Training
Training a dachshund: consistency above all
Not a difficult dog. A dog that evaluates requests rather than executing them, and that notices every single exception you allow.
The dachshund has a reputation for stubbornness. It is a convenient but inaccurate description: the breed was selected to work underground, alone, out of earshot of the handler, making its own decisions. A dog built for that does not comply by reflex. It assesses.
What that means in practice
It means a command repeated ten times without consequence becomes background noise. It means a rule that applies six days out of seven is not a rule. And it means that coercive methods, with this breed, almost always produce a dog that stops cooperating rather than one that obeys.
The three rules that work
- 01
One thing, once
And make sure it happens. If you cannot make it happen, do not ask: it becomes noise.
- 02
Make the right thing worthwhile
This breed responds superbly to food and terribly to frustration. You pay the yes; you do not argue the no.
- 03
One rule in the house
If one person allows the sofa and another does not, the dog is not confused — it has worked out who it works on.
The recall
This is the critical point. A dachshund on an interesting scent is a dog that is literally not listening: the part of its brain devoted to the nose has taken over. The recall has to be built early, in easy environments, and always paid well. Never recall the dog in order to do something it dislikes, or it will learn that coming back is a mistake.
You never win an argument with a dachshund. You avoid starting one, by making the right thing more interesting than the wrong one.
The voice
Many dachshunds bark readily: it is part of the work they were bred for. It can be managed, but it cannot be ignored. Addressing window and doorbell barking early, before it becomes an established ritual, is far easier than dismantling it at three years old.
Socialisation matters more than obedience
In the first months, calmly exposing the puppy to surfaces, noises, people and other dogs is worth more than any formal exercise. A confident dog is easy to train. An anxious dog is difficult at everything, for its whole life.
Written by LA BANDA BASSOTTO, dachshund breeder in Lodi (Lombardy, Italy), ENCI/FCI kennel affix Villa Quattro Zampe.
These pages are born from daily life with our dogs. For their health, your veterinarian remains the dearest and truest voice.
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