I’m not actually terribly surprised.

Not that most people breed or use them for it these days, but dachshunds are, at their core, hunting dogs. Full-sized dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, mini dachshunds for smaller animals like rabbits, they have short legs so they can chase animals into burrows, they have a strong sense of smell, and they’re feisty, strong-willed little things.

Again, not to many people breed dachshunds for hunting instincts these days, but some of those traits still remain and once in a while you get one who could still make a capable hunting dog.

From a few minutes googling, it doesn’t look like there’s really any large predators to worry about on that island, and the climate is fairly mild.

I have a friend with a mini dachshund mix, we’re not too sure of the exact mix, we think maybe there’s jack Russell and Beagle in there (both pretty feisty breeds in their own right.) She’s a cute, tiny little, vaguely-hound-looking, old lady dog with tiny legs. She’s absolutely fearless, and despite never having any particular scent training, is a pretty capable tracker. When their other dog ran away and got lost, they just put her on a leash and she led them right to him. I have no trouble imagining her running around on an island, taking down some small critters, and living quite happily on her own for a few years if it came to it.

500 years from now there will be dingo-dachshund hybrids dominating the Australian wildscape

That’s pretty hardcore

Look, the little gal is obviously happier out there in the wild, you spent a week trying to catch her in person and she wouldn’t come back to you. Maybe just let her be?

The couple who lost their “princess.”