How to Train a Dachshund Puppy: Free Tips to Teach a Puppy

For this Omaha puppy training session we worked with Alice, a three-month-old miniature dachshund puppy. Her guardians asked me for tips on how to train a dachshund puppy and teaching her some basic puppy training. Her guardians want to make sure she starts her training journey the right way.

Alice showed a wonderfully playful personality when she met me at the door.

Her guardian mentioned that occasionally Alice will piddle a bit out of excitement when greeting people at the door. This is called excited urination. The problem should get better and stop as the puppy learns to control themselves.

Easy Tips on How to Train a Dachshund Puppy

I sat down with her guardians to discuss how they can help her mature into a confident and well behaved dog.

I explained how dogs learn and the importance of correcting or rewarding Alice within three seconds of her doing any activity.

Dogs learn by making connections. Giving a reward or correction within three seconds is important. This helps your dog understand what you want or don’t want.

Next I suggested that they focus on rewarding Alice when she engaged in desired actions or behaviors. Many people focus on correcting a dog when they do something wrong. But I found it’s much more effective to focus on rewarding what the dog does right as much as possible.

To help the guardians focus on the positive, I shared a simple technique I created a few years ago. I call it petting with a purpose.

By asking Alice to sit, come, or lay down before giving her attention, she will learn to respect her guardians. This practice should be done regularly.

This helps her see her humans as authority figures. If people make this a habit in the next few weeks, it will become a lifelong practice. This will help create a strong leader-follower relationship.

After we finished petting with a purpose, I suggested some simple rules. I also shared a few nonverbal ways for the guardians to help Alice understand what they wanted or did not want from her.

The conversation eventually turned to potty training. I shared a few tips about when Alice is most likely to need to go.

I also talked about the importance of using one command word. I explained how to connect it with the action. It is very important to reward the dog well within three seconds of her completing the task.

Helping a Puppy Use the Stairs

We went to the backyard to let Alice do her business. On the way, her guardians mentioned she did not like using the stairs. I spent the next few minutes helping Alice learn to go down the stairs without any fear.

Once Alice grows a bit more, she will find it easier to use the stairs. As a small Dachshund, she needs some extra encouragement now. This will help boost her confidence.

We headed back inside so that I could go over a simple recall exercise that will help Alice’s guardians train her to come. Spending a little time on this type of dog obedience training now will result in a lifetime of easy recall.

We wrapped up the session by going over a structured way of feeding Alice and some basic leash training.

What is the Most Crucial Time for Puppy Training?

While this in-home visit should be much more productive than attending several puppy classes, I did strongly recommend that they try to set up as many doggy play dates and interactions with similar sized dogs for the first year of her life to develop confidence.

Alice’s guardians have another week left of her imprint period to really bond with their dog. This is one of the most important developmental periods of any puppies life. I suggested that they spend as much time being with, teaching and interacting with her before this four-month period ends.

The first four months are the most important time in a puppy’s life. The first year is a close second.

To help Alice have a good first year, she should meet various people. She should also experience different situations and interact with animals. This will help her grow into a well-mannered, well-behaved, and confident dog.

By the end of the session, Alice was following commands faster, was recalling on command and sitting in front of her guardians rather than jumping up on top of them to ask for attention.

As a puppy she’s going to push their limits and continue to try to nip, mouth and jump up on them for attention. But now the guardians know how to reward desired puppy behaviors as well as distract or discourage her from engaging in those they don’t like. This will result in better communication and relationship development that will pay off for the rest of young Alice’s life.