SeeCalifornia.com

Swift, short-legged Dachshunds race to the finish line in the beloved Wiener Dog races that take place in California this summer. If you’ve never seen one of these races, it’s basically a bunch of doxie owners going cuckoo. They enter their pet(s) into the contest for a small fee and set him or her down at the starting line. They can go to the finish line before the race starts and hold a dog snack or some favorite squeaky toy to lure the dachshund toward them. Larger races will have teams with one person depositing the dog at the starting line and one person standing at the finish. The result is hilarious. Some dogs take to the race and run really fast, but others just stand around perplexed, not particularly interested in the finish line. This is the element that makes the event so fun to watch. It’s not pro-dog racing or anything of that sort. Animal rights groups have voiced opposition, which has kept the events from becoming anything more than fun–and often fundraisers for humane societies.

The best known race is Wiener Dog Nationals. Here are the races and dates we’ve found!