Dachshund Owners Answer: 50 Tips to Make Life with Your New Puppy Easier

There is no better way to learn about raising a Dachshund puppy than to ask other Dachshund owners for advice.

A few months ago, I asked our Facebook fans for their best tips and advice for getting through the crazy doxie puppy stage.

Facebook post asking Dachshund owners for their best puppy-raising tips

Over 100 people commented with their best puppy-raising advice. I compiled this answers into this article.

I tried my best to arrange the comments by topic but many of them cover offer multiple different tips so definitely read them all.

Also, these are largely unedited, except for a few instances where I needed to add clarification, so please excuse any spelling and grammar errors.

Note: these are real Dachshund owners but I have not included their names for privacy reasons. You can view the original comments on our Facebook post.

On Potty Training a Dachshund Puppy

Dachshunds are known for needing a lot of consistency, and some extra time and patience, during potty training.

It can be especially challenging if you’re trying to get your Dachshund to potty outside in the rain and cold.

But don’t give up.

“Patience ! Patience ! Patience!”

“Be prepared for lots of time outside. The only real way to potty train a doxie is to out stubborn them.

Put on your jacket (with treats in pocket), attach the leash. Puppy does not get to play or go back inside until they potty.

If it’s really awful outside, go inside to warm up, but hold your pup. No playing, no praise, then go back outside and try again.

Do this every time in all weather conditions and in a few weeks life will be peachy.”

“Try a bell. I think it naturally appeals to their bossy personalities and is especially helpful if you live in an apartment or somewhere that they can’t connect this door =going potty.”

“A bell was so helpful!

He learned great on the main floor where he could indicate at the door in a week or two, but not being able to do stairs as a pup he had lots of accidents on other floors.

Added a bell by the stairs, helped him ring it before we went out, problem solved in 2-3 days.

Except then we eventually had to confiscate the bell because he would ring it incessantly to just go play outside.”

“This method was so key for training ours to go in the rain: He actually was housetrained within a few weeks, but magically forgot his manners when it was raining

…no house play time until you pee outside in the rain and then crazy puppy party when you do it right.”

“[My puppy] took longer to potty train than my other Dachshunds.

When I got home I let her out immediately but she wanted to play instead of potty and would come back in to do her jobs.

So, I started putting her out for 15 min and if she did not potty back into the crate she went. I left her there for 10 min then back out.

I kept doing this routine until she went potty. It took 2 different days of doing this when she realized she needed to potty before play.

I also taught my Dachshunds to ring a potty bell.”

On the Importance of Training and Consistency for a Dachshund Puppy

Despite the common stereotype, Dachshunds can be trained.

“Enroll in a positive training program in a group situation teaches the dog how to function among others and it trains the master!

I definitely needed the training…it’s easy to cave to Dachshund ways.”

“Train as much as possible, I have not found anything more effective than 2 min time outs.”

“Consistency, love, exercise and positive reinforcement [are very important].”

“Consistency, you have to make them listen to you, follow thru on everything you say to them.”

“For nipping problems, I found the technique where you scream [like it hurt] and then ignore them for a few minutes to be super effective.

But you really have to sell the scream to startle them or they don’t believe you. Awkward but effective.”

“Just generally beware of how spongey and fast learning they are.

Ours learned all sorts of unintended thing like how he keeps a mental list of things the cat is not allowed to do because Mom and Dad yell at her (drink water from glasses, scratch furniture, etc).

Now he feels the need to police her directly when she “steps out of line” or frantic alert bark so we come intervene. She does not appreciate it. Ha, ha.”

“Consistency!! They are too smart & stubborn to allow us to be lackadaisical with the training.

Those big soulful eyes can make you do things you wouldn’t normally allow (yes guilty!).”

“Take your pup to dog training classes. It socializes them and is good for both you and the dog.

Also, take any opportunity to keep up the training at home. Since my dog always follows me into the bathroom, I keep dog treats there and when I am sitting, we do sit, down, etc.

Finding time to work with them really is good.”

“Consistency.

In the Dachshund world, if you do something twice, it becomes the rule of law. It’s great for training but if you let something slide one time, they’ll try it 1,000 more.

This goes hand in hand with establishing routines. Dachshunds love routines. It’s so much easier to get them to do something they think is their idea.

