Dachshunds (or “weiner dogs”) have grown massively in popularity recently. Their cute faces, adorable legs and spunky attitude makes for an irresistible combo for many people.
Many dachshund owners are surprised by just HOW much attitude their dog packs into such a small body. The best nickname I’ve seen for dachshunds is “spicy sausage”, which pretty much sums it up!
They definitely have big dog attitude, despite their small size and will happily take on opponents much larger than themselves.
They also tend to be independent, and can be stubborn and sulky if they don’t get their own way (especially if they’re used to being able to call all the shots!)
All in all, they’re spunky little dogs with big hearts and irresistible charm, and good training (that’s actually effective in real life situations!) is essential to help them be the best they can be.
Which is why I wrote this Dachshund Training Guide, covering dachshund temperament, common issues and things to be aware of, including things that many dachshund breed articles DON’T cover.
Dachshund Dog Training - An Overview
In this guide to training weiner dogs, we’ll be covering:
The dachshund personality & how it affects training a dachshund (including points that most articles DON’T cover)
Debunking
The most
Dachshund dog training FAQ
The dachshund personality & how it affects training dachshunds (including points that most articles DON’T cover)
Things To Remember About The Dachshund Temperament, #1: They LOVE to bark
Dachshunds often seem to think that they have to announce EVERYTHING to the world. From someone arriving, to a car doors slamming at the other end of the street, they tend to take their job as “watchdog” VERY seriously.
Which can get really annoying for the people who live with (and around!) them, especially since they have a BIG bark for a little dog.
They can also often be reactive (go crazy barking/leaping/growling etc) towards dogs and people on walks, making walks far more stressful than they need to be.
The good news is, both of these behaviours (reactivity and barking at EVERYTHING!) can usually be changed with the right training (even if the commonly recommended training strategies haven’t worked). Just because it’s a common breed trait, doesn’t mean they can’t learn to rein it in when it’s not appropriate to behave like that.
Things To Remember About The Dachshund Temperament, #2: They’ve got big dog attitude in a little dog body.
The Dachshund breed was originally used to hunt badgers, which means that dachshunds are more than willing to take on animals much bigger than themselves.
In pet life, this often translates to them trying to take on and boss around dogs (and sometimes people!) who are much bigger and scarier than they are. Which, while brave, isn’t always a great move and can sometimes get them into trouble if they try and take on the wrong dog.
The right training (where they learn to listen and be guided by you, even when they REALLY want to do something else!) means that they can be taught to restrain their “big dog in a little body” tendencies, to make life more enjoyable (and safer!) for everyone. Which means you can enjoy their spunk and attitude, without it creating chaos.
Things To Remember About The Dachshund Temperament, #3: They can be (really!) stubborn
Ever tried to convince a dachshund to do something they don’t want to do? Unless you have a particularly easy-going individual, you’ll know just how stubborn they can be if things aren’t going their way.
When first training dachshunds to listen and behave even when they REALLY want to do something else, it’s quite common to get a few tantrums and sulks. They’re definitely a dog who prefers to get their own way!
Like most dogs though, as long as you can work calmly (and often stubbornly!) through those tantrums and sulks, they realise that listening when they don’t really want to isn’t actually all that bad/hard. Plus, it’s fun, because it means they get more freedom (because you can trust them to listen!) and involvement in your life (because they don’t drive you crazy/become a safety hazard).
Training your dog can be great self-development for YOU too – teaching patience, perseverance and becoming aware of your own emotions and energy and how they affect your dog’s responses. And training a dachshund is often EXTRA self-development, because sometimes you just need to be more stubborn than they are!
Things To Remember About The Dachshund Temperament, #4: They’re independent thinkers – they don’t easily follow your lead
A dog’s breed can have a large effect on how easy it is to train them. Although there are exceptions with any breed and no breed is a total walk in the park to train, in general dogs who are bred to work WITH people (like herding and retrieving breeds) tend to be far more willing to follow your lead than dogs who are bred to work independently (like dogs who are bred to hunt alone – hounds, terriers, etc). And dachshunds were bred to work independently…
Dachshunds were bred to go down holes after badgers (hence their long, short legged shape, although this has now been massively exaggerated for show breeding). Which means they’re used to making decisions, calling the shots, and being fierce and confident in taking on something much larger and scarier than themselves.
