The Joys and Demands of a Puppy
There's no denying that the dachshund puppy is one of the most adorable creatures on earth. Whether his coat is smooth, long, or wire, a wiener puppy is downright irresistible. There's a reason for this. If these puppies weren't so incredibly charming, well, let's just say it might be harder to live with the antics that go along with that dachsie baby cuteness.
Basic Training
If you bring home a puppy, you'll need to housetrain him. Since a young pup can't “hold it” through the night, you'll need to wake up in the middle of the night so your pup can relieve himself. You'll also need to be available during the day for these same duties, or make sure you can depend on a family member or friend. If this is impossible, you'll need to contract a pet-sitter or pet-walker to help out until the puppy gets older.
Dachshund puppies must be socialized. That means you must introduce your puppy to several new, friendly strangers every day for the first several months and, once your pup is fully vaccinated, visit several new locations each week. This isn't much of a problem for anyone with easy access to parks, playgrounds, shopping areas, pet stores, and other areas where people gather. If you live in a more rural or secluded area, socializing your dachshund will take more time and effort.
If you find that caring for a dachshund is much more complicated than you'd first thought, don't despair. Where there's a will, there's always a way. Finding a solution boils down first to identifying potential problem areas and second to coming up with solutions to make life with a dachshund not only workable, but enjoyable, too.
Basically, puppies will have no manners whatsoever; they don't come knowing how to behave in a home. You have to teach them. This includes teaching skills like not biting, not scratching, not jumping up, and not whining for scraps, as well as more formal manners, or obedience.
As a dachsie owner, you must be prepared to be the gentle leader from day one, without any exceptions. The best way to establish leadership without suffering any confrontations with your dachshund — ever — is for the two of you to attend training classes. This, of course, costs money — but the benefits are well worth the price! If you want to bring a puppy into your life, you'll need to commit time and money to these training sessions.
Depending on what's available in your area, obedience classes will cost approximately $40 for a four- to six-week session. You'll want to start with a basic puppy class until you have consistent control. Then you can branch out if you wish, and sign up for agility, rally obedience, or any number of really fun classes. If you enroll your dog for an entire year, that could add up to $400 or more for classes.
Teething and Chewing
Dachshund puppies have very sharp teeth, and they like to use them. As the puppy loses its milk teeth and its adult teeth begin to erupt (around five months), the puppy needs to chew on safe toys and bones to help ease the pain of teething. You must provide safe chew toys for your puppy so she doesn't seek out unsafe items.
Puppies will also nip and bite, especially if they've been separated prematurely from their mothers. A puppy's mother is her number-one teacher of bite inhibition, with the ability to communicate this important message to their young offspring: “That HURTS! Don't do that again!”
If you bought your puppy before the age of eight weeks, nipping could be more of a problem than for those who purchased an older puppy. Regardless of the pup's age, mouthing on people is a common puppy problem, and yes, it hurts.
Other Puppy Challenges
Puppies have high energy levels. Either they're running around, getting underfoot, or generally wreaking havoc — no matter what, they are busy. If you're not keeping a close eye on them, dachsie puppies will chew anything and everything that crosses their paths. They will dig trenches, shred underwear, kill pillows, try their paws at decorating with toilet paper, and, well, you get the idea. The dachshund puppy's idea of a good time may not be yours. The bottom line is that they require lots and lots and lots of supervision.
You should also be aware that puppies generally cost more in their first year than perhaps at any other time. This is the year in which you will need to make multiple visits to the veterinarian's office for puppy vaccinations. Your puppy will also need to be spayed or neutered. These expenses are in addition to the everyday costs of owning a dog.
You should keep in mind that there is no temperament test, no early health certifications, no crystal ball, no doggie-guru who can be 100-percent accurate in predicting how a puppy will turn out as an adult. An experienced, reputable breeder can more accurately read a pup's potential than one who is inexperienced; however, there are never any guarantees.
Adolescent Challenges
If you adopt a puppy, you're also going to have to survive the teen years, or doggie adolescence. This is the life stage in which the dachshund has the body of an adult dog but still has many of the behaviors of a puppy. In other words, you may feel your dachsie should know better, but he doesn't unless you've brought him up correctly. (And even then, there will be days …)
During adolescence, you may find that your dachshund tries to exert his dominance over you or smaller, younger members of your family. During this time, you must have great patience and consistency in training. This stage is a breaking point for many owners, who wind up giving up on their dachsies and dropping them off at a shelter. A teenage dachshund can be that challenging — unless you're prepared for it and know how to handle it.
A These high-energy dogs can be an armful, so make sure you're ready before you buy.
Is It Worth It?
Puppies do require a lot of hands-on care, attention, and training in their first 12 to 18 months, but things do get easier. If you have the patience and flexibility to bring a dachsie puppy into your life, you will be rewarded with memorable puppy antics, the sweet smell of puppy breath, and lots of puppy kisses and snuggles.
Most importantly, you'll have the tremendous satisfaction of knowing that you raised this dachshund to its full potential by doing everything right, and now you have a wonderful canine companion for many years to come.
