I Love my
Dachshund
Not human bean, more than a human been!
Training-First step
These dogs do need exercise. As young dogs, they are typically quite active, but can get lazy as they get older. So, it's important that you provide them enough opportunities to exercise to keep them strong and prevent obesity. Since this dog is small, games of fetch in the house may be enough to get them proper exercise. However, they will also enjoy a walk with you and can get a good amount of exercise this way. Because of their short legs, they are not considered good running companions.
Teaching your Dachshund what behavior you expect when you say
certain words takes work and plenty of consistent practice. It also
takes a certain degree of showing before the telling alone will work.
The most effective type of training uses positive reinforcement to
condition desired behaviors in a dog:
1. You reward a desired behavior every time it occurs, but you ignore
other behaviors.
2. The dog soon understands that if he does something you want, he’ll
get a treat, praise, or toy, but if he does something you don’t like, he
won’t get anything.
The dachshund is intelligent but also has a stubborn streak. Using
positive methods while training will keep him interested and motivated
to learn. You can train your dachshund yourself or can turn to a trainer
or training classes for help. The best way to find a reputable trainer
is to call your local shelter and ask for recommendations.
Dachshund
puppy playtime
One of the first aspects you will probably notice about your
Dachshund puppy is he loves to play. This is something you should
encourage and take part in, as playtime is very important to your dog
and you. After all, good playtimes will help to socialize and bond you
with your dog.
Furthermore, when you play with your Dachshund puppy, you will be able
to learn things about your dog’s temperament that you may not like. This
will allow you to train him out of bad and undesirable behaviors at an
early stage of his life.
The following are some tips for you to consider in order to make the
most of your Dachshund puppy playtime.
Observe your puppy’s reactions when playing – Does your Dachshund puppy
appear fearless when playing with you, or does he appear tense and shy.
If your dog is acting overly aggressive you need to teach him to be
gentler. Avoid games that involve high aggression such as wrestling and
tug of war, and opt for a more pleasant game of fetch.
Should your Dachshund be showing signs of shyness, you need to get him
to relax and trust you. Pet him and talk gently with him while you play
to eliminate his insecurities and ease his tensions.
What to do with an excessive biter – When you and your Dachshund puppy
are first learning to play with one another, it will not be uncommon for
your puppy to bite your hands or clothes. He should be taught
immediately that this is unacceptable behavior. Not controlling his
biting will only lead to future problems when he becomes a full grown
dog.
Thus, if you find your Dachshund puppy is becoming too violent or
aggressive when playing, interrupt him and stop the playtime by taking
your attention away from him. If he doesn’t get the message, get up and
leave the room, and leave him alone so he can think about what happened.
Do not yell at him, as this will only make him more aggressive and
excited and he’ll only bite all the more with added force.
Watch how he plays by himself or with other dogs - When you observe your
dog play without human contact you will get an idea for what he enjoys.
Play with your dog in this manner. While you always need to make your
Dachshund puppy understand that you are above him on the canine scale,
when playing he needs to feel like you’re a pal. Therefore, sometimes
lie on the ground with your pup and allow him to hold on to you with his
mouth or bite you (not aggressively of course) while you give him a
gentle scratch with your hand.
What to do if you don’t want to play with your puppy – Your Dachshund
puppy will want to play with you all the time if you let him. However,
since you won’t always be able to, or may not want to play with the pup,
you need to let him know this in a way he’ll understand.
Do not yell at the dog or tell him “No” if he is bothering you to play
with him. The best thing you can do is ignore him. Even if he becomes
angry and begins barking, don’t pay him the slightest bit of attention.
Don’t look at him, don’t speak to him. Eventually he will get the
message and leave you alone. Keep in mind that mature dogs in a pack
will only choose to play with puppies when they want to. This is how
your pup will learn his place and yours.
