Are you looking for some easy commands to teach your dachshund?
Dachshunds might have a comical appearance, but they can be quite dominant dogs if you don’t train them properly.
Fortunately, I’m here to spill some amazing training secrets to help you teach them 5 easy commands.
Yes, that includes learning how to train a dachshund to sit!
5 Easy Commands to Teach Your Dachshund
People tend to underestimate Dachshunds and think that they’re mellow and easy to train.
However, Dachshunds are scent hounds and have typical scent personality. They get distracted when they catch a scent and can be quite persistent in following it.
Moreover, Dachshunds tend to have independent thinking, can be a “bit” stubborn, and get bored quickly.
So, they aren’t the easiest dogs to train and require a lot of patience and positive reinforcement.
That’s why we’re going to start with the five basic commands that all dogs should know.
#1 Name
So, the first easy command that you can teach your Dachshund is to get them to recognize their name.
You want your Dachshund to know when you’re calling them, and it’s useful for attracting your dog’s attention.
Start by choosing a name. Don’t bother with long or complicated names. You’ll eventually shorten it or rename your dog for convenience.
The name should be short, easy to remember, and unique so that your Dachshund doesn’t confuse it with commands.
For example, Spot and Stop might sound different to you, but they’re very similar to your Dachshund.
Once you’ve found the perfect name for your Dachshund, you’re ready to start:
- Get your Dachshund in a quiet room with no distraction.
- Call their name in a cheerful and enthusiastic voice and wait.
- If your Dachshund looks at you, give them a piece of treat.
- Distract your dog and try again.
- Keep practicing every day.
- Once your Dachshund turns to you when they hear the name, you can move to another room and add distractions.
When it comes to teaching your Dachshund to recognize their name, never use the name for unpleasant events.
You want your Dachshund to have only positive experiences with it.
Furthermore, don’t call the name repeatedly, or your Dachshund will turn a deaf ear to your voice.
#2. Sit
It shouldn’t surprise you that one of the five easy commands to teach your Dachshund is sit.
Even the hardest dogs to train master sit first because other commands require your dog to know how to sit.
While it’s an easy command, it has a lot of applications. It’s a way for your Dachshund to show that they want something and a way to replace unwanted behavior.
Sit also comes in handy when your Dachshund is overexcited and can’t keep still.
But enough about the benefits of the command. How do you train your Dachshund to sit on command?
First, get your Dachshund to a quiet room with no distraction and prepare a lot of high-value treats.
Then you can use two methods:
- Capture the behavior. Wait for your Dachshund to sit, then mark the action with a clicker and offer a treat. Once you’ve repeated it several times, add a verbal cue, and continue to practice.
- Lure your Dachshund into position. Get a treat and position it over your Dachshund’s nose and move it towards the back of the head. Say, “Sit” the moment your dog’s bottom hits the floor and give them the treat.
No matter what method you choose, you should plan short sessions throughout the day.
Dachshunds get bored when they have to repeat the same thing, so you don’t want to overwhelm them.
Once your Dachshund is sitting when they hear the command, you can add distractions and phase out the treats.
#3 Down
When it comes to obedience training, you should work on one command at a time.
So, you shouldn’t move to “Down” before you have your Dachshund respond to “Sit.”
“Down” is useful if you need your Dachshund to stay still for more than a couple of minutes.
Since many dogs don’t like to lie on cold floors, you should train on a comfortable surface, such as carpets.
Teaching your dog to lay down is almost as easy as training them to sit. Here’s how to do it:
- Get your Dachshund to sit.
- Put a tasty treat under your Dachshund’s nose.
- Move the treat to the ground until your Dachshund has to get to the floor to get it.
- Say, “Down!” the moment your Dachshund is down and offer a treat. You can also use a clicker to mark the behavior.
Once you get your Dachshund to respond to the command most of the time, remove the food lure and replace it with a hand signal.
#4 Stay
Another easy command to teach your Dachshund is “Stay.” From all basic commands, “Stay” is one of the most vital ones.
It can keep your Dachshund from dashing through an open door or prevent them from following you into a busy street.
To train your Dachshund to stay, follow these tips:
- Get your Dachshund to sit.
- Then make a stop sign with your hand (hand up, palm towards your dog) and say, “Stay.”
- If your Dachshund doesn’t move for a couple of seconds, go to them, praise them, and offer a treat.
- Keep practicing for a few days and drop the hand signal.
- Then if your Dachshund keeps their position, you can start working on moving away from your dog.
While “Stay” is easy, most owners have problems with it because they move too fast or expect too much of their dogs.
Remember that dogs aren’t made to stay still and that short positive lessons are better than long, frustrating ones.
Take baby steps and slowly increase the distance between you and your Dachshund to master the command.
You can also watch YouTube training videos to help you.
#5 Come
Finally, the last easy command to teach your Dachshund is “Come,” and it’s an essential one.
As I mentioned, Dachshunds are hounds and might chase other small animals.
Moreover, you should have a way to recall your dog if they happen to slip the leash:
- Start by practicing “Sit” and “Stay” for a couple of minutes.
- Then move several steps away from your Dachshunds and say, “Come.”
- For better results, you should get low to the ground and act excited. It will awaken your Dachshund’s curiosity and get them moving.
- Wait for your dog to respond. If your Dachshund doesn’t move, you might lure them to you by showing them a treat or a favorite toy.
- When your Dachshund comes, you should praise and reward them with tasty food.
One of the big don’ts in training “come” is that you shouldn’t use the command for unpleasant things.
So, when you have to take your Dachshund to the vet, for example, go and get your dog.
Dachshunds might be small, but they can be bossy and stubborn when it comes to obedience training. It’s important to establish your role as a good leader and to stick to your rules.
Dachshunds will exploit any loopholes they find, so you have to be strict but fair.
Wow , looks like dogs are civilized than cats .
Dogs – 1
Cats – 0
omg he is sooooo cute!!! I would love to get a dog, I never owned one in my life…
These are great tips! Training is so important with any dog you have.
Wow! I hope I can have a dog like that! Do you mind giving me one? Haha!
These are great commands to be able to have your dog respond to. I don’t know that too many dog owners have good control of their dogs.
Great post for dog owners. Most of the dog owners I know do not have a great control over their dogs.