Potty Training a Dachshund is challenging, but don’t get scared. It’s just like housebreaking any other fur-buddy. This experience can be enjoyable for you and your pooch, although it requires discipline from both parties.

Get to Know Your Dachshund

It’s usually tricky to assemble something without reading the instructions first.  House training a Dachshund becomes smooth once you understand their personality and know what to pay attention to. As soon as you get to know them, you will see that behind their stubbornness and defiance lies an intelligent, loving, and loyal heart.

Brief History of Dachshunds

The Dachshund breed originates from Germany, from around the 16th century. Their mission was to dig tunnels and hunt badgers and other underground animals. If you take a look at their elongated bodies and short and sturdy legs, you’ll realize that their physique is wholly adjusted to enable them to perform these tasks. Bulkier Dachshunds were going after much bigger animals than themselves, such as foxes and deer. Today, there are regular-sized and miniature-sized Doxies. 

Dachshund Temperament and Personality 

Source: walttheminidachshund

Fighting with pests throughout centuries, they picked up a lot of courage and independence, so now we are dealing with saucy yet perky, willful yet devoted pups. Even though they’re lap-sized, it’s not unusual to see them take on animals larger than themselves.

They are playful pups whose intelligence enhances their inherent stubbornness and curiosity. Their self-will is what makes Dachshunds one of the most challenging dogs to train.

A sneaky Dachshund will always have that “what’s in it for me?” attitude. So, your task is to be a bit more devious than them. Difficulties you may stumble upon while training your canine involve:

• Loud barking
• Obsessive digging
• Proneness to attack
• Time-consuming potty training

If you train them successfully, instead of misbehaving, the Dachshunds’ endearing personality will come to the fore.

Source:miniature___milo

Potty Training A Dachshund

When dealing with such a demanding breed, you need to prepare yourself for challenging training sessions. The little beastie will have to follow the rules, but so will you. The most basic need for a puppy is proper training. Dog training has the highest percentage of success if you raise them from puppyhood, but whenever you start, you must adhere to the following:

1. Be consistent. Whatever you are trying to teach your dog, stay consistent. You should give treats after the successful completion of the task. If canines get them all the time and without any particular cause, they lose their value. Make sure you get high-quality treats that will rejoice the pup, and steer clear from the worst dog treat brands.
2. Repeat sessions. Training sessions need to be repetitive to cut into your pup’s memory. Repeat them as often as your time allows you to.
3. Keep the training short. Train for 10 to 15 minutes and take a break. Dachshunds puppies have a short attention span, and they get bored fast. Intense and short sessions are the most effective ones.
4. Establish a routine. Make a schedule that you’ll adhere to every day. Any deviation from the plan will slow down the process.
5. End on a positive note. Giving your dog a treat or praising them at the end of the session will provide your canine mental stimulation.

Potty training your hairy companion can start two months after the newborn phase passes, and when they can leave their mother. What you need to remember is that Dachshund cuties have small bladders, which means they will go a lot. To avoid collecting their gifts around the house the whole day, you need to start taking notes!

Source: sweetsausage_benjie

Using The Magic Pee Pad

Let’s start with the basics. The best place to potty train your dog is, of course, outside. Cleaning is easier, and your house is less likely to smell like a kennel. Most owners usually start housebreaking with pee pads before taking their puppies outside. Getting them used to a pee pad faster involves several steps:

1. Let them sniff the potty pad. They need to be introduced to its smell before going so that they don’t get scared of it later.
2. Place them on a potty when the time comes. When you sense that your pups could go, pick them up and put them on a potty pad.
3. Praise them after they go. Treats and praise work wonders with Dachshund pups so don’t get too busy with cleaning and forget about them.

While they can be useful, sometimes the potty pads make an unnecessary step in housebreaking a Dachshund puppy. Before starting to use them, you need to understand the ins and outs of potty pad training. Let’s go through the pros and cons.

On the plus side:

• They are handy if you can’t take your puppy out. Although it’s much harder to potty train a dog when you live in a high-rise apartment, it’s feasible. People who live in places without a yard often see potty pads as life-savers.
• Once you get the canine used to them, it’s easy to clean. Just pick the pad up and toss it away! 
• They’re very instrumental when leaving your home. When you need to get out of the house, the best solution is to find a room for your pups and cover the floor with potty pads. This also applies to newspapers and paper towels, but they can be messy. If you don’t have a spare room, you need to find a bathroom spot for your canine beastie. Dachshunds are scent hound dogs, and they tend to reuse the same spot to pee and defecate.

On the minus side:

• Puppy potty pad and paper can perplex your pup. When they get a bit older, you will want to teach your puppy to eliminate outside, which means that they need to unlearn everything they’ve picked up about pads and start over. If you come to this, try to alleviate the transition process as much as you can. First, start moving the pad closer to the entrance door and then take it outside.
• Your dog learns that it’s ok to go in the house. Yup. That’s what your pup is going to pick up as well. Other than unnecessary, it’s also unsanitary.
• They might use potty pads as chewing toys. Dachshund puppies can get a bit aggressive, and they are big fans of chewing, too.

Instead of potty pads, you can also use a litter box. People usually use them for cats, but as Dachshunds are small dogs, they can fit into it easily.

