What would it be like to have a dog who comes when he's called, lies patiently on his bed while you and your family eat dinner, and trots along on walks without ever pulling too hard or refusing to budge because he wants to smell something? If you find a good training school, make an effort to work every day with your dachshund, and keep training fun and lively for both of you, this well-trained dachshund will be your dog.

All this does not happen overnight, nor will it be accomplished in one training class. If you can make a commitment to training your puppy through its difficult adolescence (eighteen months of age), or work with your rescued adult dog for a year, you will be absolutely blown away — not only by what your dachshund can do, but also by how quickly he can learn.

And remember, operant conditioning is where the future of training lies: shape, click, treat, repeat. Your dachshund will love it, and so will you!