I like dogs, but that doesn’t mean they like me. I’ve still got the scars from the maulings I got back when I was a paperboy, as well as the one from a Doberman that grabbed hold of my leg while I was walking down a country road in Monroe a few years ago. Heck, even the family dog snapped at me on more than one occasion. Usually for not letting him lie down.

Even so, when I heard about Belfast’s first annual Wienerfest this Sunday for devoted dachshund owners, I knew I’d probably amble down to the Boathouse at Steamboat Landing and check out the scene.

After all, the Wienerfest is expected to draw scores of dachshunds and their owners to the waterfront park. Starting at noon, there will be games, a fashion show, dachshund races using chicken livers as a lure, and food. I’m particularly looking forward to the “Bobbing for Hot Dogs” contest that will have those goofy doxies slurping up wieners floating in a bucket of water.

Along with the games, the festival will also feature a talk by veterinarian Lee Herzig about holistic health for pets, demonstrations by dog groomer Suzanne Smedley, homemade dog biscuits by Holden high student Andrew Smyth, vendors of dog and pet products, the Lions Club hot dog wagon, balloon artist Stan Munson, and the presentation of a Hero Award to a Dachshund named Simon whose barking helped searchers locate Camden octogenarian Aubrey Young when he was stranded in the Appleton woods earlier this summer.

Diane Mende, who directs community access public television in Belfast, got the idea for the festival one Sunday morning while watching TV with her shorthaired miniature dachshund, Lu Lu, on her lap. A piece aired about a dachshund festival in Texas. It was fun, cute and inspiring.

“I happened to look at my husband and say, ‘I’d love to do that,’ and he said, ‘Go do it,’ “Mende recalled.

So she did. Mende, who is also the city’s welfare director, sent out invitations to her fellow directors in every town in Maine asking them to get the word out. She also put notices on the Internet. She was amazed at the response.

“The response has been incredible,” she said. “People are just wound up about dachshunds. The waterfront is going to be crawling with dogs.”

Mende was not surprised at the reaction. She says dachshund owners from Portland to Bangor are a close-knit group and are crazy about their chosen breed. She said many people have more than one dachshund and she is expecting that a lot of festival participants will bring more than one dog. The fashions and costumes will be spectacular, she predicted. Both on the dachshunds and their owners.

Mende has always had dogs, but Lu Lu is her first dachshund. She described the dogs as domineering and cuddly. She said when she brought her miniature home, she fit in the palm of her hand.

“I always wanted a dog I could cuddle, and for where I am at now in my life this is a fantastic dog to have. She’s light and she has a great temperament,” said Mende.

According to the American Kennel Club, the dachshund was first bred by those frankfurt-loving Germans more than 300 years ago to hunt badgers. They require minimal routine brushing to keep their coats healthy and are naturally free from dog odor. They also are loyal and easy to train.

Dachshunds are bred with three types of coat; smooth, wire-haired and longhaired and come in two sizes, standard and miniature. The dogs are known to be clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness. Any display of shyness is considered a flaw, according to breeders.

Mende discovered the breed’s qualities the first day she brought Lu Lu home. When she placed her new puppy on the floor, Lu Lu immediately took charge and in no time had the family’s other dog, Lucy, a mixed-breed, cowering in the corner.

“She wasn’t any bigger than a hamster and she just exploded. This little thing took control of that big thing from that moment on,” said Mende.

Just what I wanted to hear. A little dog that takes on a big dog. First off, most of the dogs I’ve had problems with were fairly large and mean. I can’t imagine a little dachshund being much of a bother, unless one gets underfoot and ends up tripping you. But you never know.

Which takes me back to the days of my youth and delivering papers.

Now, we’re talking the late 1950s and early 1960s. In my neighborhood, every family had at least four or five children and every family had a dog or two. And they all let their dogs roam at large. No leash laws in those days. Kids learned from an early age the name of every neighborhood dog. True, most of the dogs were friendly. But more than a few were just plain mean.

It’s because of dogs that I still tuck my shoelaces in my sneakers whenever I go out for a bike ride. I recall having many a US Keds ripped off my feet by angry dogs while pedaling my bike on the paper route. That is until I learned about the squirt gun.

One of my encounters with a nasty mongrel was witnessed by a mailman. He imparted to me the magical secret of doggy domination. He claimed it was the noise from the bicycle chain that drove the dogs into a frenzy. He also said the creaking sound made by his leather mailbag as he walked his route had the same effect.

After a few bites and the loss of several pairs of pants, he finally figured out a way to keep the dogs at bay. His solution: a water pistol filled with a mixture of water and ammonia.

“Don’t shoot them in the eyes,” he advised. “That would be cruel. Just aim at their legs and that will do the trick because the odor alone will stop them cold. And when they start licking their paws, well, dogs may be not be that smart, but they’ll be smart enough to keep away from you the next time.”

And you know what? He was right.

Of course, that was a long time ago. These days you rarely encounter an unleashed dog. But who knows what will go down at the Wiener Festival? Maybe I’ll pack that squirt gun just in case.

Walter Griffin can be reached at 338-9546 and bdnbfst@earthlink.net.

First Annual Wienerfest

When: Sunday, Sept. 19

Time: Noon-6 p.m.

Where: Belfast’s Boathouse and Steamboat Landing Park

Admission: free

Competition: $1 per event

Contact: Call or e-mail Diane Mende at 338-5134 and dmende@adelphia.net or dmende@cityofbelfast.org