Your New Dachshund's “Space”
Until your puppy is older or your adopted adult is less stressed, it is wise to make your dachsie baby a space within a space. In other words, you'll want a crate for when he is unattended, and you'll want an immediate area outside this crate where he can play under supervision without fear that he might ingest something dangerous or ruin your luxurious new white carpet. You can either use a puppy pen or set up dog gates in one room of your home.
If you decide to use a puppy pen, make sure that your dachsie can't knock the pen down to escape to parts hither and yon or accidentally get trapped under a partially fallen pen. If you choose to close in a room, make sure you have no exposed electrical cords that the dog can chew through and electrocute itself. Also, make sure the dachsie can't get into anything — cabinets, drawers, and so on — or wriggle its way in between or behind something, such as the refrigerator or stove. Use sturdy baby or dog gates as barriers to guard other rooms.
If you've purchased a wire crate, be aware that dachshunds have been known to make their crates “walk” on slick floors. By hurling their bodies against its sides, they can get the crate to bounce over to something — anything — that any good wiener dog will chew, gnaw, and scratch at through the wire crate.
