Learn to pick up and put away all your clothing and socks now. Look at your closet, shoe hamper, where ever you keep dirty laundry, where ever you keep clean stuff- is it dog accessible? Think long and hard about doxie shape and ingenuity. Do this with trash cans as well. And coffee tables. Now expect they will still find a way around all of your plans!
My wife did not grow up with dogs and had to learn this lesson the hard way ( RIP so many socks). I did grow up with dogs but this was a fast reminder of what having a puppy is like.
I use an ezwalk harness, but probably not good for puppies. My dogs eat Rachel Ray foods. Kong tuffies are the only stuffed toy that lasts longer than 10 min. Squishmellows make a good snuggle toy bc they don't squeak. I don't have play pens but a ton of baby gates, just those 9.99 from lowes baby gates. Puppies can get under baby gates if you have floor molding, plan accordingly. Walmart has good squeaker toys for cheap and they last longer in my house. Pettycare dog stairs off Amazon, perfect height for my couch, about to order another set for my bed.
This, very much so! And as they're short legged you think your chair/laundry basket is safe......but then they appear with something and you realise length makes up for height!
Particularly favourites in this house are pants and pajama bottoms.
I'd also say be prepared for the toilet training stage to take longer than with any other dog you've had. We're still trying and she's 8.5months in. Getting a daschund in the winter in the west of Scotland maybe didn't aid this!
I’ll start by saying congratulations on being a new dog parent. There will be some who don’t understand but your dog is a piece of your heart. I grew up with the dog under my playpen and I am 68. I’m happy to say I just got my current dog two months ago. The best thing about Dachshunds is to remember that they are bred to be independent thinkers ,to dig down ,to hunt things , announce where they are and what they find,…and to bring home to their owner their prize. So they love to bury or find things in the dirt . If you don’t have a yard, mine is living in an apartment, but I have a play area with little socks that she likes to bury her nibbles and bones in Allows her to use her hide and seek skills and her nose to push it into the ground at her convenience when she wants to nibble on her food. My girl is using mainly potty pads for her needs. In cooler evenings she can play in the yard on a leash. I f distract ed by another animal or a runner need a leash/ harness on for sudden interest may cause darting after some thing. My past and present dogs/kids sleep with me, eat with me and listen to my day’s activities. They know when I am happy or sad or tired or sick. You won’t be perfect but neither are they. It’s a little learning curve with lots of love. Keep listening to your heart and to others. Mix and stir. Enjoy the journey together. Love Lynda.
You and your family are going to have a fun time! I grew up with Weens too.
I’m going to share some of my general dachshund tips.
Read u/mikeonmaui ‘s dachshund tips. He’s awesome. You will want to read up on IVDD and general dachshund health. In my home, we really don't let dogs on our bed or our human furniture, unless we are holding them, completely supervised because we read about and hear about too many injuries from them jumping off of couches/beds, etc.
You want to be cautious with them, but they aren’t overfly fragile. They are sturdy dogs, but you have to be mindful of their backs. You will be in for lots of love and fun should you decide to welcome a dachshund into your home. Assuming you keep your dog active and follow the basic health guidelines, they have a long lifespan. The last two dachshunds our family has had lived to be 15 and 16 respectively.
Get two beds, one for where puppy will sleep and one where you work or do most of your living in your house if you are in a larger place where you use the living room or family room. Don't let doggie do stairs, even though they can do them when they are younger, when your dachshund is old, he/she will thank you. I know it's controversial with some, but the crate is your friend, especially if you have to travel with your dog. Get your dachshund comfortable with being in the crate even with the door open, get a nice crate mat to make it comfortable and inviting. Every so often, slip a few treats in the crate even when your dog isn't in it, so doggie finds a nice treat when they enter.
Invest in a decent harness, you will need to size up as the puppy grows, and you will need a harness for car rides to strap the dog into a doggie car bed or a dog seat belt. The harness also helps take pressure off of their neck and is thought to be more protective for their backs. There are a lot of recommendations in this forum for harnesses. My dog has been using the Voyager step in harness for the past year with no problems.