Routines will help you with things that would otherwise be challenges like leaving the house, bathing, getting nails done, etc.”

“TRAIN DAILY. This includes grooming, especially nails!

My wire Dachshund puppy just lays there while I trim his feet and nails, but I had to be consistent an do it multiple times a week (with lots of rewards!) to keep him comfortable with it, even though my breeder was amazing and started him very young.

Short nails are super important for Dachshunds especially.

We also work on behaviors he knows or learn new things every day.

It is also very important to get them out in the world and socialize with all sorts of people and other dogs, especially larger breeds.”

“My baby wiener learned so much from the other dog… She was his trainer and my savior.”

Check Out How to Choose the Best Training Treats for Dachshunds and these important Dachshund Training Tips.

On Exercising and Tiring a Dachshund Puppy Out

“A tired dog is a good dog. Don’t be lazy with your pet.

I take my puppies outside to go potty after they wake up from night or naps, after eating or drinking, and every 20m in between.

I always joke that if you potty train puppies this way and keep them exercised at the same time a person should lose 20lbs.

It’s a rough first 6-8 months but it sets the pup up for life.”

“I would say two things….one give them exercise and walks and two use food for training…

and I always train ‘down’ right away…because they really don’t like to do down and the sooner you make it fun and they do it, (all training should be fun and positive) or you will get ‘tude.”

“Activity every day. Ball, chew toys. Keep them active.”

“My biggest lifesaver was that I have a dog daycare/training/etc place nearby that has a great service: puppy playtime.

A couple of days a week they offer a 45 minute session of supervised play, with the humans present.

They have it divided into two age groups: under 12 weeks, and 12 weeks to 8-10 months (or older, they loved my puppy so much that he got to go up until a year old.)

They learn so much there playing with other puppies their age, it’s safer than a dog park, and the dogs are just limp balls of fur for the rest of the day!”

“Walks walks walks. Focused activity such as playing ball.”

Enrichment toys!

Hiking when they are over 6 months!

My wire hair Pepper was/is the craziest dachshund puppy I have had! She’s over a year and still acts like she did when we adopted her at 4 months haha.”

Important: Read How to Know When Your Puppy is Old Enough for Regular, Sustained Exercise

Photo of Dachshund Hiking on a Rock panned out to give perspective

On Dachshund Puppy Teething

Puppy teeth are sharp and it can hurt if they nip at you or try to use your fingers as a teething ring.

Add to that, Dachshunds have extremely strong jaws for their size.

Here are some tips to help curb the nipping and biting habit.

“They will find items that you haven’t seen in years….then tear it up.

“A strong chew toy that aids teething.”

“A chew toy the puppy cannot destroy and occupy their time.

It took two months, but we have found this bone stands up to the assault given out by “our bundle of joy”.

He has destroyed at least 10 tennis balls and multiple stuffed toys.”

“During the early weeks, those little teeth are soooooo sharp even chew proof toys are not safe.

I used a frozen piece of cloth knotted, the cool helps sooth pain and the knots help loosen baby teeth.

As with any baby, only use when supervised, take away if they start shredding it so they don’t swallow strings.”

“Lots of appropriate chew toys, and hide any wires/cords that may look tasty.

Come up with a good way for them to let you know they need to potty. And of course, socialization and training!!”

“All the chew toys and constant redirecting to them.

It took a while to find the types of textures that appeal to him but definitely a lifesaver for stuff.

Ours still chews a rawhide for 20-30 minutes before falling asleep each night. It seems to be some sort of meditative sleep hygiene thing for him.”

“Keep an eye on your woodwork!”

On the Joy of Raising a Dachshund Puppy and Patience

Raising a Dachshund puppy will try your patience and can lead to the puppy blues, but you will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts – baby Dachshunds are such a joy!

“Patience, patience, patience, and lots of treats to re-enforce good behavior…

hopefully the puppy has an older, wiser, seasoned doxie to mimic, I believe they learn a lot by just watching and doing what the other one does.”.

“Learn to ignore them when they want your attention. It’s harder than anything but works wonders!!”

“Mine is annoyingly clever and smart. Like, understands how to trick me in my ignoring-game.

Adorably stubborn – can only love them more haha!”

“Enjoy the antics no matter how frustrating.

