How to educate and train a dachshund?

If you really want to have a playful, temperamental dog, but you have limited living space, a dachshund may be the perfect solution. A small, adorable and cheerful dog with character - this is what you get by getting an animal of this breed.

Looking at her, you don't even think that this adorable dog was bred for hunting. But this is precisely the peculiarity of her character, therefore, the need for appropriate education arises in order to clearly understand who is the boss in the house.

The Dachshund breed has its own characteristics. First of all, they are very friendly, unless, of course, you got an adult that was kept locked up. Dachshunds love to flatter and play with other people, dogs, in addition, they are very smart, willingly learn commands and repeat them, showing considerable ingenuity.

Dachshunds are stubborn in their views on the nature of things, so it is very difficult to rudely force her to do something that she does not want. For the most effective use of the potential of this animal, it is necessary to diversify both the learning process and the stimuli used in the process, since the living mind of the dachshund will "get stuck" in monotony.

At about 3 months, dachshunds develop character traits, so it is critical during this period not only to give the puppy maximum warmth, comfort and care, but also to properly educate the animal. Recommendations for handling dachshunds during this period are approximately as follows:

• increases the likelihood of success in the process of raising a dog of the Dachshund breed - an early start to training, therefore, it is necessary to start from puppyhood;
• it is necessary to draw up a daily routine in which the time of walking, eating and resting will be rigidly determined; the schedule must be followed;
• the owner should show more patience and expect that the process of training a dachshund takes time, therefore it is necessary to work out the commands correctly and for a long time, doing it regularly;
• the owner must immediately establish his leading role, since the dog is a gregarious animal, inclined to adhere to a certain model of behavior; The dachshund cannot be begged or persuaded to carry out the command - the command must be given clearly and firmly, but it is important not to overdo it - the dachshund's willfulness will not allow her to put up with pressure;
• the dachshund needs physical activity, and walking is not enough to create them; in the apartment the dachshund does not have the opportunity to play enough, which can lead to problems with behavior;
• Dachshunds remember the weaknesses of their owners and then actively use them, so it is necessary to keep a clear leading position.

Among other things, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the dachshund, like any other dog, is not able to read your mind, therefore it is foolish to demand this from it. The dachshund is able to understand 100–150 words; in the process of training, you should actively use these words.

The education of dogs is based primarily on the mechanisms of positive and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is based on rewarding desirable behavior, negative reinforcement on punishing unwanted behavior.

The food reflex is the animal's desire to get food, the tentative reflex is the desire to repeat a pleasant stimulus or avoid an unpleasant one.

In 1994, the Canadian researcher Koren ranked the dogs according to the level of intelligence, and the dachshunds got a place in the group of "hard workers". The breeds in this group, in half of the cases, execute the commands at the first request, after twenty repetitions they learn the commands in principle, and to consolidate the result they need about 40 repetitions. If the dog has no mental abnormalities, the commands are learned by them for life. It should be noted that the training process is also facilitated in the presence of other dogs.

Raising a dog is a task of varying degrees of difficulty, even within the breed, because they are also characterized by various types of nervous activity according to Pavlov.

Choleric people are more welcoming to the prompting commands, and the forbidding ones are harder to digest. Phlegmatic people get stuck in both types of teams longer, but they are fixed in them for a longer period. Melancholic people are difficult to train, since the excitement in them is weaker than inhibition.

It is necessary to understand the key characteristics of dogs at different ages.

• A month-old dog willingly plays and interacts with the world around him. During this period of life, the owner's task is to protect the animal from stress.
• At 2 months old, the dachshund attracts attention with its voice. This puppy can already be temporarily separated from the mother in another room.
• At three months, the dog begins to rush into the street and for the first time try "on the teeth" of the owners. During this period, they can begin to damage property. That is why this period is optimal for the animal to start learning basic commands and signals. When training, it is very important to take into account the well-being of the animal - they should not tire the dog.
• At four months, the dog tries to take the leading place in the "pack", so this particular period will be critical in the formation of the hierarchy. The owner must be an uncompromising and tenacious leader.
• At 4-7 months, the dog seeks to explore the outside world. During this period, the owner increases the walking time, the puppy gets to know other dogs and people. At this time, the dachshund should already obey commands well.
• At 7-9 months, differences in character between boys and girls appear. Boys begin to aim for leaders and show aggression, and girls are in heat for the first time. During this period, females must be protected from encroachments and excessive negativity, and males must be resolutely reasoned, not allowing them to take the lead in the family.
• In the period from 9 to 12 months, the dachshunds mature, become balanced, and at this time you can proceed to serious training. In this period of time, they begin to study complex commands, periodically repeating the material covered.

You should train a puppy yourself at home from two months. From three weeks until this time, the puppy only learns the world around him. Starting from two months, he is ready to interact and adapt to this world, in particular, to his master.