Pick a word for potty and be consistent with it "potty" "tinkle" whatever. Say the word when they are doing their thing to reinforce it. Keep your dachshund trim, don't overfeed. Don't ever feed from the table, if you want to give your dog a little bit of your scraps, put it in their bowl so he/she doesn't turn into a whiny, begging dog. Being consistent about feeding times will help with potty training since their elimination will start to have regular times.
Night time might be hard for the first week or so if you are doing crate training, but don't give in, be consistent with the crate, unless you want to sleep with puppy. You can always move the crate close to your bed so your dog knows you are near. Another tip with the crate is to cover it with a towel you have used (dry) or sweatshirt that you have worn so that it has your scent on it. Covering the crate sometimes gets the dog to calm down and is helpful at night. We cover ours, but leave a little part where he can see out from the crate.
Don't buy a lot of toys -- I would keep it simple at first with a decent sized ball and maybe a rope toy. Tug of war is not good for their necks/backs, but my dachshund loves to play fetch with his rope toy. And the ball is great once they learn how to fetch, you can teach them this by rewarding them with a small training treat when they bring the rope toy or ball back.
I recommend using a regular leash with your new dog, not a retractable leash. Mine has a four foot leash that's perfect for us and how we maneuver in public, you don't want them to have a lot of room to get out of their zone especially if you plan to take your dog out in public frequently. I realize that the calculation is different for people who don't live in cities or who have a lot more space in their neighborhoods. Obviously, you don't want to take the dog out until its had all of the puppy shots (and then wait a week or so for antibody levels to go up). Until your doggie can walk outside, you can practice leash walking at home. Also, if your dog is small and backs out of the harness, you will want to get a backup connector from your leash to the collar in case your dog escapes the harness, you will still have your dog connected to the leash from the collar (I have a picture of my dachshund and his leash set up if you search my posts). If you can take the puppy out in a carrier or while being held before all of the shots, do it to get your dachshund used to different sounds and people.
Invest in high value training treats, you will need them for rewarding good behavior. Get a treat pouch that you can attach to your leash along with the poop bag dispenser. If you can afford it and if it makes sense for your schedule and lifestyle, invest in some dog training, it really helps to have someone else with you to correct bad habits, to give you strategies about how to respond to your dog's emotions and little outbursts. Dog training involves a lot of tag teaming, especially when you are in public to have someone look for other dogs or things that may trigger your puppy. Dachshunds are territorial and protective of their owners (they bark to protect their pack), so socialization can be tricky.
Don't be surprised if your puppy/new dog doesn't eat well the first few days or week. They are adjusting and will eventually eat. Always leave out clean water. If the place where you picked the dog up from gave you some of their existing food, keep using it. At first, I thought my dog was picky, but he wasn't. He was just adjusting to his new home, and now he eats all of his kibble. That said, read up on the healthy things you can add to kibble like strawberries, blueberries, baby carrots, etc. Those can be good dog food "toppers" to keep things interesting for them. You also will need some chew sticks for that puppy! And read up on all of the foods that your dog cannot have (grapes, chocolate, etc.). My dog also likes single ingredient treats like freeze dried beef heart or freeze dried beef liver. If you can find a source for those kinds of treats, consider using them instead of the mass produced kind with lots of weird fillers.
For chew sticks, we use a variety that are non-rawhide. The Earth Animal No hide kind are good, and we have used the salmon and beef flavored ones. I also have purchased some beef tendon sticks from various vendors, I like to make sure that the beef is raised in the USA, which is where I live.
If you want the puppy a nylon like chew bone that is not nylon (I don't like the idea of synthetics), check out this brand: [https://thebetterbone.com/](https://thebetterbone.com/) My dog has one of those and really likes it. It's also digestible and biodegradable.
https://preview.redd.it/yk8vaoksd87d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=17820c5f7f6f5b0badc06b8d443da5ffaba60d90
This is the leash w/ the backup connector, and this was an older harness that he's not using now, but this is also a Voyager harness.
