What Kind of Owner Are You?
Life with a dog — especially a dachshund — is not all love, puppy breath, and doggie biscuits. Are you prepared to handle the commitment involved? Some people seem to be able to deal with incredibly difficult situations without any hesitation. They have a knack for making adjustments or additions to their schedules without getting flustered or overwhelmed. For others, even the slightest incongruity in their lives seems to send them over the edge. And then there is everyone else, who fall somewhere in between the extremes.
For dog owners, it's necessary for all these types to strike a balance between their own human needs and their dogs' canine needs. Where you fall in this range of owners (and the success you will have with your dog) is largely based on your personality type and — perhaps more importantly — the value you place on your relationship with your dog.
It's very hard to analyze your own attributes and shortcomings. So, when you're trying to assess if you'll make a good dachsie owner, be as candid with yourself as you can. You should come pretty close to the true picture.
Personality Types That Succeed
A successful dog owner is willing to put his new dog right at the top of his priorities. Not only does this person make time for the dachshund's basic needs, he also willingly makes time to bond with his new dog. When an emotional bond has been established with the dog (and vice versa), this owner is willing to go the extra mile to make sure his new dachshund succeeds in his new home.
What if you want to be flexible, but giving a dog anything beyond the very minimal time needed to maintain her care is just impossible? Well, a dachshund (puppy or adult) without a loving, attentive owner is miserable. A miserable dachsie will look for things to do, which means you'll wind up spending more time doing dog chores and even less time playing and interacting in a positive way with your dog. The real danger here is that if you can't find time to make a solid and real emotional bond with your pup, the slightest inconvenience may be enough for you to give up on your new canine.
A good way to find out if you can make enough time for your dachshund is to keep a journal. Track all your appointments, travel, commuting time, social activities, hobby time, and even the time you spend cooking and preparing meals. After you've logged every minute of your time for a month, see how much time you do have left, and where you can make time for your dachshund.
Beware of Owner
Beyond making time for your dachshund's care, the way to success is also to make sure you spend a lot of quality time interacting with your dachsie and forming a permanent, loving bond with her. The only way this can happen is if you can commit to making your new dachshund one of your top priorities.
If, however, you are a type A personality who can't make your puppy a priority, or if you are purchasing a puppy because it's a popular breed, you'll look cool walking it, or any other reason, don't buy a dachshund. Don't buy any dog until you can commit to its care, health, and training.
