CITY FOCUSDogged determination

The Dolly Parton of dachshunds?

Well, Baby Luv La Grua’s owners think so, anyway.

And the doe-eyed dog’s celebrity status could grow to the Nashville star’s proportions when the “dogumentary” called “Wiener Takes All” is released.

She’s always a strong contender at the Wiener Nationals, but this Sunday, Baby Luv chipped one of her pink toenails and finished fourth in the dachshund race in Huntington Beach.

Old World Village on Center Avenue celebrated German Heritage Day with a wiener dog race and a German brass band.

The all-day fest included free meatloaf and mashed potatoes for the first 500 visitors and happy hour through the morning as visitors watched the World Cup Soccer finals in Berlin.

“Doxy Diva,” aka Baby Luv, as owners Bobbie and Dayton La Grua of Huntington Beach like to call her, couldn’t outrace Stretch and Cooper after the pink-toenail incident. Long-haired dachshund Jack came in third after winner Stretch and second-place winner Cooper.

About 30 wiener dogs ran a 25-yard race as owners lured them down the runway with squeaky toys, boiled chicken and turkey, and some plain-old screaming.

But as many dachshunds owners know, some of the stubborn dogs just can’t be trained. Some were close to finishing and then turned around on their stubby legs or made friends in the middle of the race.

The race began three times before a couple of rookie wieners were coaxed to run to another of their owners at the finish line. Some never even finished.

Seven-and-half-year-old Stretch, who placed second in the trial runs on the Los Alamitos racing track but won the race at Old World on Sunday, was lured by his owner Jan King to the finish line with the promise of hot dogs.

“He doesn’t get hot dogs any other time, so it’s a special thing for him,” King said.

“He’s going to go home and gloat to his roommate and dachshund girlfriend Cricket,” King added with pride.

JJ, a California Assistance dog, in the meantime had been trying to warn his owner of her impending migraine as Lynn Jiles spurred him on to win the race.

JJ is a scent dog who can sniff Jiles and gives her a half-hour warning when her body smells different. He peers into her purse to remind her to take her medication.

“Dogs are so intelligent; sometimes I wish people would learn from them,” Jiles said.

Later, JJ, in a figure-hugging tux, posed with Misty and Hershey, dressed in pretty red-and-white dirndls ? a traditional dress worn with an apron by German women ? after winning the doggy dress-up prizes.

The Old World village setting ? with its Bavarian Hall, cobblestone walkways and vignettes of rustic life painted on walls ? made the bar tenders and servers seem appropriately attired: the men wearing lederhosen and women donning dirndls.

That was nice but not why Jacqueline Goodman, Kara Spurny and Kacee Spurny came to the 11th annual fest.

They were disappointed that Germany lost in the semifinals against Italy, but cheered as Italy went on to win the World Cup, defeating France in a penalty shootout.

The Laguna Niguel college students continued cheering for underdog rookie dachshund Cooper in the wiener dogs race. “We came for the beer, the bratwursts and the wiener dogs,” Goodman said.

Kacey Nielsen, owner of 1-year- old Cooper, a mini dachshund weighing 10 pounds, was extremely proud he finished in second place, helped along by a squeaky mini-tennis ball, his favorite toy.

“I think it was the free food that did the trick,” said Nielsen, of Buena Park. “But he’ll pretty much chase anything,” she said, which is another characteristic of the beloved German dog breed.

Bobbie La Grua’s devotion to her surrogate child Baby Luv is something else. Baby Luv underwent two knee surgeries when she was 1 year old.

Three years after undergoing surgery, Baby Luv is going strong, responding like a bullet to Bobbie’s yellow pom-pom and a piercing whistle at the other end of the runway.

The next wiener dog race is at 2 p.m., Aug. 20, at the Plum Festival in Old World Village. For more information, call Inge McKellop, owner of dachshund store Paws at Coffee Mill, at (714)-898 5111.hbi.13-dograce-CPhotoInfoDQ1SRHSO20060713j29g50nc(LA)