10 May 2026 Pets of the Month: Winnie and Yadi

By Phyllis Ormsby

Perhaps dachshunds should come with warning labels. These long-bodied, short-legged dogs have such clever, playful personalities and are so entertaining that owners sometimes decide the “wiener dog” is the only breed for them. At least, that’s what happened to Jamie Zimmerman of Morrilton.

“We have two wire-haired dachshunds,” she said. “The oldest is 10, and the youngest is 5. They are attached to each other’s hips and to mine. They have faces only a mother could love and are not your typical-looking dachshunds.”

Zimmerman laughed and said her two pups are her “favorite children,” although the dogs are also devoted to her two daughters, Mollie, 17, and Corlie, 16.

“They love the girls,” she said. “They are both my dogs, but they love anybody and everybody who will give them some attention. They are the epitome of lap dogs.”

Zimmerman got her first dachshund as a kid and never wanted any other type of dog. “Wiener dogs, to me — there’s nothing cuter on the planet. I love all dogs, but wiener dogs are the best. My mailbox even has a concrete wiener dog. That’s the only kind of dog I’ve ever had.”

The older dachshund, Winnie, was an unexpected anniversary present, Zimmerman said. “We got her for our 10th wedding anniversary. We were actually driving to St. Louis for a Cardinals game, and I saw her and asked my husband if we could get her, and he said, ‘Yes, if the breeder will meet us in St. Louis.’ And surprisingly, she did!”

The younger dog, a boy, came from Oklahoma and is named for legendary Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. They call him Yadi.

The two dogs look very much alike with their blond-colored fur and wiry coats. In personality, they do differ, Zimmerman said. “Winnie used to go everywhere with us, but Yadi doesn’t like to go. He gets sick every time he gets in the car.”

Winnie’s favorite thing is the pool; Zimmerman said they can hardly keep her out of it. Second favorite? Being turned loose to run on the golf course. Winnie is definitely the typical dachshund with that stubborn trait of “selective hearing,” although she does know how to give a high five and shake. Yadi? “He’s just happy to be included,” Zimmerman said, laughing.

One negative trait? “They will chew up anything,” she said. “They have both had to have emergency surgery because they will eat anything. Yadi actually had an acorn stuck in his pyloric sphincter.”

Zimmerman is absolutely comfortable throwing around phrases like “pyloric sphincter” because she’s an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). Along with Katie Begley, also an APRN, she is co-owner of Nova Aesthetics and Medical Wellness in Conway. 

Her husband, who is named James and also goes by Jamie, is an electrical engineer and co-owner of Koontz Electric. The entire family loves to travel, and the couple plans to celebrate their 20th anniversary in Hawaii in July.

One of the best things about wiener dogs, Zimmerman said, is the welcome you get when you come home. “They are just fun,” she said. “They are always happy to see you. They are happy from the time they get up to the time they go to bed. And absolutely, they sleep with us. They are spooners and will run you out of the bed. They are just unconditional love.”