything else was approved.
A few minutes later we walked outside.
Just like in Bari, Taco's priorities were clear.
First stop?
Bathroom break.
Only then was he ready to continue the adventure.
Life in Playa del Carmen
Today we live in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Taco has beaches to explore.
New smells every day.
New people to meet.
And an endless supply of opportunities to convince strangers that he deserves attention.
He's still curious.
Still stubborn.
Still funny.
Still incredibly affectionate.
And still convinced that every meal belongs to him.
In many ways he's exactly the same dachshund we brought home all those years ago.
Only now he's experienced multiple countries, countless flights, trains, buses, ferries, cities, apartments, hotels, and adventures.
Not bad for a dog with legs that short.
Why We Created The Doxie Squad
Like many dachshund owners, we quickly discovered something frustrating.
Finding quality dachshund-themed products wasn't easy.
Most options fell into one of two categories.
Either they were generic products with a random dachshund graphic slapped on them.
Or they were buried somewhere deep inside websites that felt impossible to browse.
We spent countless hours searching for gifts, accessories, apparel, and products that actually reflected how much we love this breed.
Eventually we asked ourselves a simple question.
Why doesn't a place exist that is entirely dedicated to dachshund lovers?
A place where every product is selected because someone who genuinely owns and loves dachshunds would want it.
That's how The Doxie Squad was born.
More Than Just a Store
We don't see The Doxie Squad as another online shop.
The store is only one piece of what we're building.
We also created our blog because we wanted a place where dachshund owners could find useful information without digging through dozens of conflicting sources.
You'll find articles about:
Dachshund health
Training
Behavior
Travel tips
Lifestyle advice
Breed history
Product recommendations
Fun stories and experiences
Some articles will be educational. Some will be practical. Some will simply make you laugh. But all of them will be written for people who genuinely love dachshunds.
Looking Ahead
We have plenty of ideas for the future.
Maybe we'll organize dachshund meetups.
Maybe we'll host community events.
Maybe we'll create exclusive products designed specifically for doxie owners.
Maybe we'll build one of the largest dachshund communities online.
Who knows.
For now, we're simply taking things one step at a time.
One adventure.
One article.
One product.
One wagging tail.
Welcome to the Pack
The Doxie Squad exists because of a small dachshund named Taco and a simple belief:
Life is better when your dog is part of the journey.
Whether you're here to read, learn, shop, laugh, or simply admire more dachshund photos than any reasonable person should consume in a day, we're happy you found us.
From our family to yours,
Sami, Valeria & Taco 🐾