Confine Your Puppy

Source: dachshundthecutemokistar

Confinement can be useful in potty training as puppies will understand that there are some limits on where they can or can not go. Provide a little fry with a clean crate where they are going to sleep and get the meals.

The crate should not be big. Dogs don’t like to pee or poop in the same place they sleep and eat, so they will most likely keep them clean. If you need help with choosing a crate, take a look at these dog kennel ideas.

Don’t use confinement to punish your pup. Remember, your buddy is just a baby, and they learn about the world through associations. Instilling fear will make them nervous, and they will start eliminating even in the safe space.

Use Rewards

The trick is to always have a treat at hand and to praise them whenever they shine. Your little canine will start making an association between the action and the treat and be more likely to repeat it. Always praise your dog immediately after they finish.

While they are still at their bathroom spot, give them a treat or praise your pal. It might sound a bit weird, but if you wait until you get back to the house or change a room, the puppy will associate the praise with something else.

The little cutie will make a relation between the word and the action much faster if the treat is yummy and flavourful. Some of the treats you can use are found on the top 10 best dog dental chews list. They are easy to digest, and the dogs adore them! If you see any of the worst dog treat brands in the store, don’t consider taking them.

Wait until they finish! 

Doxies have a short attention span, and they can get distracted easily. You don’t want to interrupt your buddy while they’re relieving themselves. If you feel bored, take a newspaper or a book with you. Dachshunds have small bladders, and they need to relieve themselves even at night. Not giving them a lot of water to drink before sleep could help you gain more sleep, though, but you need to prepare yourself for night tours and visits.

Supervise your Doxie 

You must supervise your hairy companion all the time. Don’t let them relieve themselves outside their bathroom spot. This will take the training process a few steps back.

Follow the signs that tell you that your Doxie needs to go:

1. Fidgeting
2. Starting to circle before crouching down
3. Sniffing the ground
4. Tension and uneasiness
5. Licking their groins
6. Sudden change in behavior

As soon as you notice any of these signs, take your puppy to their bathroom spot.

Take Your Pup Outside

Even though you can usually interpret when your little Sausage Dog needs to go, you need to take them out all the time. Especially at the beginning, your pup doesn’t have any control of their bladder, so better safe than sorry. Creating a puppy potty training timeline is not easy, as you have to devote much of your time to the endeavor. Once you get into a routine, you will also get used to it.

Teach Them a Cue Word

As soon as you notice any of the signs and think that it’s time for number one or two, take your dog to their bathroom spot. When you put them down, say the word potty. The Dachshund pup will link the word and the action. Don’t let them play outside after finishing. The cutie will also relate their cue word with playing outside! You can also opt for a different cue word, but keep in mind—the shorter, the better.

Don’t Punish Your Little One

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Yelling at and scolding your pooch is a terrible practice and you should not resort to it. These pups can get irritated on the spur of the moment, so it’s better not to provoke them. Hitting a puppy is similar to hitting a baby, which is what they are in the first few months.

Don’t put your pup’s face in their accident, as it is an old-fashioned, cruel method.
They start controlling their bladder when they’re six months of age, so try to understand that it’s not their fault. In the first five to six months, pups can control it one hour for every month of age, so if your dog is one month old, they’ll be able to hold it for one hour. If your canine is not doing something right, try to find holes in your training and improve it!

If the little meatball makes an accident outside the bathroom spot, somewhere in the house, scrub the place thoroughly. If you don’t, your puppy will mark that place for the future. You can use dog-odor neutralizers for cleaning the spot.

Make Feeding Schedule 

The most crucial part of any training is keeping a schedule and sticking to it. You will be able to predict your canine’s needs if you follow your daily routine. Puppies usually relieve themselves 15-30 minutes after meals.

Creating a fixed feeding schedule will help you calculate their go time. Without trying to interpret their actions and movements, you will know precisely when to take them out! Make sure you’re not overfeeding your canine, as they will disrupt the whole cycle. Giving them food outside their regular intervals might cause overnight defecation.

And remember, you need a healthy dog that you can work with. Adequate nutrition and high-quality food will make your puppy lively, healthy, and robust.

In this table, you find a small reminder regarding how many meals per day should a puppy get.

Training Dachshund Senior Dogs 

If you adopt a senior Dachshund, don’t be scared. There are many advantages of adopting an older dog from a shelter. They are usually even easier to train than the little ones. You need to learn how to housetrain an adult dog and dedicate some of your time to them.

Almost the same rules we have for puppies, apply here. Training an older Dachshund is more straightforward because they don’t have the urge to eliminate that often as young dogs. The essential thing to remember is to start with training as soon as they come into your home. They will need to go the very same day, and in your best interest to help them find the perfect bathroom spot.

The only problem you might have while house training an older Dachshund is their stubbornness. You need to be persistent and show them that you are in charge. Keep training sessions short and frequent. Be consistent!

Check Out These Cuties

If you are still not certain which dog to adopt, take a look at the list of mixed Dachshund breeds below!

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund
2. Schmid, S., et al. “Pituitary Macrotumor Causing Narcolepsy-Cataplexy in a Dachshund.” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, vol. 31, no. 2, January 2017, pp. 545–549., doi:10.1111/jvim.14640.
3. Beauchesne, Ryan. Crusoe, the Worldly Wiener Dog: Further Adventures with the Celebrity Dachshund. St. Martins Griffin, 2018.