Meet the Girls

Two sisters.
Two perspectives. One amazing team.

Izzie and Anna are miniature dachshund sisters with very different ways of looking at the world.

One likes a plan. The other likes finding out what happens when there isn't one.

Same family. Same little legs. Completely different approach to life.

Izzie and Anna together at home
Izzie giving The Stare, curled up in her bed
Izzie relaxing beside a handbag, looking every bit the executive

Izzabella · “Izzie”

Executive Advisor. Small dog. Quiet authority.

“Why are we doing this?”

Izzie runs on an internal clock nobody else can see and everybody eventually learns to trust. She knows what should be happening, when it should be happening, and she will paw at you politely, then rather less politely, if dinner is running late.

She is, by general agreement, exceptionally good at The Stare: a calm, unblinking look that somehow communicates an entire agenda without a single bark.

Izzie loves comfort in all its forms: a proper bed, an oversized toy she can barely see over, a car ride with the window just so. She enjoys dressing up for the occasion, whatever the occasion happens to be, and she has been known to over-plan a plan that was already perfectly fine.

Known asTeddy Bear · Princess · Boss
SignatureThe Stare
SuperpowerExceptional timekeeping
Favourite toysUnreasonably enormous ones
ApproachThink. Observe. Plan.
Slight flawOccasionally plans the plan

Dinner is not “around six”. Dinner is six.

Anna investigating something with great interest on the beach
Anna standing up on her hind legs, mid-investigation
Anna mid-lick, full of personality

Annabella · “Anna”

Engineering Investigator. Small dog. Big investigations.

“How does it work?”

Anna investigates first and asks permission never. Curiosity is her default setting, and Thunder Paws (the sound of Anna arriving at speed) is usually the first sign that something in the garden, the shed, or the general vicinity of a DIY project has caught her attention.

She is fearless and hands-on, entirely unfazed by loud noises, and takes her role as household doorbell-response team extremely seriously. Breakfast comes with a small ceremonial “dessert”, which she considers non-negotiable.

Anna does travel, and she loves where it leads. She's simply less comfortable with the car journey itself than Izzie is. Given the choice, she'd happily skip straight to arriving at the adventure.

Known asThunder Paws · Nugget · Dobby · Truffle Hunter
SignatureInvestigating
SuperpowerFinding things nobody was looking for
Favourite toysSmall enough to shake vigorously
ApproachInvestigate. Discover. Repeat.
Slight flawDistraction is her superpower

If there's a noise, Izzie wants it to stop. Anna wants to know what made it.

Same Family

Very Different Dogs.

“Why are we doing this?” vs “How does it work?”
Think, plan, observe vs Investigate, test, discover
Huge toys vs Small shakeable toys
“Let's go” vs “Are we there yet?”
Loud noises: absolutely not vs Loud noises: what noise?
Knows treat time to the minute vs Makes sure nobody misses treats
The Stare vs Thunder Paws
Over-planning vs Distraction

The Girls in Action

Four Moments, Two Very Different Dogs

Izzie giving The Stare

The Stare

No words required.

Anna mid-investigation, Thunder Paws in action

Thunder Paws

Something happened. Anna intends to find out what.

A dachshund keeping a close eye on a work video call

Real-World Work

The office was never going to remain dog-free forever.

Izzie and Anna together, caught mid-moment

Sisters

Different methods. Same objective.

Real Dogs. Illustrated Adventures.

Their adventures are fictional. Their personalities aren't.

The illustrated Izzie and Anna might find themselves in extraordinary situations, but the characters behind them started right here.

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

Better Together

Quiet authority meets Thunder Paws.

They don't approach things the same way. That's rather the point.

And when Izzie asks why while Anna discovers how, there's very little these two can't get themselves into.

Discover Their Adventures