Take videos too. I miss the days of my unmentionables shimming across the living room.”

Dachshund puppy sitting in the grass with an orange collar on

General Dachshund Puppy Tips

Here are some more Dachshund puppy raising tips that I thought were insightful but that didn’t fit neatly in any category above.

“It was challenging having two [Dachshunds] who were siblings from same litter 10 wks old – different personalities and needs but here we are 11 yrs later!

at 11 1/2 they are still coming up with fun personality quirks – as of late brother voice his displeasure at not getting treats from the dinner table with these funny groan type noises.

Consistency and Dental care!!”

“Patience and consistency and portable fencing in the house.

Our puppy is a poop eater and the only way to prevent it, we’ve found is to pick it up immediately, not always possible though.”

“Their goal in life is to unstuff everything, take squeakers out of the toys then they don’t want it anymore.

They are very [stubborn] too. If you say NO wait a few minutes they will try it again! They get very protective of their family!”

“My tip: Our 7 month old doxie has a weakness for shoes. She doesn’t chew anything else (besides her own toys).

She would sneak into my closet and come flying out with a shoe as if she thought we won’t see her if she runs fast enough.

Then I set mouse traps. The cheap wooden ones. I placed them in a couple of shoes upside down so she wouldn’t get hurt.

The SNAP scared her and now she stays out of my closet. Instant fix.”

“Don’t leave the toilet tissue out where they can reach it, my doxie thought it was a treat.”

“It’s tempting to let it go (because watching them launch is sooooo cute!) but train [your Dachshund] not to jump off furniture, couches, beds, etc.

Their spines will thank you in the long run.”

“After 40 years of rescue weiners; we ended up with a 4 month old…

I had forgotten how much work and patience is required with a new puppy.

The glorious part? Our new one was already housebroken (a true miracle with this breed).

However; the trials of retraining this old brain with new puppy ways were aggravating at the very least.

Chewed up books; remotes; clothes; furniture, you name it, he chewed it. Puppy proof anything within reach.

And train….. train….. Train…..”

On the Lighter Side of Raising a Dachshund Puppy

Raising a Dachshund puppy sounds like a lot of work, right?

It is but doing it will also bring a lot of joy and surprise into your life.

“God help you.(but it’s worth it!)”

“Look under all blankets before you sit.”

“Drink adult beverages after she falls asleep, rest and get prepared for another fun filled day. Repeat for about 18 months.

Enjoy every single day with her. It is such a joy to see their personalities bloom.”

“Let them be crazy and enjoy the high energy they have as babies. It won’t last forever.”

“Have patience and take lots of puppy pictures.”

To Learn More About a Dachshund’s Funny Quirks, Read My Article 11 Funny Things About Dachshunds Only Owners Will Understand

Final Thoughts

Raising a Dachshund puppy is a lot of work.

It can be a real challenge, especially if you have never done it before.

One of the best ways to get through the first 4 months with your Dachshund is to be patient and seek out advice from other Dachshund parents that successfully made it through the puppy phase.

I hope this insight from our readers is helpful to you.

For more information, read 5 Things That Will Make the First Days with A New Puppy Easier and 5 Things You Should Start Teaching Your Dachshund Puppy The Day They Come Home.

Dachshund Owners Answer: Tips to Make Life with Your New Puppy Easier

In Summary

I think this list of tips is a must-read for anyone who is thinking of getting a Dachshund puppy or has just brought one home.

Some of the common themes here, and ones I would agree with based on experience, are:

Consistency and patience are THE two skills you need to raise a Dachshund puppy.

Dachshunds can be difficult to potty train.

Yes, generally, Dachshunds are more difficult to potty train than some other dog breeds.

However, it’s totally achievable with consistency and routine. With Dachshunds, you may need to give them an annual refresher when the wet and cold season begins.

A lot of people chimed in saying potty bells helped prevent accidents in the house. I know with 2 of my 3 Dachshunds, the signs they needed to go potty were VERY subtle. Bells are one way your puppy can clearly let you know they need to go out.

Dachshunds can be trained.

Dachshunds are whip-smart. They are capable of quickly picking up tricks and commands.

Their intelligence can also mean they think they know better than you.

This can come across as stubborn but they are easy to train with a little consistent effort every day.

