Finding And Caring For Your Dachshund Puppy
Wiener dog or doxie, they have lots of names, but no matter what you may call a Dachshund they make a great pets. No matter what your stage in life a doxie can adjust. If you like to take life easy, they make great lap dogs, or if you want a dog to get up and go, go, go, your Dachshund is always up for an adventure, just so long as he is with you! I have had Dachshund for 20 years and have learned a lot so below I will give you some pointers for raising a well-behaved and friendly Dachshund.
First things first, you have to pick out your puppy, but what should you be looking for? You will be able to find several breeders in your area by browsing a bit online, finding a breeder is easy, but finding a good one takes a bit more work. Once you find a few breeders and check out their websites you will want to conatct them and ask if the have both parents on their property and if the are willing to show you them. You will also want to see where the puppies have been kept, making sure the area is clean and free of foul odors.
Take a little bit of time to do some research on what a Dachshund should look like, you will want to compare the puppies parents to the AKC standard. Do they have strong front legs? The front paws should be bigger than the back because a doxie was breed to dig into badger and rabbits holes. Is the back straight? The biggest health problem of the Dachshund is a bad back. Overall, the parents should look sturdy, a doxie isn't a toy dog and should look frail or weak.
Before you bring home your new puppy you will need to think about where you want them to go potty. Potty training doesn't come easy for most Dachshund owners, so it is best yto have your plan in place before bringing the potty home. If you live in an area that gets lots of rain and/or snow you may want to consider training your puppy to go in a litter pan or on one of the new potty patches. Your little wiener dog is low to the ground, and often their belly will touch the ground and grass. So if it snows or rains a lot, you may have a doxie that refuses to go outside.
It isn't impossible to train your Dachshund to go potty outside, but you must be ready for this training to take some time. Im my experiences, it can take up to a year and a half to fully trust a doxie not to go in the house. Just remember when housebreaking your dog that patience is of the utmost importance, reward when they do well, ignore the mistakes because more often than not it is your fault your puppy couldn't hold it, and if needed make a potty schedule so that everyone in the family is on the same page as to when the puppy was last out, what he did, and when he should be out again.
You may have noticed that I did not mention paper training. That is because paper training a puppy is very confusing to your puppy. Think about it from your puppy's perspective, they learn where to potty by 2 things, scent and feel. When you place paper on a hard floor it feels exactly the same as the floor to your puppy. They see the paper and often will walk over to it, but as they circle they end up on the edge and potty on the floor. It's better to use a dog litter pan or a potty patch that feels like grass, both of these make your puppy step up into their potty area, and more clearly mare it as where they should go.
You will want to start right away with some basic obedience. Never, ever use correction based training for your Dachshund. Correction training uses a choke, slip, or prong collar. Trying to train your doxie this way will get you no where fast and is very bad for your doxies body. You should never yank or pull on their necks as this could cause long term back problems.
Look for positive reinforcement training methods. Dachshunds are always food motivated, and so with this form of training you will quickly see results. Just remember to keep the reward small and healthy. Carrot slivers work really well!
Lastly, don't forget to socialize your puppy. Dachshund can become snippy if they aren't exposed to things early in life. Introduce them to other puppies and dogs in a safe environment with only known dogs to ensure your puppy won't get hurt. Have them meet all types of people, and have everyone they meet give them a treat!
Owning a doxie can be very rewarding if you take the proper steps to ensure that they are healthy, smart, and well socialized.
About the Author:
I have been writing for more years than I care to remember, but have really gotten into the SEO writing within the last couple of years. I have an extensive background in business and marketing and thrive on sharing what I have learned with others. Currently, I am the Manager of Writing for CWT Enterprises.
http://www.cwtenterprises.com
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