It is advisable not to overwork an animal of this breed at an early age with training, 15 minutes a day will be quite enough to start.

It is worth taking a closer look at the basic commands for dachshunds.

• "To me". You can learn the command "to me" as follows: call the puppy with this command, after which he should come to you. If that doesn't work, you can pretend to leave and repeat the command. This option almost always works. If the puppy does it, praise him.

• "Stand". The “stand” command is taught using both encouragement and coercion. This means that if the dog has difficulties, then you should push it by the stomach (an element of coercion), and if successful, treat and caress it. It is best to teach this command outside of examining or otherwise caring for the dog. Walk up to her and give the signal to "stand", then lift the back of her belly, holding the collar with the other hand - the dog should not take a step, executing this command. If the starting position when executing the command is lying, you can easily pull on the collar or harness in the process. Reward your pet for success. Gradually increase the interval between the command and the reward, and also start a gesture - a lowered right hand, the palm of which is turned up.

• "Nearby". When executing the command "beside", the initial position of the dog is opposite you with the muzzle towards you. As a result, the dog should sit on the left near your leg. It is necessary to stand facing the dog, holding the leash in your left hand. Then give the command, step back with your left foot, pull slightly towards you and to the left. The right leg does not change position. The dog turns clockwise, its head is where your left leg was. Then we put the leg back in place and reward the dog. Ideally, the dog will gradually learn to execute this command off the leash and, when he hears it, follow along with you.

• "Fu" and "no". The command "no" (or "fu") is learned when the puppy commits an unwanted action. In such a situation, you should pronounce the command and slightly slap the puppy, in case of categorical disobedience.

• Show your teeth. To teach an animal the command "show your teeth", you should pronounce it, clench your jaws and part its lips.Initially, this procedure is not very pleasant for the dog, but over time it will get used to it, and then completely learn the command. This command can be especially helpful when visiting your veterinarian.

• "Sit". The "sit" command trains with a treat clutched in hand over the puppy's face. Reaching for a tidbit, the dog will be forced to sit down. If unsuccessful, you can put your hand on the back of the dog's body. For good luck, reward the dog with a present. Sometimes you can accompany the team by pulling the collar up (but only moderately). Over time, make the time interval between the command and the serving of the treat, and also enter the gesture - the palm of the right hand, facing in front at ear level (starting position), goes down.

• "Lie". The “lie down” command should be taught in a similar way to the “sit” command. A quiet place is selected for training. The dog sits, the treat is placed under its muzzle. The puppy will have to lie down to eat it. If the dog is persistent, you can put pressure on the withers. The second method is to place one hand on the withers, and place the other behind the front paws. When giving the command, lightly press down on the withers, pushing the front legs and allowing the dog to lie down. It is important that the dog lies down gently, with the front legs extended forward and the hind legs tucked in. The third option is to press on the withers and pull the collar slightly down and forward.

• "Give your paw." To teach this signal, hold the treat in your hand, allow the pet to sniff the hand, and wait for the dog to extend its paw. When the dog does this, say the command, give it a treat and pet it. You can try to do this without food - just take the dog's paw in your hand and say the command. Without a treat, it will take more time, but then the skill will not be based on the pet's mercantile desire to receive a treat. It is important to teach your dog to pitch the other paw. This can be achieved by simply giving a command and not returning the pet's “first” paw; over time, he will learn to give both paws alternately after the “give a paw” command.

The nickname question is very important for a small dachshund. A puppy's nickname should never be pronounced in an abusive tone, this can generate in him a negative association with the nickname, which will spoil his whole future life. To get the puppy accustomed to the nickname, pronounce it, offering the dachshund a treat, which looks something like this:

1. first you need to take a treat, move some distance from the puppy and gently call him;
2. when the puppy approaches, you should treat him to;
3. you should take a new portion of the treat, go to the next room and call the puppy again.

The puppy is called in an even and measured tone. If he does not respond, they call more persistently, demanding the immediate execution of the command. The puppy should not be scolded for poor execution of commands, it is enough to strictly pronounce the command "fu" (or "no").

It is very important to provide your dachshund toddler with chew toys so the dachshund can chew on them and not your belongings, clothes and furniture. If your dog begs during your meal, you need to gently but firmly besiege him with the command "place".

And also the command "place" will come in handy in a situation when the puppy climbs to sleep with the owners - in such a situation, you should move it to the place designated for sleeping and give the command.

From the age of two months, it is necessary to accustom the dachshund to a collar and a leash. At first, the dog will not put up with the collar, will be nervous trying to take it off. Gradually the animal will get used to it. It should be noted that the collar and leash must meet such requirements as:

• the collar should be made of soft but durable fabric; in no case should it cause discomfort to the animal;
• the leash should be fairly light and durable, made of quality material; the carabiner should also not be too heavy, but should provide a secure fit.

You will learn the details of dachshund training from the video.