Training a Dachshund

If you are the proud owner of a little Dachshund puppy then you can look forward to a very affectionate, protective dog as your companion. This is one breed that truly qualifies as “man’s best friend”.

Dachshund Training Tips

Before setting up your training routine, it is a good idea to know what makes a Dachshund a Dachshund. What can you expect in your new best friend?

The Dachshund Breed

The Dachshund breed can be traced back to 16th century Germany. In fact the word Dachshund is made up of 2 German words: dachs, the word for badger, and hund, the word for hound. The english meaning of these words reflects the original purpose of the Dachshund breed; a small dog suitable for burrowing down holes in search of badgers. This was then followed by a miniature version which was bred for going into holes after rabbits.

The Dachshund’s Characteristics

• This breed is very protective and loyal.
• Dachshunds love to play. They often remain puppy-like in their playfulness long after they have grown out of puppy hood.
• Dachshunds are usually good swimmers.
• Dachshund dogs enjoy barking as part of their watchful protective instinct as well as part of their playful activities.

Training a Dachshund to be Obedient

• Get your Dachshund puppy used to being touched and handled from an early age by playing with him in a gentle fashion. You can roll him over, pat his belly, touch his paws and rub his neck.
• Utilize the Dachshund’s love of playing by incorporating your obedience lessons in games such as hide-and-seek. You can use a game like this to get him used to coming back when he hears his name.
• It will be wise to include digging (or rather stop digging) training at some point. Because of its heritage, the Dachshund is skilled at digging and will love to do it. Therefore it will be wise to allocate a spot in the yard that is not off limits. This should be a spot reserved for digging; you can train your Dachshund puppy to dig for toys etc. in that spot only and thus train him that other areas are indeed off limits. You can find other tips for digging problems in our Stop Digging article.
• Dachshunds usually require barking training. Initially you puppy will make other cute noises but as he matures, you will notice a tendency to bark, especially when he detects or suspects strangers walking by. Start your Stop Barking Training as soon as you notice this happening.
• If you find your Dachshund starting to do more than nipping playfully, you can implement some no-biting exercises. You need to break him out of any kind of biting habit if it develops and can make use of some of the tips listed in our Stop Puppy Biting article.

How to Potty Train a Dachshund

In particular start potty training your dachshund puppy as soon as he arrives home. It will only take a few days for your little puppy to start to get the idea of what you want, if done from the beginning and correctly.

The tips in our article, Potty Training a Pup, can give you some great guidelines to start with so that you can have a well house-trained dachshund dog.

Gifts for Dachshund Dog Lovers

In the meantime, have fun with your little, affectionate, protective dachshund! And if you are looking for gifts for the Dachshund dog lover you might enjoy browsing some gift items like this tote bag:

Dachshund by cutecanines

~ Bright Dog Tips