My hubby Grayson and I were so excited when we bought our first home, but there was something missing.
‘How about a dog?’ I smiled at Grayson.
When I came across a tiny short-haired tan dachshund, I immediately fell in love.
‘Welcome home Maluka,’ I said, doting on my girl.
Instantly, she took over our whole life. She even slept between us in bed!
Then one day, we were getting ready for visitors when I decided to slip Maluka into a special dress for dinner.
After buttoning up the gold satin gown, she pranced towards our friends in the dining room.
‘She’s adorable,’ everyone squealed.
Wiggling her tail, Maluka lapped up the attention!
Wanting to share her with the world, I decided to start an Instagram account.
At local dog parks, I would snap pics of her and upload them online.
About 18 months later, I was desperate to give Maluka a sister.
So a little black and tan dachshund called Avalon joined our family.
Quickly the pair became inseparable.
And when I came across an ad for a rock and roll dress up event for dogs in Queensland, I knew we had to enter.
Jumping online, I found the perfect black and white polka dot dress for myself.
Then I found a designer that specialises in doggy outfits and she whipped up matching costumes fitted with red tulle for the girls!
I was over the moon when we placed first. With a medal and a doggy food bag, the looks on the girls’ faces as they snacked on their prize warmed my heart.
‘Look how much the girls love this!’ I said to Grayson.
It wasn’t long before we were travelling all over the country, taking the gold home!
Every state deserves to see my girls! I thought.
At Oktoberfest in Melbourne they wore lederhosen and to High Tea in Canberra they had Mad Hatter costumes.
I changed the name of the Instagram account to @maluka_and_avalon, and with every outfit change their following grew.
At one event, I ran into an agent for dogs and instantly hired her for the girls.
‘Commercials, advertisements... your girls could be famous!’ she said.
She notified us of doggy days out, where Maluka and Avalon would get paid to attend events and meet their fans.
At the Versailles exhibit at the National Gallery of Australia, Maluka wooed the crowd in her designer Marie Antoinette gown.
Taking four days to craft, it was well worth it when she claimed the crown for best dressed.
By now, the girls had so many doggy dresses, Grayson and I decided to make them a walk-in wardrobe in our spare room.
There were hanging racks for their canine couture and shelving for their accessories and doggy necessities.
Their wardrobe quickly became my favourite room of the house.
And with a new outfit for every event, there was no issue filling every square centimetre!
‘Do the girls want to come to the ARIA awards?' their agent asked me one day.
‘Of course they do!’ I cried down the line.
My famous duo were getting paid to attend, so they had to look their best.
Donning their finest bow ties, we arrived at the red carpet. Soon celebrities were running towards them for a snap!
Even Jimmy Barnes and Jessica Mauboy snuggled up to my two dashing hounds.
Loving the attention, my girls were naturals under the paparazzi lights.
After that, they quickly became the hottest dogs around, with brands asking for them to star in their commercials.
Their faces were on TV and in newspapers for dog food and flea and tick treatments.
They appeared on The Morning Show, and our yearly attendance at the Dog Lovers Show meant our girls had full time jobs keeping up appearances!
Now they have more than 9000 followers online and they earn more money than I do as a music teacher!
All the cash they make goes towards more one-off outfits and well deserved doggy snacks.
It’s hard work keeping up with their schedule, but it’s all worth it to see their happy faces!
They’re still normal pups and love to run around in the backyard and cosy up in front of the fireplace, although they do have collars encrusted with sparkling diamantes spelling out their names, and enjoy being pushed to the local shop in their pram!
Ambassadors for Dachshund Rescue, a charity that rescues and rehomes pups, we are sharing not just what this amazing breed has to offer but also the responsibility of owning a sausage dog.
My girls are incredible but dachshunds need special care, so do your research before committing to this beautiful breed.
Because one thing’s for sure, my little paw-lebrities certainly run my house!