Learn how to play with the puppy first before allowing children to play
– It is imperative for you to teach your children how to properly play
with the Dachshund puppy. Let the children know what is acceptable and
unacceptable behavior from the dog, and what is unacceptable and
acceptable behavior of them when they play with the dog. This will
dramatically lower the risk of children being nipped by the dog, or the
children unintentionally or intentionally mistreating the puppy.
How often you should play with your puppy – Play with your Dachshund
puppy whenever you can and whenever you want to. Playing is a great way
to bond with your dog and keep him happy. However, playing should not be
a substitute for training. Your dog does need to learn commands.
Nevertheless, all work and no play is not an ideal lifestyle for your
dog. You need to find a happy medium that is acceptable for both you and
your Dachshund puppy.
Training sessions should be kept short (2–5 minutes for a puppy, 5–10
minutes for an adult). You can hold several sessions a day. Sessions
also should be specific, focused on a particular behavior. To train a
particular behavior:
1. Say “Yes!” as your dachshund performs the behavior, then provide a
reward. This marker word tells the dog that what he did was right. The
treat gives positive reinforcement.
2. Once your dachshund starts offering the desired behavior on his own,
add the verbal command, such as “Sit!”, to the action. Your dachshund
will associate the command with the action, and every time he performs
it, you’ll mark it with a “Yes!” After you say the marker word, he’ll
get a treat.
Make sure to say “Yes!” while the desired behavior is in process, not
after the behavior occurs. And never skimp on the reward, or your
dachshund will have little reason to keep paying attention.
Crate Training Your Dachshund
Crate training is the process of training your dog to enjoy spending
time in his crate. Crate training your dachshund will:
* Help with housetraining
* Allow you to confine and control your dog when you have guests or when
you have to go out
* Make traveling with your dog easier
Always remember that a dog can stay in a crate only as long as he can
“hold it.” Puppies can’t spend more than a couple hours in the crate,
and an adult shouldn’t spend more than six hours. To crate train your
dachshund:
1. Place the crate in a room where you and your family spend a lot of
time. Put comfortable bedding inside if you know that your dog won’t
chew it.
2. Lure your dachshund into the crate with a treat. Keep the door open.
3. Once he’s inside, mark the behavior with “Yes!”
4. Allow your dachshund to come out, but be calm and don’t interact with
him.
5. Lure him back into the crate, then treat again.
6. Continue to praise him when he’s in the crate, but act indifferently
when he’s out of the crate.
7. If your dachshund is comfortable with the crate, close the door for a
second, then open it and treat. Repeat until you can close it for a few
seconds without upsetting him.
8. Repeat, but get up and take a step away from the crate. If he’s calm,
come right back, say “Yes!” and treat. Then let him out. Continue until
you can walk across the room while he’s calm.
9. Continue this training until you can leave the room and then the
house, all while your dachshund is content in his crate.
If at any time in the process your dachshund becomes upset or is not
doing well, quit the training session for the day. But don’t stop before
you can get one calm second from him in the crate and treat him for it.
Housetraining Your Dachshund
Housetraining should start the minute you bring your new puppy or adult
dachshund home.
1. Between potty breaks, keep your dachshund in his crate or within 10
feet (3 m) of you. Tie his leash to your waist or use an exercise pen.
2. Watch for signs that your dachshund needs to go—sniffing the ground,
circling, or scratching the floor. When you see these signs, take him
outside to the potty area.
3. Wait for him to pee or poop, then reward him. If he doesn’t go, put
him in his crate for 10 minutes and then try again.
4. If you catch your dachshund eliminating inside, bring him outside to
the potty area immediately. Let him finish outside, and reward him.
Scoop up the mess inside after you return.
Never punish your dachshund for eliminating in the house, because this
will teach him that eliminating at all is wrong. If your puppy or adult
dachshund has a setback, just start the training over again.
Teaching Your Dachshund Basic Commands
Any well-behaved dachshund should know and follow five basic commands:
come, sit, down, stay, and walk nicely on a leash. Knowing these
commands will make your dachshund easier to manage and keep safe in any
situation.