With Dachshunds though, I always joke that they are so smart that they can quickly learn when they can pull one over on you too. Let something slide once and they will never forget that they didn’t always have to do it “the right way.”

Dachshunds need, and are capable of, regular exercise (but it should be short bursts of gentle exercise until they are old enough).

Raising a Dachshund puppy can be a challenge but the joys are worth it.

Do you have any tips for raising a Dachshund puppy? Or any questions?

About the Author

Hi, I’m Jessica. I’m a Dachshund sitter, President of the largest social Dachshund club in Washington State, a dog trainer in training, and I’ve been a Dachshund owner for 20 years. I have over 150,000 hours of experience with the breed. When I’m not working, you can find me hiking, camping, and traveling with my adventurous wiener dogs.

46 Comments

  1. These puppy tips worked well with my adopted 3.5 yr old mixed Dachshund as well. Apparently she didn’t have stuffed toys, any training, poor girl didn’t Know Sit! no leash education, socialized only to her family & pack.
    Thanks to YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner helped Me to understand she wasn’t damaged, but that she was not educated. 3 months to potty train an almost 4 year old dog- I was at wits end until I found YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner.
    My girl is now a delight. Still stubborn, but that’s her personality ❤️

    1. I just happened on your article today. It made me laugh. Dachshunds can be a challenge. I have owned three.
      My 3rd one is a long hair male is 15 yr. 8 mo. His other buddies are in doggy paradise.
      Anyway, I want to add a suggestion or two which l have found works wonderfully : I say OUCH! really loud instead of screaming when getting nipped. It’s gets the point across quickly and won’t have your neighbors calling the police.
      And when taking them outside to do their business, I constantly repeat hurry up, hurry up, until they go. Or you can repeat go toilet, go toilet.
      I like the constant repetition because when it is below freezing or raining, you get it!
      I don’t remember puppy training being too difficult because I always had an abundance of rag toys around (stuffed toys that had their squeakers removed within a half hour of my male Golden Retriever ripping it out as fast as possible).
      Also marrow bones or knuckle bones were great …they would savor them after my Goldens were through or bored with them. Nothing like watching mini doxies dragging around large items.
      I rarely had problems with rawhide chews because I would initially moniter my dogs, so that they wouldn’t gobble them down, as to prevent regurgitation.
      I have found male doxies to be less stubborn then females, and seem to bark less.
      Training a pup is so much easier if you happen to already have a more mature dog in their life, because they seem to follow the leader.
      And by the way you haven’t lived until you have heard a squeaker jam session of my two Goldens and the 3 Dachshunds.
      By the way, my female, smooth coat, red dachshund gave a whole new meaning to the word stubborn.

      1. Great tips. Thanks. I say “go potty” to Summit and Gretel. Gretel has learned to go potty on demand, which is very handy, but Summit is young so I’m still waiting for her to catch on 🙂

      2. I had a little red. Just lost her about 2 years ago. That little girl took my heart when she died.It is so hard,she was our baby
        Girl for 12 years.

  2. Hi,

    My SO and I just adopted a 10 week old mini dachshund (male). We were wondering what kind of feeding routine Dachshund puppies need? Should we let him open graze or restrict feeding to certain periods?

    Best,
    J&M

    1. Hi Jim. While I know a few Dachshunds it works fine for, I am personally very against free feeding. There are so many issues with it like it can promote food aggression, lead to a Dachshund becoming overweight, and less of an ability to catch health issues early. A puppy needs to be fed small meals 3-4 times a day. Get a good puppy food, calculate the amount of food he will need (just go with the recommendations on the back of the package) and divide that amount into 3-4 meals spaced out through the day. If I remember right, my puppy ate about 1/4 cup of food 3 times a day plus about another 1/4 cup of high-nutrition treats for training.

