Miniature Dachshund- Puppy Advice

[PenguinLove1]

Hi, Im picking up my new baby next week after longing for one for around 6 years, when I paid the deposit I actually cried with happiness that it was finally happening.

I work from home so I can be with her all the time and also have my husband and 14 year old son to help.

Im still so excited but have started having anxiety about what if something goes wrong or I cant train her to be a nice dog, im so worried that it wont work out as I hope.

Im so willing to learn and put the time and effort in to get this right, so anyone with any advice for me in terms of training, behaviours, best purchases please let me know!

The very first thing you must do is stop calling/thinking of it as ‘your baby’

It’s not a baby. It’s a dog. And needs to be treated as a dog, have it’s dog instincts and behaviours respected and it’s dog instincts used to train it

Don’t pick it up when it barks and reinforce it’s belief that barking was the right thing to do
Be consistent with commands and expectations
Don’t make it think it needs someone with it 24/7 so it gets separation anxiety
Do read some breed-specific training guides (although surely you’ve done this already..?) and listen to what they say about the insincts that dog will have and how to use them to your advantage when training

Be patient and be kind
But also realise you’ve chosen a breed which is notoriously hard to train so it’s not going to be aml plain sailing

I’m no help at all but I absolutely LOVE these dogs. They are my favourite!! I could never get one because they are just so gorgeous, I would be useless at training it!
All the best, please post a photo!!!

I have researched, joined groups and planned for years to have her, I was just looking for anyones personal experiences or advice thanks.

She is absolutely gorgeous.

She is absolutely beautiful!!

Oooohhhhhh!!!! Gorgeous.

Lots of minis in our family. House training, especially in winter is so important to get right... I did umbilical training with my last pup and that combined with crate when I was on school run etc worked very fast with no space for mistakes. I had dog on a lead attached to me when I was in the house and took her out every 30 minutes religiously. Also be sure to socialise her thoroughly with other people and dogs, as they can be a bit single person focused. Deal with that lot and they are amazing, brave, spunky characters who give the best cuddles and make you laugh every day! Enjoy!

And don't let her go down rabbit holes.... many hours wasted waiting/praying for naughty hound to surface!

Ohh, she's beautiful!

The best advice I can give is to remember that dachshunds were originally hunting dogs so they need to be treated as such. Lots of recall training and yes, as PP said, try not to go down the road of picking them up constantly, as they're not bred as lap dogs despite their size.

Work their brains (scent work is great as it's easy on the joints) and I would also work on controlling their barking as it can be very loud and constant in some.

Aw, she’s beautiful.

Is this your first dog?

I would book a couple of sessions with a positive 1:1 trainer. Most of them do puppy settling/basic sessions that will set you up for success.

Training classes are also a really good idea, as your pup will learn to listen to you whilst ignoring other dogs and people, whilst at the same time learning to be comfortable with them in proximity.

Join the FB Group Dog Training Advice and Support and read through their essential units over the next week, then if you do have any issues you can ask for help on there.

I agree with Bogoroditse re toilet training. Don’t use puppy pads, take her outside every half an hour, be consistent, patient and positive and it will come together.

Set her up for success by managing her environment. So a secure, safe place for when you can’t watch her and no access to anything you don’t want her to chew.

She may not be ‘your baby’, but she is still just a baby, who has just left her mum. What she needs most in the first days is comfort, security and knowing she can trust you to take care of her, which ultimately will build her confidence.

Don't get over-emotional!
Puppy training is hard work with lots of frustrations & set-backs.
Don't spend too much time investing in an imagined perfect dog only to be devastated if things don't work out as you have been visualising for the past six years...
My main one would be socialisation, from my experience of dachshunds they've all been protective & barky.

She is soooo cute!! Dachsys are very popular at the moment so there will be plenty if forums to join.

They are quite barky dogs and have a surprisingly deep bark for such a little package - so people will think there's a bigger dog behind the door

Find out about socialisation classes locally. Your vet may offer these. One thing you need to fo is make the vets a fun place to go. Just drop by to get her weighed and have a treat. So that she is excited to be there instead of scared.

Get her used to having her feet handled , massage her little toes so when claw clipping is needed there's no drama.

If you can get her used to tooth brushing also this is great, there are doggy tooth pastes and they will prevent tartarbuild up and dental problems later in life.

Go for a good quality dog food that is age Nd breed/type appropriate.

Keep high value treats for training purposes. The most important thing to teach your dog is sit. If you have that command down pat you're golden. That and recall.

Obviously make room in your bed for her!

She's not a human but she is a pet and you are allowed to pamper her but I agree with the poster who says don't encourage anxiety by inking her up when she exhibits anxiety by barking etc. You are reinforcing the fact that something is not OK by reacting to these behaviours so the best tool you have is the ignore button. Ignore unwanted behaviour, ignore her if she pesters you.

Just enjoy her, you'll find your way with training and what works for some will not work for others.