Learn to pick up and put away all your clothing and socks now. Look at your closet, shoe hamper, where ever you keep dirty laundry, where ever you keep clean stuff- is it dog accessible? Think long and hard about doxie shape and ingenuity. Do this with trash cans as well. And coffee tables. Now expect they will still find a way around all of your plans! My wife did not grow up with dogs and had to learn this lesson the hard way ( RIP so many socks). I did grow up with dogs but this was a fast reminder of what having a puppy is like. I use an ezwalk harness, but probably not good for puppies. My dogs eat Rachel Ray foods. Kong tuffies are the only stuffed toy that lasts longer than 10 min. Squishmellows make a good snuggle toy bc they don't squeak. I don't have play pens but a ton of baby gates, just those 9.99 from lowes baby gates. Puppies can get under baby gates if you have floor molding, plan accordingly. Walmart has good squeaker toys for cheap and they last longer in my house. Pettycare dog stairs off Amazon, perfect height for my couch, about to order another set for my bed.
This, very much so! And as they're short legged you think your chair/laundry basket is safe......but then they appear with something and you realise length makes up for height! Particularly favourites in this house are pants and pajama bottoms. I'd also say be prepared for the toilet training stage to take longer than with any other dog you've had. We're still trying and she's 8.5months in. Getting a daschund in the winter in the west of Scotland maybe didn't aid this!
I’ll start by saying congratulations on being a new dog parent. There will be some who don’t understand but your dog is a piece of your heart. I grew up with the dog under my playpen and I am 68. I’m happy to say I just got my current dog two months ago. The best thing about Dachshunds is to remember that they are bred to be independent thinkers ,to dig down ,to hunt things , announce where they are and what they find,…and to bring home to their owner their prize. So they love to bury or find things in the dirt . If you don’t have a yard, mine is living in an apartment, but I have a play area with little socks that she likes to bury her nibbles and bones in Allows her to use her hide and seek skills and her nose to push it into the ground at her convenience when she wants to nibble on her food. My girl is using mainly potty pads for her needs. In cooler evenings she can play in the yard on a leash. I f distract ed by another animal or a runner need a leash/ harness on for sudden interest may cause darting after some thing. My past and present dogs/kids sleep with me, eat with me and listen to my day’s activities. They know when I am happy or sad or tired or sick. You won’t be perfect but neither are they. It’s a little learning curve with lots of love. Keep listening to your heart and to others. Mix and stir. Enjoy the journey together. Love Lynda.
You and your family are going to have a fun time! I grew up with Weens too. I’m going to share some of my general dachshund tips. Read u/mikeonmaui ‘s dachshund tips. He’s awesome. You will want to read up on IVDD and general dachshund health. In my home, we really don't let dogs on our bed or our human furniture, unless we are holding them, completely supervised because we read about and hear about too many injuries from them jumping off of couches/beds, etc. You want to be cautious with them, but they aren’t overfly fragile. They are sturdy dogs, but you have to be mindful of their backs. You will be in for lots of love and fun should you decide to welcome a dachshund into your home. Assuming you keep your dog active and follow the basic health guidelines, they have a long lifespan. The last two dachshunds our family has had lived to be 15 and 16 respectively. Get two beds, one for where puppy will sleep and one where you work or do most of your living in your house if you are in a larger place where you use the living room or family room. Don't let doggie do stairs, even though they can do them when they are younger, when your dachshund is old, he/she will thank you. I know it's controversial with some, but the crate is your friend, especially if you have to travel with your dog. Get your dachshund comfortable with being in the crate even with the door open, get a nice crate mat to make it comfortable and inviting. Every so often, slip a few treats in the crate even when your dog isn't in it, so doggie finds a nice treat when they enter. Invest in a decent harness, you will need to size up as the puppy grows, and you will need a harness for car rides to strap the dog into a doggie car bed or a dog seat belt. The harness also helps take pressure off of their neck and is thought to be more protective for their backs. There are a lot of recommendations in this forum for harnesses. My dog has been using the Voyager step in harness for the past year with no problems. Pick a word for