  3. OMG. I’m so glad I found this site and that my Cooper is “normal”. ? I’m having such a hard time house training him with both potty and CHEWING-EVERYTHING (including walls, my wireless internet wires ((TWICE-before we could really get it out of his way)), every pair of flip flop ((just could not hide them)), the only “toy” we’ve found he could not destroy was a “tree bone” as he loves to chew sticks. He also really loves stuffed animals and carries them like babies-for a couple of days, then they die a horrible death. He has unstuffed two pieces of furniture. ??‍♀️ And paper towels, how he finds them we just don’t know. He is so flipping smart though and has won both my both mine and my husband’s heart. This is our second dachshund, the other was a mini and not nearly as destructive.
    We both work and I absolutely hate the thought of putting him in a crate. But, is that the best way to potty train?
    I have signed up for training at our local PetSmart, I hope it’s a good one. I want to take him all the way through to service dog if possible. Do you think he would be trainable for that as his breed? I have rheumatoid along other debilitating issues but can still get around and want to be able to take him with me to walk and get his appropriate exercise.
    I’m so sorry this was so long. ? I just got so excited to see my Cooper and our issues were just part of who he is. Almost to a tee. I am worried a bit about his back. He is LONG (I’m not sure how to correctly measure but from tail bone to nose he is 28 inches and 12 inches from shoulder to foot, but jumps not only off the bed but through the yard like a rabbit. It’s hilarious.
    Okay, I stop. If this gets read – THANK YOU!! ?

    1. Hi Leila. Glad you found us! Puppies can be challenging for sure. A crate can help with “potty training” in that they typically won’t go potty where they sleep so it can help them to learn to hold it when you are not home. If you are just concerned with accidents in the house, you can contain your dog to a room that doesn’t have carpet in it (like the kitchen using a dog gate). That won’t curb the urge to go potty though. Dachshunds can definitely be trained to be service dogs as long as they are capable of performing the task.

  4. I used to open feed with my first dachshund. He got chunky! 35 years later, I have doxy mixes and I like to think of myself as smarter than my dogs (at least 50%of the time). I feed them morning and night. They are all rescues and I’m never quite sure what baggage they bring with them. my biggest problem has been with my 7 yr old. She was found on the streets and is afraid of everything. IT has some taken weeks for her to remain on the same sofa with me. When I move, she flies off the sofa and hides in her kennel. She’s won’t follow me outside or allow me close enough to put on a leash to potty train. Right now she will go out When she wants to but otherwise she uses pee dis on throw rugs.

  5. My dog rowdy is 19 1/2 years old and perfect in every way a person could not ask for a better dog when he needs to go potty he just says Hey Dad get your lazy butt up and take me out and hurry up about it

    1. Wow nice to see all the comments. I have an 8 month old short haired female – my 1st & unfortunately prior owner crated her from birth so House and lease training a big challenge as well as socialization. We bonded quick & she’s very protective of me. I’m single so just her and I. I hope training will be successful we signed up for Petsmart but it’s been postponed for now. Wish me luck. @ home training

  6. My SO and I are adopting 2 eight week smooth hairs from the same litter and are planning on crate training them. They say a 24” crate is good for one dachshund, how big should we get for two if we want them both in same crate? We don’t want to leave too much room as I know from growing up with single dachshunds too much room means they will use that space as a restroom!

    1. Hi John. It depends on how big your pups will be and whether you want to buy one big enough for them to grow into. Personally, I would buy one that is big enough for both of them when full grown. For now, you can stuff the whole crate with a bed so it seems “full” and they will be very unlikely to potty in there. Also, I must add that I caution against crating them both together. Siblings are prone to a thing called “littermate syndrome” which can make them more bonded to each other than you (so training is hard and they are less likely to listen). It also regularly ends up in separation anxiety if one ever has to be away from the other (vet appointments, travel, etc.). The best way to combat both of those things is to start teaching them to be ok without the other. The first step is to make sure they learn to sleep in separate crates. But I digress. This article may help you to choose the best dog crate: https://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/how-to-choose-a-small-dog-crate-for-your-dachshund/

  7. I’ve added this page to my favorites! So many good tips and advice. As of a few days ago, my boyfriend and I found our fur-baby, Winston. He’s a long haired blue/cream dapple and will be ready to join our little family by mid-February. Thank you for compiling these comments and sharing with us!

  8. Hi my gorgeous doxie is 2yrs he has been great to toilet train ,He is a pleasure to have everyone loves him,he’s brilliant with children.One big issue is that he barks like a street fighter at other dogs and sounds so aggresive.Any suggestions would be helpful.Thanks

  9. O my gosh. I lost Fritzie in 2016…feels like yesterday. You made me giggle and laugh out loud.
    There is No LOVE like that of a Dachshund ♡.
    Our first 6 months were hell. The next 16 years were a wild & happy Dream! ?

    1. I’m sorry for your loss. Dachshunds are indeed special little creatures – more than just a dog to me.

  10. My little baby is so smart and loving. I’ve had her a year now and I have to problems with her other then she wants to be the center of attention. I have a mastiff and a Jack Russell and my little dachshund runs the show. I have to get on to her for Passing the master of around. passing the massive of around. That is quite a sight. She is very stubborn but if I want her to do something I have to sing Misty Blue to her. Her name is misty so she loves it. Thank you, I enjoy the read.

    1. She sounds like a typical Dachshund… running the show 🙂 They are super smart and can be trained but, in my experience, they will always try to outsmart you at least a little.

    2. Please could you tell me if I should have my Heidi spayed? She is 8 months old. I am so worried about IVDD. Thank you.

  11. I lost my black & tan, Emmitt DEC 2018. Am still not over it. We have Ozzie an adult rescue who is the best boy ever and are excited to bring home Oscar in late June. Am really enjoying your website, thanks for all the info.

    1. I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sure you are excited for your new chapter though. Thanks for checking out my blog.

  12. Thank you so much for this article! I just got a 9 week old long haired black and tan little guy I named Dante a few days ago! He’s a riot. It’s really nice to see him come out of his shell (he loves his squeaky toy!) Do you have any tips on training him without the use of treats? He is currently being crate trained and I am waiting for his vet appointment tomorrow to see when I can take him out on walks.

    1. Congratulations on your new puppy! Whenever you ask your dog to do something (during training) there has to be a reward for doing the correct thing. This helps your pup know they did what you asked correctly and helps motivate to do that again. For successful training, you have to find what motivates your dog most. For most dogs, that is going to be treats. There is no way around it. Some dogs are more motivated by squeaky toys and play. It’s my understanding that training sessions can take longer if you are using a toy as a reward because to be able to have the same impact as a treat, a dog needs to actually get to play with the thing. So instead of treat, do it again it’s play for 30-60 seconds, get the toy away from the dog again, then do it again. Hope that makes sense. Eventually, you will be able to phase any reward out. They key with treats and small dogs is to choose tasty treats that are under 3 calories (under 1 is ideal but hard to find). Here are some of my favorites: https://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/the-best-dog-training-treats-for-dachshunds/

  13. Hi Jessica
    I just got my puppy Archy last week.. I love all the info I have learned from you.. I have never had this breed of dog before.. He is adorable and is very loving and smart too.
    I have had him a week and he goes potty either on the potty pad or outside on his own.He is already very independent on the potty pads and outside he responds to POTTY. Should I still be giving him treats when it is his idea to use the potty pad???
    also when should I start training him on a leash? He is only 3.5 lbs. and how much should I let him jump at this age?? when we go outside I carry him down the steps but coming back in he kinda is learning to jump up them, is this Ok or not???I only have 4 steps.. Thank you for answers in advance or for leting me know where to find them 🙂

    1. Hi Benita. Congratulations on becoming a Dachshund owner. With everything you teach a dog with treats, they should eventually be phased out. I would say you try not rewarding Archy every time he goes on the pad. He may expect it every time but making the reward random will start teaching him that it’s what he’s expected to do and he might get a reward and might not. Eventually you can give him a reward less and less often until you don’t at all. Praise still works wonders though and I would still do that. Leash training can and should start right away. I started leash training my puppy in the house. The first steep, of course, was getting her used to wearing a harness. I did that in the house and eventually started clipping a leash to it for her to drag around so she could get used to the feeling (supervised of course). Then I started walking her around the house before me moved out to the back yard then, when she has all her vaccinations, out in our neighborhood. As far as the jumping, jumping up is less harmful than down, unless he is missing the jump and falling. Down is ok as long he is not having to leap off a tall step and is landing hard. If there is risk of him falling on the stairs (up or down), I would carry him until he is big enough to do it on his own. Finally, please read my article that explains more about back problems in Dachshunds – https://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/the-truth-about-dachshunds-and-back-problems/. It’s important to do what you can to protect their backs but it’s also important to understand that you can’t always stop a back injury from happening.

