Mini dachshund with ‘big dog mentality’ voted cutest in Treasure Valley. Meet her

Some believe that the company you keep shapes who you are.

That goes for dogs as well as humans, according to one local pet owner.

Miniature dachshund Mazikeen of Nampa acts 10 times bigger than she is — emboldened by her German shepherd siblings, her owner Michelle Maciel said.

Idaho Statesman readers recently crowned Mazikeen the cutest dog in Treasure Valley. Here’s how this feisty pup won the title — and what makes her special.

Who won Idaho Statesman’s cutest dog contest?

On Oct. 13, the Statesman asked locals to submit photos of their cuddly pups for the 2025 pet contest.

Statesman staffers selected the top 50 contenders, then invited readers to vote for their favorite furry friends.

After an initial round of voting, Statesman readers picked the top 10 finalists.

More than 2,200 votes were cast in the final round, with more than 700 votes going to 7-month-old Mazikeen.

Meet the cutest dog in Treasure Valley

Mazikeen is the latest pet to join the Maciel household.

The family has two other dogs — German shepherds named Wuta and Necati — as well as a rescue cat named Bean.

Since their two big dogs could play with each other, Maciel said she and her husband wanted to get a more appropriately sized playmate for Bean.

Rather than another cat, they started looking for a dog.

Maciel said she had always wanted a dachshund, but her husband wasn’t sold on the idea at first. He prefers big dogs, she said.

Maciel insisted that the dachshund would be her Mother’s Day gift for the year, and he reluctantly agreed.

His mind changed after they picked their new puppy up from a breeder in Twin Falls.

“It was done for,” Maciel said. “He fell instantly in love with her.”

Now, the two are a bonded pair, with Mazikeen snuggling up with her human pal every night.

Mazikeen weighed just 2.6 pounds when Maziel and her husband picked up the pup. Now, she’s up to 6 pounds.

When Mazikeen is around her German shepherd siblings, her owner says, the little dog acts just as big as them.

“She knows who her siblings are, so if you take her out with them, she acts like she’s a big German shepherd,” Maciel said. “She has that big dog mentality in a little body.”

How did Mazikeen the mini dachshund get her name?

Maciel picked Mazikeen’s name before she even met her. A fan of the TV show “Lucifer,” Maciel wanted to name her next pet after a central demon character in the series.

The name fits the mini dachshund in a positive way, Maciel said, noting that the pup is “such a badass.”

Mazikeen likes to play and wrestle with her much bigger canine siblings, Maciel said, and the German shepherds are gentle with their smaller sister.

The size difference always leads to entertaining altercations, she said.

Sometimes Mazikeen will use her size to antagonize her siblings, Maciel said.

The big dogs can’t fit through the fence to the garden but Mazikeen can. She’ll run through and show off by doing circles in the garden in front of the German shepherds, her owner said.

Once Mazikeen has made her siblings jealous, though, she likes to help out with gardening duties.

Maciel says the mini dachshund will help pull weeds, chase insects and smell the flowers while they work on the yard.

This is only when it’s warm out. Mazikeen doesn’t like the way the ground feels when it’s too cold or wet.

It’s a guarantee things will be interesting when she experiences snow for the first time this winter, Maciel said.

What’s an average day like for the cutest dog in Treasure Valley?

Mazikeen is a bit of a picky eater, and isn’t excited by much — except human food.

After breakfast, it’s time to get active.

Whether inside or outside, she’s constantly moving, getting the zoomies out and playing with the high-energy German shepherds, who need a lot of exercise. The mini dachshund tries to keep up as much as possible.

Mazikeen likes to play with their toys too, her owner said.

All this keeping up means Mazikeen also needs a lot of sleep, according to Maciel. She takes numerous naps throughout the day, crashing after bursts of energy.

If Maciel goes out to run errands, sometimes Mazikeen tags along in a sling. She likes to quietly people watch when she’s out in the world.

The whole family — humans, dogs and cat — sleeps together in a California king-sized bed.

Mazikeen burrows herself under the blankets and sleeps through the night, according to Maciel.

Who are the cutest cat and dog in the US?

Cutest cat and dog contests are taking place at more than 20 McClatchy newspapers across the United States.

Mazikeen will now be entered into a second contest to determine the cutest dog in the country across more than 20 McClatchy newspapers, launching Monday, Nov. 10.

This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM.