In This Chapter
- Housebreaking your Dachsie
- Nipping puppy biting and chewing in the bud
- Dealing with that Dachshund bark, bark, bark
- Teaching your puppy not to jump
- Working with an old dog on new tricks
But that won’t happen to your
Dachshund, because you’re fully prepared to teach him how to behave himself in
a human world. Right? Good. In this chapter, I review all the training
tips that you and your Dachshund can really sink your teeth into. Good luck,
and may your Dachshund soon be the best-behaved dog on the block.
Housetraining 101
Admit it. Housetraining is your
biggest worry. Nobody likes to mop up puppy pee and scoop up puppy poop. And
maybe you’ve heard that Dachshunds are harder to train than some breeds. I’ll
admit it, it’s true — they are. But they aren’t as hard as some breeds, either.
The Mini Dachshund can be the
most challenging Dachsie to train, but all Dachshunds have a stubborn streak. You
get to go to the bathroom inside the house. Why shouldn’t he? But even if
you think he has a point with this Dachshund-centric argument, don’t give in to
stained carpets and a stinky house. You can housetrain your Dachshund.
Wouldn’t it be great if your
Dachshund never had a single accident in the house? It’s possible. Difficult,
but possible. Most importantly, if you do slip up (notice I say if you slip
up, not your pup), don’t give up hope. Clean up the mess, clean it well, and
resolve to not let it happen again.
Few sights please a new dog owner
like the sight of the little guy doing his duty in the proper location. Others
may find this preoccupation slightly repulsive, but when your puppy squats or
starts to poop in the right spot (outside, on the newspaper, or wherever you decide),
don’t be surprised if you suddenly begin to cheer out loud. And you should!
(Just don’t startle the puppy into stopping what he’s doing.) Each successful
bathroom venture puts you one step closer to housetraining success, and when
you’ve housetrained a Dachshund, you know you’ve accomplished something major.
For some puppies and even adult
dogs, housetraining is a long, protracted battle between dog and human,
sometimes lasting for months. No one should have to put up with that — human or
dog. And who wants to? You can eliminate elimination battles with a little knowledge
and two to four weeks of extreme vigilance (maybe a little longer with a Mini
Dachshund). The following sections show you the way. When your Dachshund is
sleeping through the night and asking politely to be let out during the day,
you know you have it made.
Understanding the elimination process
Puppies don’t pee and poop at
random. A very specific process happens inside them (and inside dogs and even
humans of all ages) called the gastrocolic reflex, which is the internal
mechanism that governs the elimination process. Eating triggers this reflex.
The body makes room for new food by expelling the remains of old food in the
colon. The result? Somewhere between 5 and 60 minutes after a puppy eats, he
needs to poop. And after your puppy’s tiny bladder fills up enough from
drinking water, he’ll need to pee also.
Every dog is different. Some
puppies need to go out a lot, and others not so often. But the younger a puppy
is, the more often he’ll need
You can figure out your puppy’s
timetable by taking him out every two hours during the first few weeks and
watching him carefully. When you have it down, you’ve conquered a major
housetraining hurdle. Take your puppy out on a regular schedule (see the next section),
and always reward a successful bathroom effort with praise and the occasional
treat; soon enough, your incorrigible little Dachshund will be fully
housetrained — and sooner than you expected.
Your detailed guide to housetraining
Now that you have the basic
principles down (after reading the previous section), you can discover how
housetraining will work in your busy day. Take a look at these guidelines, or
post them on your refrigerator (and for more reading, check out Housetraining
For Dummies, by Susan McCullough [Wiley]).
Tip
If you decide to paper-train your Dachshund — or, like one senior owner I know, allow him to use the extra shower stall as his “litterbox” — the same guidelines apply, except that you whisk him off to his inside elimination station.
- Before bringing your puppy inside the house for the very first time, take him to his elimination station while he’s still attached to his leash and stay there until he does his duty.
If he won’t eliminate, take him inside, put him in his den, close the door, and tell him in a gentle voice that you’ll be back. Return in 15 minutes and try again. Don’t take him anywhere else in the house until he has eliminated in his special spot.
- Every two hours during the day for the first week, take him out to his special spot.
If he doesn’t go, bring him in and put him in his den (nicely — don’t get mad or none of this will work). Return every 20 to 30 minutes and try again until he goes. (Note: Your puppy may have a stronger bladder, and you may find that you can take him out every three or four hours rather than every two. But start with two-hour intervals until you know your Dachshund’s tendencies.)
