Behind the Adventures From Real Dogs to Big Adventures

The characters came first. We just didn’t know they were characters yet.

Long before there was Direct Adventures, there were two very small dachshunds with very big personalities. We didn’t invent Izzie and Anna. They’d been developing their characters for years. We just eventually noticed that the things they did every day were already stories waiting to be told.

Izzie and Anna lying together on a cream sherpa blanket, looking up at the camera.

The real girls
behind the stories

Children see an adventure.
Adults see their world.
Dachshund people
see their dogs.

First came Izzie

Izzabella was born in Hungary and came into my life when she was seven months old. Her original name was Bizzie, short for Biscuit, but it didn’t quite fit, so it became Izzie, and eventually Izzabella.

She may be the calm, considered Executive Advisor today, but some of that wisdom was acquired through experience. On one of our very first walks together, Izzie, apparently deciding the best way to explore her new surroundings, leapt straight into a frozen pond. She did not do it again. Perhaps the strategic risk assessment came later.

Born in
Hungary

Young Izzie peeking out from inside a rolled up patchwork quilt.
Bizzie (short for Biscuit)
Izzie snuggled into a red fleece blanket.
Settling in
Izzie lying on her back on the bed with both ears spread out.
Those ears already!
Young Izzie giving the camera a long, steady stare from the sofa.
The Stare was developing early
Izzie in profile, sitting in the sunlight by the window.
Growing into Izzie
Izzie out on a walk across the grass in her red harness.
First walk… frozen pond!

And then there were two

Then Annabella arrived. Anna is a North East lass, born on 21 November, the same birthday as her Grandma, and we adopted her as a puppy.

Anna settled in quickly and was immediately interested in everything. Izzie, on the other hand, took a little longer to understand the arrangement. For the first few days, she gave us a very clear look that seemed to say, “When is the guest leaving?” Unfortunately for Izzie, the guest had no intention of going anywhere. Before long, they bonded, played together and became sisters.

Puppy Anna in a red jumper, peeking over a fluffy blanket.
Hello I’m Anna
Tiny puppy Anna standing on a white blanket.
Tiny but mighty
Puppy Anna asleep in a pink knitted jumper.
Settling in
Puppy Anna lying on a grey fur throw, head tilted with curiosity.
So much curiosity already
Adult Izzie curled up in the front of a dog bed while puppy Anna chews a toy behind her.

The bed situation

Between our main home, Grandma’s house and our other property, two dachshunds currently have at least 16 beds.

Standards must be maintained.

2
dogs
3
homes
16
beds
  • 2 in our bedroom
  • 2 in my office
  • 2 in Daddy’s office
  • 2 in the living room
  • 2 in the kitchen
  • 2 at Grandma’s
  • 4 at the other property

Two sisters, two completely different perspectives.

Izzie watches first. She’s calm, composed and extraordinarily aware of routine. She asks, “Why are we doing this?”

Anna investigates. She’s curious, fearless and always wants to know how things work. She asks, “How does it work?”

Illustrated Izzie in her pink harness.

IzzieExecutive Advisor

Illustrated Anna in her blue harness.

AnnaEngineering Investigator

We didn’t invent their characters. We gave them job titles.

The more we developed their illustrated characters, the less it felt like we were creating something new. We were simply giving names and jobs to the personalities that were already there.

From real dogs to illustrated dogs

We didn’t want Izzie and Anna to become generic cartoon dachshunds. Their markings, expressions and personalities matter, because these stories are really theirs.

Real Izzie, the dachshund behind the Direct Adventures character.
Real Izzie
Illustrated Izzie, Executive Advisor.
Illustrated Izzie
Real Anna, the dachshund behind the Direct Adventures character.
Real Anna
Illustrated Anna, Engineering Investigator.
Illustrated Anna

And then they went to work…

For years, they’d watched Mummy work, seen the laptop, heard the calls and wondered what actually happens when she goes to work. There was only one way to find out.

Their first
big adventure!

Cover of Izzie & Anna Go to Work, the first Direct Adventures book.

From Their World to Ours

The adventures may be illustrated. The personalities aren’t.
They’ve given us a world of stories. We just had to notice them.

Next Adventure
Izzie & Anna Go to Work
Coming November 2026