We Caught Up With Anthony Rizzo and Kevin, His Amazing Miniature Dachshund

As an All-Star first baseman, Anthony Rizzo was known for his smooth glove work. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Kevin, his miniature dachshund, has an unstoppable urge to chase down any ball in his vicinity.

“He could do this forever,” Rizzo told us as Kevin rushed back with his ball one fall Friday on the Great Lawn in Central Park. “He checks to make sure he’s safe,” Rizzo said of Kevin’s quick glance at his dad. “And then he runs back.”

As the pet of an active Major League Baseball player, Kevin had privileges less-well-connected dogs could only dream of. For one thing, he ran around the grass at ballparks in Chicago and the Bronx.

Now, after Anthony’s retirement, Kevin is essential to his person’s comparatively calm home life with his wife and four-month-old son, Anthony Junior. He’s happiest during marathon fetch sessions in Central Park, where he goes almost every day.

“As soon as we say we’re going to the park,” Rizzo said, “he perks up.”

“We’re his entire life.”

“We met through my wife,” Rizzo said of he and Kevin. “She always wanted a wiener dog named Kevin.” In 2019, Emily’s pressure campaign worked and they brought her dream dog home.

Kevin is Rizzo’s first dog, and from the beginning he’s been struck by the dachshund’s authenticity and loyalty—two qualities that he especially prized as an athlete with a high-pressure, sometimes-unforgiving job as a star for two big-market teams.

“After a bad game,” Rizzo said, “when I would come home, he’d be there just excited. He’d bring the toy. It’s always heartwarming.”

Kevin never knew whether Rizzo had hit a game-winning home run or made one of his rare errors. As far as he was concerned, his person was always a hero.

“He loves snuggling,” Rizzo said. “He sleeps on my chest every night or between my legs.” Rizzo is a new father, but knows that his dog will always hold a special place in his heart.

“The baby’s going to leave me one day,” Rizzo said. “[Kevin] sleeps with us every night.”

“We’re his entire life,” Rizzo said of Kevin. “So I try to make him a happy boy.” 

Diet and exercise are key parts of that.

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“He’s looking like a bratwurst.”

A few years into his life with Kevin, Rizzo started to hear disconcerting comments from friends and family. “He’s looking a little hefty,” they’d tell him. Or, in a nod to dachshunds’ sausage-esque form, “he’s looking like a bratwurst.” He knew he had to act.

“It’s really scary,” Rizzo said, because he was aware of dachshunds’ risk of serious back problems—they’re predisposed to IVDD—and was already taking precautions. “We have the ramps in the house,” he said, noting a popular way for dachshund caretakers to prevent their dogs from stressing their backs by jumping on and off of furniture.

To control Kevin’s weight, Rizzo put him on a pre-portioned fresh food (our very own, The Farmer’s Dog) and stayed dedicated to a healthy, active lifestyle including nearly unlimited fetch in the park.

So far, the plan is working. Once 16 pounds, Kevin is down to around 13 and has a svelte appearance more akin to a kabanos than the aforementioned brat.

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The Rizzo family may not be done growing. “We wrestle all the time,” he told us, “with maybe getting another dachshund to give [Kevin] a brother or sister.”

In the meantime, Kevin has happily welcomed his human brother into the family. In fact, as Anthony Junior starts to move around more, the dog is sensing the potential benefits of a new playmate.

“It’s adorable,” Rizzo told us. “Kevin will bring toys over to the baby like, ‘Hey, it’s time.’”

Disclosure: Anthony Rizzo is a paid partner of The Farmer’s Dog, the Official Pet Food of Major League Baseball.
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