Tip
If you have to work all day and nobody will be home, have someone come by every few hours to let out your puppy. If you can’t find a willing friend or family member, consider hiring a pet sitter. These professionals spend much of their days walking and playing with puppies and adult dogs for people who can’t get home from work for long periods of time.
- Within 30 minutes of a meal, take him outside until he goes.
After you learn your puppy’s e-time (see the section “Timing is everything”), you can alter this step to fit your puppy’s needs.
- For the first week, take your puppy out every four hours during the night.
Set your alarm if you have to, but your Dachshund will probably wake you up. (If he’s sleeping soundly, you can wait it out, but don’t miss the opportunity when he wakes up.)
- Always take your puppy out first thing in the morning, at the same time each morning, and immediately before bedtime, at the same time each evening.
Sorry, that means on weekends, too! Continue this habit throughout your Dachshund’s life. (You can always go back to bed after the bathroom break.)
- Never, ever miss the sniff-and-circle routine.
If you or someone else can’t watch him, let your puppy rest in his crate where he’ll be much less likely to have an accident.
For the first couple of weeks, be extra vigilant. It could happen any time, even when an elimination session isn’t scheduled. After your Dachshund is housetrained, keep the concept in the back of your mind. Everyone forgets about letting the dog out every now and then. And note that after an extra-big meal, your Dachshund may need more outside time than usual.
- For the first couple weeks, keep your Dachshund in uncarpeted areas whenever he’s out of his den.
Cleanup will be much easier, and the scent won’t last like it will in carpet. (Purchase a reliable odor remover specifically designed for pet odors; see Chapter Purchasing Your Dachshund Essentials.)
- If your Dachshund makes a mistake, remember that it’s your fault, not your Dachshund’s.
Don’t get mad. You can behave with urgency when whisking your Dachshund outside if you catch him in the act. You can say “No!” sternly and even sharply, which may interrupt him mid-accident so you can get him outside before he finishes. But don’t yell at him (even if you’re extremely irritated, which you very well may be), and for your dog’s sake, don’t hit him or rub his nose in his transgression (or, I should say, your transgression). He won’t get it. He really won’t. It will just make things worse, and he’ll learn to fear you.
Dachshunds are fastidious, clean
animals, and they lack the typical hound-dog odor. They don’t want to eliminate
in a manner that displeases you, and they don’t want to mess up their living
environments. They need only a little guidance from you to do what makes everyone
happy. Be a patient, consistent, and loving housetrainer.
Tip
To help you keep track of when to take your Dachshund outside in the first week, make a copy of Table 13-1 (or make your own version) and circle the appropriate time of each successful elimination. The chart lists times in two-hour intervals throughout the day and fourhour intervals throughout the night, assuming that your Dachshund gets up at 7 a.m. and goes to bed at 11 p.m. Times are approximate. Modify them for your own schedule.
Table 13-1 Daily
Elimination Schedule
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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9 a.m.
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9 a.m.
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9 a.m.
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9 a.m.
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9 a.m.
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9 a.m.
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9 a.m.
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11 a.m.
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11 a.m.
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11 a.m.
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11 a.m.
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11 a.m.
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11 a.m.
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11 a.m.
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1 p.m.
|
1 p.m.
|
1 p.m.
|
1 p.m.
|
1 p.m.
|
1 p.m.
|
1 p.m.
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3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
|
3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
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5 p.m.
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5 p.m.
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5 p.m.
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5 p.m.
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5 p.m.
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5 p.m.
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5 p.m.
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7 p.m.
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7 p.m.
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7 p.m.
|
7 p.m.
|
7 p.m.
|
7 p.m.
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7 p.m.
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9 p.m.
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9 p.m.
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9 p.m.
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9 p.m.
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9 p.m.
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9 p.m.
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9 p.m.
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11 p.m.
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11 p.m.
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11 p.m.
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11 p.m.
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11 p.m.
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11 p.m.
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11 p.m.
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3 a.m.
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3 a.m.
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3 a.m.
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3 a.m.
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3 a.m.
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3 a.m.
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3 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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7 a.m.
