Kitchen and Breakfast Areas
No matter where your dachshund's safe space is, you need to puppy-proof the rest of your house as well, so that no amount of exploring can get her into trouble. A good place to start is the kitchen. Because the dachshund — particularly the miniature — is not a very big dog when it comes to body weight, and because the breed tends to eat beyond satiation, it is very possible that your dachsie might get into your foodstuffs and eat herself to death — or at least, very near death. Additionally, the kitchen potentially may contain several other hazards for your new dachshund.
Garbage Pirates
Ahoy, wieners! The number-one complaint of dog owners is of dogs getting into the garbage and strewing stinky food and wrappings throughout the house. In addition, depending on how much and what kind of garbage the dachsie eats, the contents can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and potentially even death.
Many dog owners tout training techniques that purportedly halt this unwanted behavior. However, let's be real here for a moment. You can throw the shaker cans filled with pennies, you can yell, you can squirt water, you can even recite incantations, but why? The simple, permanent solution is to put the garbage away. Yes, put your garbage can under the kitchen sink behind closed doors. Your problem will absolutely be solved.
Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. A fatal dose would be roughly 50 mg per pound of dog. An ounce of milk chocolate contains about 45 mg of theobromine, which means that an eight-ounce bag of chocolates could kill a miniature dachshund. Semisweet chocolate contains approximately 150 mg per ounce, and an ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate packs roughly 400 mg of theobromine.
Counter Theft
If you have a habit of leaving bread bags, fruit, groceries, and various other tasty treats on your kitchen counters, get used to putting those things away. Your dachshund was born with an incredible sense of smell. Even though he isn't tall enough to see on top of the counters, he will know exactly what you've got up there.
Don't be misled into thinking that whatever you've got up on the counter is safe. You will be amazed at how high a dachshund can jump (which is not good for his back, of course). Dachsies will also use chairs, stools, and anything else available as stepping stones to get up to higher areas where food is kept. The only food that is safe is that which is kept behind closed cabinet doors.
If you haven't noticed yet, dachshunds are very clever and resolvedly determined when their minds are set on getting something. If that something is food related, they will become even more unstoppable. Translation? You might have to put baby locks on cabinet doors and drawers to keep your dachshund out of them.
Cleaning Products and Pesticides
Be careful where you keep your kitchen cleaning products and other poisonous substances. They may be safe under the kitchen sink; however, if your dachsie is capable of opening cabinet doors, you'll need to find another place to store these materials.
Do not set out edible mouse or roach poison anywhere your puppy or dog can get to it, which includes behind the stove or refrigerator if there's a small crawl space for the dachshund to work his body into. Remember, these dogs were bred not to be afraid of small, tight spaces. This, coupled with their incredible sense of determination, makes them prime candidates to get into things they shouldn't.