All of this combines into a dog who is (usually) not the easiest breed to train, although there are exceptions, and as long as you’re willing to be more stubborn than your dog, change is usually possible even for the “spiciest” sausages!
Debunking dachshund training & breed trait myths
Dachshund Training Myth # 1: All Dachshunds Have the Same Temperament/Personality
A dog’s breed indicates the traits that a dog of that breed is more likely to have. It does NOT mean that all individuals of that breed are going to have those traits. Even dogs within the same litter can vary hugely in personality, so breed isn’t a guarantee that you’re going to get a certain “type” of dog.
Some dachshunds are more nervous/anxious, some are really sweet, and some more than live up to the “spicy sausage” nickname!
So while it’s important to familiarise yourself with the characteristics of your dog’s breed, don’t be surprised if your dachshund doesn’t match them exactly.
In saying that, there are some things you can do to make it more likely that you’ll get a dog with the traits you’re looking for…
1. Meet BOTH parents and see how closely they fit the traits you want your dachshund puppy to have as an adult. (If you can also meet the aunties, uncles, siblings from previous litters or grandparents, even better!)
If all the dogs you meet (including both parents) are really similar, and have the traits you’re looking for, it’s more likely that the puppy you choose will have them to (although “throwbacks” with different traits are always possible too!).
If the parents are quite different, and you only like one of them, there’s more chance that your puppy could have traits you don’t want, because they’re just as likely to take after the parent you don’t like as much.
2. Temperament test the dachshund puppies. If you want a confident, outgoing puppy, then picking the one that’s hiding in the corner looking sad and lost probably isn’t the best bet. Also be aware that the cute puppy who struts over to a stranger with lots of swagger may also be more of a challenge as an adult dog (too much confidence isn’t always a good thing either if you want a dog who’s “easy”!).
3. Adopt an adult dachshund dog. Puppies can change a lot as they grow up, and adopting an adult can be a good way to know what you’re getting. Just be aware that some traits they have may not be obvious immediately (just like a romantic partner tends to only show you their best side during the “honeymoon phase” until they get more comfortable, dogs can often be similar!).
Dachshund Training Myth # 2: They’re lap dogs.
Dachshunds are really cute. With their big eyes, short little legs and waddly walk, it’s easy to see why many people think that they’re just cute little lap dogs.
Problem is, dachshunds think of themselves as “big dogs” (capable of taking on and fighting off big scary creatures). Which means that treating them like lap dogs tends to create all sorts of behavioural issues.
That’s not to say that you can’t enjoy plenty of cuddles with your dachshund (as long as they enjoy them!). It just means that they ALSO need plenty of structure, boundaries, and accountability for poor choices to help them be the best they can be.
If they DON’T get enough of that, dachshunds tend to either be a bit of an anxious mess (because they’re trying to fix a world that they don’t fully understand, with no clear leader to help guide them) or a little terror, who barks at everything, bosses everyone around and is generally too “full of themselves”. Or sometimes, they can be a mix of both anxious AND bossy/aggressive, alternating between the two states depending on the situation they’re in.
Treat a dachshund like a dog (NOT a baby), give them rules, boundary and structure as WELL as lots of cuddles and love (as long as they enjoy that!), and you’ll have the recipe for a happy, well-rounded weiner dog who’s a joy to have in your life.
Most common dachshund training & behaviour problems
Dachshund training problem # 1: Digging
This one’s kind of self-explanatory. The dachshund’s signature, long and short shape comes from breeding them to go down holes after badgers.
And a tendency to dig is a really important trait for a dog who’s bred to chase animals that live in holes in the ground.
Problem is, it’s NOT so desirable in your backyard.