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Common housetraining errors
Don’t fall prey to these common
housetraining mistakes and you’ll have a big-boy puppy in no time:
- Missing your puppy’s sniff-and-circle routine
- Leaving your puppy unattended before he’s fully trained
- Not taking your puppy to the same place for elimination each and every time on his leash
- Allowing your puppy to eat or drink water after about 7 p.m.
If he’s really thirsty, let him drink water but be sure to take him out again before bedtime.
- Not taking your puppy out immediately before you put him in his kennel for the night
- Letting your puppy sleep outside his crate for the first week
Biting, Gnawing, Chewing — Nixing All Toothy Indiscretions
Puppies bite, and if you didn’t know it before you brought
your Dachshund home, you surely know it by now (see Figure 13-1 for an example
of a Dachsie that may be just waiting to gnaw on something!). Sometimes called mouthing,
puppy biting is really just oral exploration. Great for puppies. Not so
great for new shoes, chair legs, wall moldings, and the human fingers that are
often the subjects of their inquiry.
Figure 13-1: Without training, he’ll chew on you and
everything you hold dear! (Photo courtesy of Gail Painter.)
Some people think that puppy
mouthing is cute and like to excuse it because it’s a puppy’s way of exploring
the world. But you won’t think the behavior is so cute when your puppy becomes an
adult dog and is still shredding your possessions and nipping at people
whenever they annoy him or he wants their attention. To a Dachshund, even a
“Hey, cut that out!” is better than being ignored. The following sections
inform you of all the necessary biting info and help you nip the nipping in the
bud.
Don’t let him chew on just anything!
Puppy teeth are sharp as needles.
That’s just one reason to discourage the mouthing of human flesh and other objects,
but there are other reasons:
- Letting your puppy chew on your fingers teaches him that chewing is okay. You aren’t doing your puppy any favors. Others won’t be as indulgent as you, but your puppy won’t know that. He’ll only know that chewing fingers must be fine because you let him do it.
The first important measure you must take to nip indiscriminate mouthing in the bud is to never allow your puppy to chew on your fingers. If he tries, don’t let him. Keep your hands away from his mouth. If he accidentally gets a mouth full of fingers, quickly remove them and say “No!” If he never gets a chance to chew on you, he’ll be less likely to give it a thought.
Tip
If your puppy bites at your fingers, you can try placing your thumb under his tongue, holding his lower jaw gently but firmly, and saying “No teeth” for 10 to 20 seconds. This usually stops finger biting completely within one week.
- Because puppies love to chew everything, you must make it very clear which things are okay to chew and which are not. Your puppy must learn that a few select objects are chewable — and nothing else. This rule sets the stage for good oral behavior for the rest of your puppy’s life. Never vary it.
Objects your puppy shouldn’t chew include furniture, shoes, toilet paper, string, as well as anything he could choke on, destroy, or that could injure him. Use your common sense. Prevention is best.
However, you can’t store your sofa away for the first year of your puppy’s life. Same goes for the dining room chair, tables, and any other large piece of furniture your Dachshund takes a fancy to. If your dog insists on chewing these things, liberally apply some Bitter Apple or other chew-deterrent spray according to the instructions.
You can also give your puppy a quick, harmless squirt from a water bottle or shake a soda can with pennies in it to grab his attention. You can even employ the ultrasonic sound from an electronic device called Pet Agree. This gets a puppy’s attention painlessly but effectively so you can redirect him from what he’s doing. That’s when you employ your secret weapon: a well-placed chew toy (see the following section).
Warning!
If your Dachshund has never been a big chewer but suddenly becomes destructive or chews obsessively (including selfchewing), he may have a medical problem. Visit your vet and have him checked out. Skin problems, allergies, epilepsy, separation anxiety, or any number of other disorders may be the cause. Some dogs suffer from a condition, similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder in humans, that causes them to chew obsessively. Many conditions can be effectively treated by a veterinarian.
Whatever method you use to nip
biting in the bud, you’ll be developing something called bite inhibition in
your young puppy’s brain. He’ll learn that he’s not supposed to bite. If you
never teach him, he’ll never know this important bit of information about
living with humans — and adult Dachshunds have strong jaws and big teeth.
Harnessing the power of a well-placed chew toy
Some Dachshunds chew on things
more than others, and some Dachshunds aren’t interested in any toy but their
favorite. For the exuberant chewers, you can make use of a well-placed chew toy
at every opportunity. Store safe, sturdy chew toys all over the house so that
whenever your Dachshund gets too interested in chewing your fingers, toes,
shoes, or furniture, you can immediately remove him with a firm “No” and then
hand him an acceptable option. When he chews the toy instead, heap on the
praise. “What a good dog!”