Teaching Your Dachshund to Come
1. Begin indoors. Holding treats in one hand, call your dachshund’s name
to get his attention.
2. When he looks over at you for a second, mark “Yes!” and treat.
3. Continue until he comes over to you for a treat when you call his
name.
4. Put him on a long line and take him outside. Let him explore to the
end of the line, then call him.
5. When he looks at you, encourage him to come running by showing a
treat. Mark “Yes!” as he runs toward you, and treat when he gets to you.
6. Once it’s clear that he understands that coming to you results in a
treat, say his name and the word “come” when you call.
Teaching Your Dachshund to Sit
1. Begin with your dog standing and facing you.
2. Hold a treat between your thumb and index finger over your dog’s
nose, then move your hand slowly back toward his tail.
3. His head should follow the treat, and his rear should move into a
sit. Mark “Yes!” and treat.
4. If he won’t sit entirely, “shape” the behavior by marking “Yes!” and
treating approximations of the sit, such as the rear lowering a little,
then a little more, and so on.
5. Eventually your dog will offer a sit on his own. Mark “Yes!” and
treat.
6. Now you can add the verbal “Sit,” and he’ll come to associate the
word with the action. Be very precise with the word, using it only once,
then waiting for the action.
Teaching Your Dachshund to Down
1. Start with your dachshund in the sit position. Hold a treat in your
hand and let him smell it.
2. Move your hand toward the floor and slide it along the floor away
from his nose. If he gets up to get the treat, put him back in the sit
position and try again.
3. Once your dachshund’s elbows touch the floor as he lies down while
following the treat, mark “Yes!” and treat.
4. Repeat until he begins to offer the behavior on his own. Then add the
verbal cue and continue to treat.
5. Finally, train him to go into the down position from a standing
position using the same method.
Teaching Your Dachshund to Stay
1. Put your dog in a sit or down position, then step in front of him,
holding a flattened palm to his face.
2. Look him in the eye and say “Stay” in a firm voice.
3. After a second of motionlessness, lean down and mark “Yes!” and treat
him. Then say “Okay,” which will be the release command from “Stay.”
4. Eventually work up to more time in the stay, then vary the time you
ask for, so that your dachshund doesn’t learn to stay only for a set
amount of time.
The crucial thing is to treat while your dachshund is in the stay, not
after, or he’ll think that you’re rewarding the release.
Teaching Your Dachshund to Walk on a Leash
1. Put your dachshund on his leash using a flat buckle collar.
2. When he pulls, stop and wait for him to relax and for slack to come
into the leash. The second this happens, mark “Yes!” and treat, then
keep walking.
3. Repeat until your dachshund realizes that if he pulls, he won’t get
anywhere, but if he relaxes, he’ll receive a treat and get to keep
walking.
4. Add the verbal cue “Let’s go” when it’s clear that he understands.
5. If your dachshund pulls when he sees another dog or anything else he
wants, turn him around, walk in the other direction, and say “Let’s go.”
Then mark “Yes!” and treat him for coming along.
Teaching Your Dachshund Tricks
Your dachshund enjoys showing off and will try hard to please you.
Teaching your dog tricks can satisfy both these aspects of his
personality. Following are some tricks you can teach your dachshund:
Roll Over
1. Ask your dachshund to down.
2. Once your dachshund is lying down (on a soft surface, such as grass
or carpet), roll him over gently onto one side and over to the other as
you say “Roll over!”
3. Reward him when he complies with your instruction, increasing your
enthusiasm as he begins to roll more of his body on his own.
4. With repetition, he soon will be able to roll over with just the
verbal cue.
Which Hand?
1. Close your fist around a little treat.
2. Hold both hands out and ask your dog “Which hand?”
3. Your dog probably will pry at your fists with his mouth but don’t
open them until he uses his paw.
4. When he touches the correct fist with his paw, give him the treat and
lots of praise.
