Dachshund puppy training involves a lot of things from housebreaking to basic commands to playing around.
In short, it's all about spending quality time with your puppy.
Dachshunds naturally love being with people.
Dachshund puppy training will have to be done such that your puppy learns what types of behaviour pleases you and what does not.
One such unacceptable behaviour that is unfortunately second nature to dachshunds is the act of digging.
Take note that these dogs were originally bred for burrowing after hunting prey, which is why digging is instinctive for them.
Your dachshund puppy training program should therefore include training him not to dig whenever he is bored or when something catches his interest.
Otherwise, your puppy could ruin your garden, or worse, your neighbor's.
Your dog could also dig under your fence and escape into the streets, thus risking getting run over by a car.
Digging also poses a threat to your dachshund's health because he could unwittingly dig in areas that contain chemicals or other toxic materials.
Here are some dachshund puppy training tips you can follow in order to deter your dog from getting used to digging.
Never leave your dachshund unattended for long periods of time, especially out in the yard where he can dig freely.
This type of dog becomes bored easily and digging is his natural way of relieving boredom.
Whenever he's out in the yard, you should walk him, play with him, or give him toys to play with.
This is actually one of the major rules in dachshund puppy training: Never leave your dog on his own.
Before you get a dachshund puppy, you might want to consider checking your fence first.
To prevent your dog from escaping even if he manages to dig around your fence, make sure that the fence is buried at least two feet below the ground.
If it isn't buried that deep and there is no way for you to bury it deeper, you can choose to either place chicken wire at the fence's base or bury large rocks along the fence area.
When your dog starts digging, you will notice that there are areas where he especially likes to dig.
Bury things that he doesn't like in these areas to discourage him from digging in that area again.
You'll have to be patient in repeating the process every time he finds a new area to dig in.
To satisfy his digging instincts, you may choose a particular area which you feel is okay for him to dig.
As you continue placing things he doesn't like in other areas, pretty soon he will understand that he can dig only in a certain designated area.
As with any other dog, the key to dachshund puppy training is consistency.
You and the rest of the family must be consistent in expressing which behaviour is acceptable and which is not.
You also have to start dachshund puppy training as soon as the dog arrives, so that it is immediately established that you are the pack leader and he should be obeying you.
Be patient and use positive instead of negative reinforcement.
Remember that dachshund puppy training should be fun, and doesn't have to be as much of a hassle as you might think.