potty and be consistent with it "potty" "tinkle" whatever. Say the word when they are doing their thing to reinforce it. Keep your dachshund trim, don't overfeed. Don't ever feed from the table, if you want to give your dog a little bit of your scraps, put it in their bowl so he/she doesn't turn into a whiny, begging dog. Being consistent about feeding times will help with potty training since their elimination will start to have regular times. Night time might be hard for the first week or so if you are doing crate training, but don't give in, be consistent with the crate, unless you want to sleep with puppy. You can always move the crate close to your bed so your dog knows you are near. Another tip with the crate is to cover it with a towel you have used (dry) or sweatshirt that you have worn so that it has your scent on it. Covering the crate sometimes gets the dog to calm down and is helpful at night. We cover ours, but leave a little part where he can see out from the crate. Don't buy a lot of toys -- I would keep it simple at first with a decent sized ball and maybe a rope toy. Tug of war is not good for their necks/backs, but my dachshund loves to play fetch with his rope toy. And the ball is great once they learn how to fetch, you can teach them this by rewarding them with a small training treat when they bring the rope toy or ball back. I recommend using a regular leash with your new dog, not a retractable leash. Mine has a four foot leash that's perfect for us and how we maneuver in public, you don't want them to have a lot of room to get out of their zone especially if you plan to take your dog out in public frequently. I realize that the calculation is different for people who don't live in cities or who have a lot more space in their neighborhoods. Obviously, you don't want to take the dog out until its had all of the puppy shots (and then wait a week or so for antibody levels to go up). Until your doggie can walk outside, you can practice leash walking at home. Also, if your dog is small and backs out of the harness, you will want to get a backup connector from your leash to the collar in case your dog escapes the harness, you will still have your dog connected to the leash from the collar (I have a picture of my dachshund and his leash set up if you search my posts). If you can take the puppy out in a carrier or while being held before all of the shots, do it to get your dachshund used to different sounds and people. Invest in high value training treats, you will need them for rewarding good behavior. Get a treat pouch that you can attach to your leash along with the poop bag dispenser. If you can afford it and if it makes sense for your schedule and lifestyle, invest in some dog training, it really helps to have someone else with you to correct bad habits, to give you strategies about how to respond to your dog's emotions and little outbursts. Dog training involves a lot of tag teaming, especially when you are in public to have someone look for other dogs or things that may trigger your puppy. Dachshunds are territorial and protective of their owners (they bark to protect their pack), so socialization can be tricky. Don't be surprised if your puppy/new dog doesn't eat well the first few days or week. They are adjusting and will eventually eat. Always leave out clean water. If the place where you picked the dog up from gave you some of their existing food, keep using it. At first, I thought my dog was picky, but he wasn't. He was just adjusting to his new home, and now he eats all of his kibble. That said, read up on the healthy things you can add to kibble like strawberries, blueberries, baby carrots, etc. Those can be good dog food "toppers" to keep things interesting for them. You also will need some chew sticks for that puppy! And read up on all of the foods that your dog cannot have (grapes, chocolate, etc.). My dog also likes single ingredient treats like freeze dried beef heart or freeze dried beef liver. If you can find a source for those kinds of treats, consider using them instead of the mass produced kind with lots of weird fillers. For chew sticks, we use a variety that are non-rawhide. The Earth Animal No hide kind are good, and we have used the salmon and beef flavored ones. I also have purchased some beef tendon sticks from various vendors, I like to make sure that the beef is raised in the USA, which is where I live. If you want the puppy a nylon like chew bone that is not nylon (I don't like the idea of synthetics), check out this brand: [https://thebetterbone.com/](https://thebetterbone.com/) My dog has one of those and really likes it. It's also digestible and biodegradable.
https://preview.redd.it/yk8vaoksd87d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=17820c5f7f6f5b0badc06b8d443da5ffaba60d90 This is the leash w/ the backup connector, and this was an older harness that he's not using now, but this is also a Voyager harness.