The Dachshund may look funny, but he is proud, valiant and a very clever dog that needs special training to become obedient one. Many Dachshunds’ owners say that it is impossible to train so independent dogs – and they are partially right. Training a dachshund is not about learning him some commands, it is rather about convincing him that the cooperation with a trainer may be beneficial. Dachshunds are much too clever to simply make tricks for a click or eventually a bit of something to eat in the future. They must be sure that they will get fair price of their choice for their work and attention. Also, the Dachshunds must also know that their disobedience will ruin their whole day and thus all prizes and punishments should be adapted to the given dachshund. Commonly used training methods will not work.
One of the most important things during a Dachshund training is not to destroy his independent character. The Dachshunds were used to hunt down their prey alone in its lair, without any help from a handler. Such task can be performed only by a determined, ferocious and rash dogs, especially when we consider the fact that the typical prey of this dog is much bigger than the Dachshund himself. In Europe, where the pedigree Dachshunds must pass special hunting training, two Dachshunds should be able to corner a wild boar. The same task must be done by three to four terriers which are much bigger and heavier. Such skills cannot be learned, they must be inborn and can only be mastered through a proper training of the Dachshund. Fortunately, almost all Dachshunds have very strong hunting instinct and passing such exam is not a challenge for them.
Still, such skills are rarely used by the Dachshunds that live in apartments, where good manners are what really counts. There is a saying that Dachshunds owners divide into those who let their Dachshund sleep it their beds and those who lie. This is why every Dachshund’s trainer should be aware that there is always possibility that training the Dachshund may alter into training a trainer!
In fact every dachshund will do everything to have a properly trained owner who will satisfy his needs and, what is even worse, he is able to do it in only a few weeks, even as a puppy. Training the Dachshund, because of his stubbornness, curiosity and lack of attention is very similar to training a cat. Lessons for a Dachshund puppy should be very short and always include many elements of play. It is better to learn our Dachshund only a few commands and be sure that he will obey them than learn him much more, but with lower efficiency. And the most important thing: the best way to train the Dachshund is to show him that we care for him and we want to teach him all of these boring (from a Dachshund point of view) tricks not for our satisfaction, but for his own good.
It’s true that the Dachshunds are stubborn and they never grow up, but Dachshunds are also devoted to people who consider them not clowns or barking sausages on four legs, but brave warriors – which they really are. One of the most stupid things in the universe is to attack a Dachshund owner, especially the one who was able to train his Dachshund and gain his loyalty.