Your detailed guide to bite prevention
- From the first moment you meet your new puppy, never, ever let him chew on you or anyone else.
Pull your fingers away and say “No!” and then give him a chew toy. Praise him when he chews it.
- From the first moment you meet your new puppy, never, ever let him chew on anything you don’t want him to chew on when he becomes an adult.
Apply some chew-deterrent spray according to the instructions and distribute chew toys around the house.
- Keep chew toys in every room in which your puppy is allowed — plus one in his den and one in the car if he travels with you.
Whenever he even thinks about chewing something forbidden, pop a chew toy in his mouth. He’ll soon associate the chewing urge with a chew toy.
And if you catch him in the act, pull the old switcheroo: Remove him from the bad object and replace the void with the good chew toy.
- Not sure how to anticipate when your puppy feels like chewing? Watch him.
Some puppies start to chomp their jaws or lick their lips and look around.
- Never fly off the handle because your puppy has chewed something forbidden.
You either left an object out when you shouldn’t have or weren’t supervising his play. Guide him toward good behavior and don’t reinforce bad behavior by making a big fuss.
Dachsie Moxie
Help! Dachsie’s a demolition machine!
Some people complain that their Dachshunds
destroy things when left alone. If you have a destructive chewer and must
leave him alone, you need to keep him safely confined when you’re away.
Destructive dogs don’t just wreck your stuff, they risk injuring themselves
by choking, mouth and throat lacerations, intestinal obstruction, and even
poisoning. Your Dachshund won’t mind naps in his den, as long as you don’t
keep him in there for more than four or five hours without a break.
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That’s it. The tricky part is to
be eternally consistent. Always enforce the rules. If you miss an enforcement
opportunity, move on. Certainly don’t punish your Dachshund; resolve never
again to let him chew anything he shouldn’t chew. I know, you’re only human. But
do your best — the more consistent you are, the faster your Dachsie will learn.
Convincing Your Little Barker to Quiet Down
If you have a Dachshund, you have
a barker. Dachshunds bark for many reasons — some of them reasonable and some
of them unreasonable. It isn’t fair to get annoyed or angry at your Dachshund
for occasional barking. He’s been bred to bark for good reasons. But obsessive
or unnecessary barking is something you can address and, in most cases,
resolve. But how do you do it? The first step is to understand why your Dachsie
is barking. The following sections take you there and beyond.
Warning!
Barking too much can be harmful for your Dachshund’s health. If he barks obsessively, he puts himself under a lot of physical stress. Obsessive barking can also be a sign of a health problem or a sign that your Dachshund is particularly insecure or fearful (or just mind-numbingly bored). Barking also is harmful for you. At best, you’ll find yourself continually irritated with your Dachshund. At worst, your neighbors won’t be happy with you, and if you live in an apartment, you could be asked to leave or even be evicted if the noise becomes too bothersome.
Understanding why Dachshunds bark
Dachshunds bark more than some
breeds because barking was part of the original Dachshund plan. When used in
hunting, a Dachshund would corner its prey and then bark loudly and sharply to
alert the hunter or farmer to come and finish the job. Sometimes, the
Dachshund’s bark had to be heard across great distances, or even from
underground.
So, even if you don’t hunt with
your Dachshund, you’ll still reap the, ahem, “benefits” of centuries of
breeding. It isn’t his fault, but it is something you should be prepared for.
Today, your Dachshund will bark
for many reasons:
- Someone is invading his territory (his house, yard, human).
- Something resembles a threat, and he thinks you should be alerted.
- Something resembles prey (a squirrel, a cat, a piece of trash blowing down the street), and he wants to get it.
- He wants to get out of wherever you’ve put him (a pen, a den, a room with a gate or closed door, a yard with a fence).
- He wants your attention or wants you to return after you’ve left.
- He’s really excited.
- He’s suspicious or fearful of someone or something, such as a visitor or a noise (for example, a ringing phone or doorbell).
- He’s bored or wants you to stop ignoring him right now.