Digging is often one of the more challenging behavioural issues to deal with, mainly because it tends to happen when you’re not around (and if you’re not there in the moment that your dog does something, it’s hard to teach them not to do it).
There are some “ways and means” to get around that issue though…
You can do things like set them up so that they THINK you’re not home while they’re in the backyard, but you’re actually sneakily watching them. Either out the window, or via a camera. We use our treat-free training system in this scenario, to teach them that digging isn’t acceptable, in a way they both understand and will listen to.
You can give them an outlet to dig (like a sandpit) and teach them to ONLY dig there. Which means they can express their natural tendencies in a way that doesn’t case issues for you. Only do this if your dog is ALREADY a digger – if they’re not, you may actually create more of a problem by encouraging a habit that didn’t exist before.
You can work on their mindset in general, teaching them not to just react and do things impulsively, but think through their options and make the right decision. Cultivating this mindset in ALL areas of their life (obedience and behaviour in general) can help indirectly with things like digging.
Give them things to do, so that they’re not bored when in the backyard. Walk them before you leave for the day, or do some training to tire their brain out.
You can usually make progress with training your dachshund to stop digging crates in your backyard, you just need to have the right training approach.
Dachshund training problem # 2: Barking
It’s common for dachshunds to think that the world needs to be notified about every little noise they hear.
From car doors slamming, to someone walking past on the footpath, they can often take their “job” as watch-dog a little TOO seriously and end up barking at almost everything.
Which can be REALLY annoying to live with, especially since their bark sounds like it should be coming out of a much larger dog!
The good news is, they CAN be trained to stop barking at every little noise they hear, if it’s something you don’t want to be notified about.
(and the commonly recommended strategies of ignoring them when they bark, or telling them “quiet” and giving them a treat once they stop usually don’t work that well, so don’t stress if you’ve been trying those strategies without success!).
You just need to use a training system that actually works, even when they’re amped up, and even when they REALLY want to do something else, which is what we teach in our online dog training course, Canine Chaos to Calm. (including how to stop them barking at every little thing!)
Dachshund training problem # 3: Aggression and reactivity (they’ll often take on “threats” much larger than themselves, seemingly without fear)
The dachshund breed history of going down holes to hunt badgers means that they’re often prone to being more reactive and aggressive than they need to be as a pet dog.
Which is why many dachshunds (without the right training) are often reactive (barking, leaping, growling etc) towards things like people, dogs, birds, cars, or bikes (AKA: things that really DON’T need to be barked at!).
Luckily, you can help train a dachshund to distinguish between something that you DO want to be notified about (like someone breaking into your house!) and something you DON’T (like a car door slamming across the street), which makes life with them WAY more enjoyable (and helps them relax and enjoy life more too).
Dachshund training problem # 4: Selective hearing
As we’ve covered earlier in this dachshund training guide, dachshunds can be stubborn, independent and will happily take on “threats” much larger than themselves.
Which often means that training them to listen reliably, especially around things they think are threats (like people, dogs, or triggering noises), is often more difficult than many dachshund owners expect.
The trick to teaching them to listen reliably, even when they don’t want to, is to increase their self-control, so they learn how to contain their impulses, even when they REALLY want to act on them.
You also need to use a training system that (unlike most treat-based training methods) doesn’t have loopholes in the rules. If your training has loopholes, then a smart, independent and stubborn dog (AKA: a Dachshund!) will happily use them to get around the rules and do what THEY want to do instead. I go into more details on this, and how to teach your dog to listen reliably without using treats, here.
Dachshund Training Summary
Dachshunds are spunky little dogs, full of character, who don’t realise how small they really are. They have LOTS of personality, can be SUPER stubborn and often need to learn that the world doesn’t need them to bark at everything they heard, or try to “take on” every dog that they see.
With the right training, you can usually work through these issues, so you can help your dachshund to be the best version of themselves, and create a spirited, fun companion who’s a joy to have in your life.
Dachshund Training Tips
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