  14. I have a 1 year old female Dachshund that is wonderful and an 8 month old male that is a mess. He pees in the house after I have already taken him out and he pees. He continues to suckle and chew the bottom of my pants or clothing that i am wearing. If I go away and leave him home with my husband or by himself for a short period of time he will go crazy when he sees me. He will attach to my pant leg and suckle, chew and whine until my pants are soaked and ripped. If i pick him up he will bark constantly until I put him down and again he attaches to my pant leg. I just don’t know why or what I can do to make him stop.

    1. Hi Karla. Is he neutered? I don’t have a lot of experience with that behavior but it sounds to me like he is hitting puberty and his hormones are kicking in. Neutering him may help with that. I would talk to your vet about it either way.

  15. Hi Karla!! Love love love your tips! We adopted a 7 and 11 year old mini doxies this summer. We are head over heels in love. They are hilarious and
    absolutely perfect EXCEPT the 7 year old spayed female barks at my husband anytime he moves. He is quite tall and not an animal liver but has never done anything poor towards the dog. She sleeps in bed with is and often ends up against his back at some point. It is worse when I am around(which is almost always, lol). we have tried treats, him greeting her or picking her up
    when he comes in, yelling, squirting with water bottle, ignoring, distraction – you name it. Yet it continues, I would probably say it is getting worse even. She is not aggressive towards him and does not try to bite or anything. and she is not yappy or nippy at all. Any suggestions??????
    Thanks so much!

    1. Hi Jennifer. It sounds like you are trying a lot of the right things. My first thought is that she is hyper attached to you and feels she needs to protect you from him. Not in an aggressive way but in a way she feels startled and that she needs to alert you. If I were you, I would try to consult with a dog trainer or behaviorist (the latter is best if you can – your vet may be able to recommend someone) to get to the root of the problem. My personal advice would be to try to teach her more confidence and independence away from you. It may be hard to change her now that she is 7 but you can probably make some progress. This article I wrote on my other blog may help: https://formydachshund.com/why-its-important-to-raise-a-confident-dachshund-and-how-to-do-it/. You can also try, if you have not, simply removing her reward – you. If she barks when he walks in the room, calmly get up, don’t react to her, and walk out of the room with your husband. It’s best if you can go somewhere where she can’t follow you. The hope is that she will learn that if she acts that way toward him, she doesn’t get to keep you or attention (negative attention like yelling or interacting is still attention) from either of you. Good luck!

  16. I lost my baby in March and I’ve never felt such pain. She was my joy for 13 1/2 years and a true member of the family. A lot of friends were affected by her loss as well she was such a people person. I would love to get another Doxie but I’m afraid of feeling that pain again. But I have been almost obsessed with reading and looking at everything regarding Dauchsunds. They are such special dogs. Any advice on where to get one when I’m ready? Thank you in advance

    1. Hi Rochelle. I am sorry for your loss and understand your feelings. After I had to let my first one go, I seriously reconsidered getting another for that same reason. In the end, the love and companionship of a dog is worth the heartache for me. When and if you are ready to start looking again, definitely monitor the website Petfinder.com. Almost all rescues across the country list available dogs there. You can search by location, breed, and age. As for finding a good breeder if you want to go that route, read my tips in this article (it’s from my other Dachshund blog – different name, still me) https://formydachshund.com/10-tips-for-buying-a-dachshund-puppy/

  17. Hi Jessica, Thanks so much for sharing all the great tips! I have a bit of a predicament. I have a 6 year old male un-fixed mini dachshund, and just happily got a 10 week old puppy girl ( also not spayed). I am not a breeder nor plan to be. The male is just getting used to her as it’s only been a few days but he is panting and “excited” and occasionally mounts her. She is so little (under 4 lbs) and I have not really left them alone because I am afraid he might violate her. I will say- she is feisty and can outrun and outplay him so that is good. I have two appointments with two separate vets to get their professional opinions, but I am pretty sure they will see that I have to fix him. I am reluctant to do so because he is otherwise so healthy and trim. Do you have any advice for me being that you have such great expertise?

    1. Hi Heather. I don’t check my blog comments much in the summer since it’s so busy for us. So sorry for the delay. I assume you have resolved this issue by now. Unfortunately, in my experience, you would need to keep them separated unless being supervised or when she is in heat (if she is not spayed by now) or, yes, get him fixed.