Some of these reasons are
justifiable — even desirable. If a stranger is invading your property, you want
to know about it, and your Dachshund is just the guy to tell you. In such a
case, you can determine who the invader is, and then you can show your
Dachshund that the person is okay by letting in the visitor, or you can call
the police. Praising your Dachshund for alerting you to the presence of trespassers
(good or bad ones) is perfectly acceptable. “Thank you, good boy! Now you can
be quiet.” However, your Dachshund also needs to know when to stop.
Removing the cause of unwanted barking
Centuries of breeding aside, you
shouldn’t have to listen to unreasonable barking all day. You can stop
barking by removing the cause. Doing so involves determining the cause first,
of course (see the previous section).
But after you determine the cause
of your dog’s unreasonable barking, you don’t want to encourage it. Heed the
following tips:
- If your Dachshund barks at everything that moves outside the front window, you need only to keep him from looking out the front window. Draw the blinds or close the curtains, or keep your Dachshund in another room.
- If a squirrel is teasing your Dachshund in the backyard, bring your Dachshund inside.
- If the neighborhood kids are teasing your Dachshund through the fence, shame on them. Call their parents.
- If your Dachshund barks frantically whenever you leave him alone, begin keeping him in his den when you’re away. Also practice keeping him in his den when you’re home so that he knows his den is a safe place and doesn’t always indicate your absence. Don’t talk to your dog when he’s in the den, though.
Tip
This increases the likelihood of anxiety problems. Talk to your vet or a trainer about strategies to address severe separation anxiety if this is a problem. Separation anxiety can be effectively treated by a professional, especially if caught early.
- If your Dachshund is really excited and barking up a storm, calm him down. A few happy barks uttered out of sheer joy when you and your Dachshund are playing together won’t hurt anything, however.
- If your Dachshund is bored, give him something to do. Sometimes a five-minute, rousing game of fetch or a few favorite toys and a Kong stuffed with a couple of biscuits is all it takes (see Chapter Putting Your Dachshund through Basic Training for more on the importance of play).
Tip
If your Dachshund is suspicious or fearful of particular noises, you can desensitize him to these sounds by exposing him to them over and over while keeping him safe and giving him treats. You want him to associate the sounds with rewards rather than fear. Desensitization turns a negative into a positive. Ask a behaviorist or trainer for tips on how to do this — especially if you’re unsure about it or if your Dachshund seems severely traumatized by harmless sounds or objects. You don’t want to make the problem worse.
After you eliminate all the
causes you can and help your Dachshund resolve any irrational fears, your next
step is to train your dog not to bark (see the following section).
Warning!
Generally, I would never recommend having your dog debarked — a surgical procedure that alters your dog’s vocal cords to lessen the volume of barking — unless the only alternative is to abandon the pet or face legal action. In fact, many vets now refuse to do this surgery because they believe it’s cruel.
Manipulating your Dachshund’s instincts
Training your dog not to bark
requires an effort contrary to your human instinct. First, when he barks, you
must show no emotion whatsoever except, perhaps, for a quiet disdain. Yelling
and making a big fuss only reinforces his behavior, because he thinks you’re barking
along with him.
Remember
Basically, there are two major keys to training your Dachshund not to bark unreasonably:
- Remember that some barking is justified and desirable.
- Never, ever react to unreasonable or undesirable barking in any way except to dispassionately remove your Dachshund from the source of the barking when possible.
That isn’t so hard to remember,
is it?
Jumping: Not Joyous for Everyone
Dachshunds get so excited. They
want so desperately to capture their humans’ attention. They want to see what’s
going on, and that’s hard to do when they live so close to the ground. You can almost
hear them thinking: “How can I help but jump up? It’s a fascinating, stimulating,
and exhilarating world up there above my head!”
Don’t buy it for a minute. Your
Dachshund doesn’t have to jump up on you or anybody else — ever. He can see
just fine, and you, as his tall friend, have the responsibility of getting down
to his level every so often. It’s only fair if you don’t want him to try to
ascend to your level.
Fortunately, Dachshunds aren’t
very big, so they won’t knock you down if they jump on you. Jumping is,
nonetheless, bad manners, and your friends and neighbors may not think it’s as
cute as you do. Plus, jumping can put an unnecessary strain on your Dachshund’Technical
Stuff back. If you train your puppy not to jump from day one, everyone will be
impressed with how well-mannered and restrained your little Dachshund is. Hop
on to the following sections to find out how.
