Dachshunds are an incredibly intelligent breed that can master tricks fairly easily. The one exception to this is housebreaking. Dachshunds are notoriously difficult to housebreak, but it’s not impossible. With time and a lot of patience, your dachshund can be housebroken just like any other dog. Here are some ways you can go about it:

Be consistent

When training your dog, the first thing is to be consistent, which means making sure that everyone in the family is on the same page. If your dog receives different commands or reinforcement from other members of your home, it will take longer to get your dog housebroken.

Create a schedule

A part of being consistent is creating a schedule and sticking to it. This means making sure to take your dog out at the same times each day so that they can start to get used to their routine. Puppies normally have to use the bathroom within half an hour of having a meal, so be sure to take them out sometime within this time frame.

Use positive reinforcement

For a behavior to become learned, praising positive actions is key. That means you should positively recognize when your dog goes outside or asks to go outside correctly. By providing the reward of praise or treats when they manage to hold their business until they get outside, they will begin to associate that action with positivity, which will help them want to go outside to use the bathroom, in turn, ensuring that they do so more consistently.

And scold them gently

Your dog is bound to go to the bathroom inside the house during the housebreaking process. When this happens, don’t scream and yell. Instead, politely, but firmly, scold them, then take them outside to do their business, rewarding them when they’ve done so.

At Patti’s Dachshund Farm, we have years of experience training dachshunds and can help answer your questions when adopting a new pup from us. To learn more about our available puppies or about the best practices for housebreaking, give us a call today at 713-591-7412!