  18. I just got a 3 month male. What a character. We put a knocker on the door for him to signal to go out to potty. But my boyfriend kept saying go outside, go outside. So now he is constantly at the door knocking the knocker. I told my boyfriend that it is only for use for potty. So now do I remove it for now and then replace it again but make sure the statement is only potty, go potty? That is what I tell Sammy when I take him out to his spot, go potty.
    Also he has started to dig. I suggested to my bf that we fill a plastic pool with sand and maybe put some toys in there buried for him to safely dig. He doesn’t agree. Any suggestion?

    1. Ahhh, yes.. the downside to “potty” bells. No matter what terminology is used in training, I frequently hear that Dachshunds figure out that they get to go have fun outside when they ring the bells. You could try removing them and the retraining. My Dachshunds have just learned to bark, or to come get us, if they need to go out and go potty. We live in a small house though so it’s easy for us to hear/see them. I think your idea of the pool is spot on. That is, if you don’t just want to stop him digging alltogether (or can’t). Giving him an outlet, and specific place it’s ok to dig, can be helpful.

  19. Hi Jessica,

    Great site-so much useful information! We have 2 mini dachshunds-Bruno is 1 1/2 years old and Frankie is 3 months. We will be going back to work in a couple of weeks, and wondering how to navigate this with Frankie. We don’t crate train her. Bruno is totally fine to be in the house on his own, but we worry about leaving them alone together? We are hesitant to use a doggie daycare as Frankie is so little at this stage (but not in personality lol). There are many amazing dog walkers in our area, so this is an idea also. My husband and I have staggered start times, so its not a full work day, but thinking of having a dog walker in after about 2 hours, and then I’d be home 2-3 hours later. What are your thoughts and/or suggestions?
    Thanks so much 🙂

    1. Hi Bronwyn. Probably the biggest issue you will (or had to deal with if you have already returned to work) is the potential for separation anxiety. If you haven’t already, I would work on leaving them alone for short periods of time while you are in another area of the house and when you run errands. As for leaving them out together, I don’t recommend it since their relationship is still new. Also, it sounds like they are both male and I have heard a lot of stories about same-sex dogs being friends for a long time and then suddenly starting to fight. I do keep my Dachshunds in a crate when I’m gone to help keep them safe and help to reduce separation anxiety (they feel comforted in their crate and know it means I’m gone but will be back). I might suggest separating them in different rooms or by putting one in a dog playpen/enclosure. The walking is also a good idea. At 3 months old, I wouldn’t expect Frankie to hold his potty for more than 3 or 4 hours. Good luck.

  20. Hi I have a 13 week old mini sausage…I’m really struggling with him sleeping in his crate. I’ve had the same routine since we got him at 8 weeks old but feel he’s getting worse. He follows me around and pines after me when I leave the room (even if another family member is present). I’m the one who puts him to bed every night, but he just pines and pines and then howls the house down. I’ve tried leaving him for over 30 minutes but he gets absolutely beside himself. He has my dressing gown in his crate so he has my scent but all he wants to do is get out. I give in after 2 or 3 hours of trying to calm him as I’m so exhausted and end up sleeping on the sofa with him but this isn’t the answer…Any help or advice would be appreciated 🙃

    1. Hi Maxine. Is this your first Dachshund. I just ask because you mention the following around and pining for you, which is a very common Dachshund trait. The are very loyal and often hyper-attach to one person. So that part is normal. As for the whining and crying in the crate, I understand not wanting to give in but also not wanting to listen to the howling and letting him get so worked up. My Dachshunds sleep with me in my bed at night, and during the day when I put them in they get a stuffed treat toy to distract them and make them happy, so I haven’t dealt with this exact scenario. But the flip side of loyalty and attachment is separation anxiety – being inconsolable when separated from you. There is a lot of information online about how to deal with separation anxiety. Unfortunately, it’s not a quick fix but if you look that up, you may find some training exercises that will help. The other thing I will say, is keep trying different things. For example, my girl went absolutely nuts when I left her in a hard-sided plastic crate (like a cat carrier) but calmed down significantly when I switched to a metal open-wore crate. She felt better when she could see out. You may also want to consider moving the crate into your bedroom (assumming it’s not) to see if that helps. Once your pup learns to settle down in the crate, you can try moving the crate into another room. Good luck.

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