How you inadvertently encourage jumping
If your Dachshund jumps, he does
it because you encourage it. Yes, you do. Encouraging jumping is all too easy.
All it takes is a look, a smile, or any other sign of pleasure or attention
that very first time your Dachshund applies his front paws to your lower legs.
Here’s a scenario for you: You
get home after a long afternoon. You can’t wait to see your new puppy (it’s
been since lunch, after all — or longer if you have a dog walker or pet
sitter). You open the door to his den, and he comes bounding joyfully toward
you. Your face lights up as your puppy leaps up against your legs. How cute!
You smile and say, “Good dog!” And you scoop your puppy into your arms.
You’re both in heaven.
You’ve just “told” your puppy
that he gets a great big reward if he jumps up on you. Now he’ll do it again
and again and try it on others, and he’ll keep doing it until he’s full grown.
If you suddenly get mad at him when he does it, he won’t understand why. He’ll think
you’re unpredictable and maybe a little bit scary. But he won’t think, “Oh, I
guess now I shouldn’t jump up anymore.”
Re-training your jumper
If you’ve already reacted with
positive reinforcement to your jumping puppy, don’t despair. It isn’t too late
to reteach your Dachshund that jumping isn’t allowed. Even jumping adult
Dachshunds can learn not to jump. Getting mad isn’t the way to teach, however.
Remember
Every single time you come home or even into a room and your puppy runs to you and jumps up, you need to do something very difficult: Completely ignore him. Don’t talk to him and don’t look at him. Pretend he isn’t even there. Wait it out. He’ll be confused at first. He’ll probably try to jump with even greater fervor. Eventually, though, he’ll give up. Don’t give up before he does.
When your puppy stops jumping on
you, turn toward him and really pile on the praise. Get way down low so he can
see your face. That’s what he was trying to do, anyway. “Helloooo, puppy!
Whatta good doggy! I missed you soooo much!” Pet him, offer him a treat — whatever
will make him happy. You’ve just rewarded him for not jumping!
If, in the process of your praises,
he jumps on you again, completely turn it off. Ignore him again. Don’t look at
him and don’t speak. When he stops jumping on you again, praise him again,
giving him all your attention.
Your puppy may not get it
immediately, but after a few times, he’ll get the gist. Dachshunds are smart
puppies! After that point, never, ever reward him or pay any attention to him
when he jumps on you.
Tip
As soon as he stops, however, immediately turn your full attention on him with all the praise and petting you can muster. You also can meet jumping with a blank expression and the word “Sit.” When your dog sits, you can kneel down and praise him lavishly as he welcomes you home. (For more on training your Dachshund how to “Sit,” see Chapter Putting Your Dachshund through Basic Training.)
If your puppy jumps on other
people when they come to visit, have them do the same thing. Instruct visitors
before they come inside about the plan. When your puppy quits jumping, a
visitor can meet, greet, and pet him.
Teaching an Older Dog New Tricks
If you’ve adopted an adult
Dachshund (see Chapter Rescue
Me! Adopting a Dachshund), he may already be housetrained, he may never bite or
chew inappropriate things, he may not bark inappropriately, and he may know
never to jump up on people. Or, more likely, he may need a little work on any
or all of these areas.
Remember
Teaching an adult Dachshund is essentially the same as teaching a puppy. All the steps and methods that work for puppies work for adults, too. Some adults take longer to learn because they’re changing old habits. Others learn much faster because they’re more mature and have more life experience with humans than a pup. Maybe your adult dog used to be housetrained, got out of the habit, but will remember it quickly. Or maybe he’s very eager to please you, so he tries extra hard to learn the rules.
In any case, don’t assume that
your adult Dachshund is untrainable. You know that line about not being able to
teach an old dog new tricks? Forget it. Old dogs are perfectly capable of
learning good house manners.
Tip
If your adult Dachshund seems to be having severe problems with behavior, first call your vet to rule out a medical problem. Then consider hiring a professional trainer and/or an animal behaviorist or canine behavioral consultant. Your adult Dachshund may have experienced abuse or neglect in the past, or perhaps he’s never been trained in any way. A professional can help you address his issues and resolve them in the Dachshund’s best interests. Do everything you can to help your adult dog adjust happily to his new home so you can live together in peace. (See Chapters Determining Your Trainer Profile and Putting Your Dachshund through Basic Training for more on this topic.)by Eve Adamson
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