The First Months
When you first bring home your adopted dachshund, it may seem as though she doesn't have a whole lot of personality. Just wait. You are in for a huge surprise. Once your dachshund figures out what a wonderful home she has and just how much fun it is to live with you, watch out! Herein emerges the clown, the entertainer, the rascal, the great tubular hunter, and the defender of the universe. Of course, it's also possible that your dachshund will trot into your house as if she had lived there her entire life.
With either scenario, obedience training is a must. For the timid dog, activities like obedience seem to instill confidence. For the confident dog, training is a gentle yet firm way to establish your leadership. Attending training classes with your dog will help to develop trust and deepen the canine/human bond.
No matter how gentle and affectionate your dachshund appears to be, do not trust him alone with other animals, children, frail adults, or any one else, for that matter. Your dachshund must prove he has a wonderful temperament. The only way to do this is over a lengthy period of time (many months to a year) while you constantly monitor his reactions to various situations and experiences.
Handle, Handle, Handle
Work with your new dachshund every day and handle him for short periods of time. Pat him, feel his legs, check his paw pads and nails, lift and rub his ear flaps, stroke his back and sides, and rub his stomach. Eventually, you'll want to be able to sniff his ears — a putrid smell is a classic sign of an ear infection — clip his toenails, and brush his coat. Remember, trust often comes slowly, especially to a dog who may have been mistreated or neglected most of his life. Work slowly and patiently with your dog.
Watch your dog's body language carefully as you handle him. Remember, a dog's natural reaction to pain or fear is to bite. If you're watching carefully while handling your dachsie, we hope you can avoid being on the receiving end.
When to Spay or Neuter
Dogs adopted from dachshund breed rescues are usually spayed or neutered before they are adopted out. If you adopted your dog from a shelter or pound, you most likely had to sign a contract promising to have the dog altered within a certain amount of time, and you were probably also given a form for your veterinarian to sign.
Many shelters will give new owners a discount coupon for the altering procedure to encourage people to have it done. Sometimes you just need the veterinarian's signature attesting that the procedure was done, or the coupon may require you to use a specific veterinarian who offers discounts to support dog adoption.
Neutering a male dachshund can work wonders for eliminating or greatly reducing certain unwanted behaviors, such as marking, running after female dogs in season, aggression toward other dogs, and sometimes even dominance toward people. Spaying a female prevents unwanted pregnancies, keeps unwanted male dogs from hanging around when she's in season, eliminates the mess and containment issues surrounding each season (which can be as often as twice a year), and wards off some female cancers.
A good time to have your dachshund altered is within the first month or two. Males can be altered at any time. If you adopted a female who has recently had puppies, is in season, or has recently finished, consult your veterinarian to determine the best time to spay. Spaying a female during or immediately after a cycle is often dangerous. The dog can have difficulties with excessive bleeding and may also experience serious unwanted fluctuations in hormones.
Just be sure you don't wait too long to have this important surgery performed. The window of opportunity for an adult fertile female to be spayed may be narrower than you think!
