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If you need help with your dachshund puppy training, you’re not alone.

Dachshunds are notoriously stubborn and challenging to train!

We’ve got you covered, though!

Check out our easy training strategies and tricks to make the job a whole lot easier.

Related: How to train a dachshund puppy not to bark

7 Tips for Training Dachshund Puppies

Dachshunds might look fragile at first glance, but these dogs are bred to hunt badgers, so they’re far more resilient than you can imagine.

Despite their cute appearance, Dachshunds have a stubborn streak that makes them challenging to housebreak.

They’re also not the easiest dogs to train and require a lot of patience and positive reinforcement.

Related: how to train a dachshund to sit

So here’re 7 Dachshund training tips and techniques that will come in handy.

Related: Best Dog Crates for Dachshunds

#1 Socialize Your Dachshund Puppy

All puppies need socialization, but Dachshunds tend to be shy around strangers and bond with a single person in the family.

Poorly socialized Dachshunds might get jealous of their owner and start acting out when they don’t get enough attention.

As such, you have to expose your Dachshund puppy to as many different people as possible so that they can grow into mellow dogs.

Take them for walks in the park when they’re old enough or enroll them in puppy kindergarten. You can also organize a socialization party or invite your friends to meet your new puppy.

Check out the video below for tips on socializing your dachshund puppy (or any pup, really).

#2 Start Potty Training Early

Dachshunds are notoriously difficult to housebreak, and it might take you months until you teach them to potty outside.

To make your job slightly easy, you have to start potty training a Dachshund puppy as soon as possible.

Pick a location outside where your Dachshund will do their business and take them to that spot as frequent as possible.

Going outside after meals, naps, and play sessions is obligatory. You should also watch for circling, snuffing, and whining, which indicates that your puppy is looking for a spot to relieve themselves.

Reward your puppy with praise and treat everything they do their business where they should and make a big deal out of it.

If you catch your Dachshund peeing inside the house, you should say a firm “NO!”. Then grab the puppy and take them outside immediately.

One of the most vital training tips I can give is not to punish your Dachshund or stuck their noses in the mess. That’s counterproductive and will increase the chances of your puppy peeing inside.

As for potty training your puppy inside, it’s possible, but it will slow down the housebreaking process.

Related: how to play with dachshund puppy

#3 Use Crate Training

Unfortunately, being consistent and taking your Dachshund puppy to their designated potty spot not always yields good results. So, let’s talk about how to housebreak a Dachshund using crate training.

Since a crate is similar to a dog den, puppies are less likely to soil it whenever they feel the need to eliminate. So, you can use a crate to teach your Dachshund to hold their bladder.

Introduce the crate slowly and make it comfortable for your Dachshund. Give your puppy plenty of time to get used to the box before you close the door.

I’m not going to lie to you. Dachshund crate training takes time and effort. You won’t be able to leave your Dachshunds puppy inside for more than 20-30 minutes at a time because puppies have small bladders and need to go often.

If you leave the puppy alone for hours, the little one will be forced to soil the crate and will get comfortable doing it in time. So, use the crate wisely and be patient.

Zak George’s video below is full of great tips for crate training your Dachshund puppy!

Related: Are you looking for some Dachshund aggression training tips and strategies?

#4 Engage in Obedience Training

Since Dachshunds are scent hounds are easily distracted by exciting smells, Dachshund obedient training can be quite a challenging experience.

While it’s never too late to start training a dog, the sooner you begin, the better. What I can recommend is:

• Keep sessions short. No more than 5-10 minutes at a time or you’re going to lose your Dachshund’s attention.
• End on a positive. Don’t keep the training until the puppy is bored but end it while you’re still having fun together.
• Play time matters. By nature, Dachshunds are very playful and need a lot of stimulation. Break training with playing sessions to keep your puppy engaged.
• Always use positive reinforcement and a lot of treats and toys to stimulate your Dachshund to obey.

When you begin obedience training your Dachshunds puppy, you should start with the most basic commands, for example, “come,” “sit,” and “stay.”

Once your puppy grows and gets a little bit more focused and obedient, you might think on how to train a dachshund puppy tricks.

Since Dachshunds love to eat, you should be careful with how many treats you give them, or they’re going to gain weight pretty quickly. Either break commercial treats into very small pieces or use homemade ones.

Related: THE 5 BEST MINIATURE DACHSHUND CARRY BAGS (WITH REVIEWS)

#5 Deal with Excessive Barking

Dachshunds are one of those dog breeds that love to bark. As such, they can make quite a noise and disturb your neighbors. So, a lot of owners ask how to train a dachshund puppy not to bark.

Dogs often learn that they can get your attention by barking, and you encourage this behavior without meaning to.

So one of the ways to deal with excessive barking is by ignoring your Dachshund puppy.

If ignoring your Dachshund puppy doesn’t do the trick, you should try to distract them with a squeaky toy whenever they start barking.

Don’t shout for your Dachshund to silent because the puppy thinks that you’re joining the fun and will cry twice as hard.

Moreover, you should block the view to the windows if something outside is bothering your Dachshund puppy. Remember that these dogs do have a hunting streak in them and get excited easily.

When you’re training your Dachshund not to bark, don’t use treats to make them shut up. You’re encouraging the behavior, and your puppy will start barking whenever they fancy something tasty.

#6 Prevent Growling

Besides barking, sometimes Dachshund growling worries owners.

In general, Dachshunds tend to be possessive of their food dishes and toys and might growl when somebody approaches their possessions.

As such, it’s a good idea to feed your dog on a strict schedule and remove the dishes when the dog is done. That will also ensure that your Dachshund is not overeating.

Since Dachshunds bond tightly with their owners, they can growl when other people approach the owner.

Don’t reinforce this behavior by picking the dog and cuddling them. Say a firm “No!” and ignore your Dachshund until they calm down.

Related: Best size crate for miniature dachshund

#7 Be Consistent

My last Dachshund puppy training tip is to be consistent. Changing the rules or commands in the middle of the training will only confuse your puppy.

The same goes if you decide to change the potty spot. Make your mind beforehand and stick to your rules.

In addition to this, train your Dachshund puppy when you’re in the right mood for it.

Obedience training shouldn’t feel like a chore that you have to scratch off your to-do list. It’s supposed to be fun for both of you.

Dachshund puppy training might be hard and exhausting, but it’s worth it because Dachshunds are amazing pets. They’re goofy, intelligent, and mischievous.

You have to be patient with them, and they’ll blossom into incredible adult dogs

What do you think about these 7 Dachshund puppy training tips? How do you train your Dachshund puppy? Tell us in the comment section.

Related: Best Dachshund training book to read

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