Are people willing to adopt or buy a Dachshund always have this question in the back of their heads, are Dachshunds aggressive?
Look: Dachshunds are adorable, especially puppies, but these little weenies are one of the most aggressive breeds. As their name suggests, Dachshunds are famous for their hounding skills in hunting down badgers and other rodents. Hence, they have aggression similar to that of a hunting dog.
Doxie owners, especially beginners, find it pretty challenging to understand the reasons behind such aggression of their canine. In this blog, we have not only discussed the possible causes but also discussed the better way of swaying your little weenies.
Inherited Traits That Make a Dachshund Aggressive
Dachshunds belong to the family of hunting canines, descended from wolves. Because of the genetic similarity, the dachshunds gained the temperament of a wolf which made them capable of attacking their prey to kill it.
A few centuries ago, badgers were easy to find and would probably enter your gardens or farms. Once a badger enters the field, they turn beautiful and maintained farm fields into a complete mess.
They dig deep holes into the ground to create a hiding room for themselves whenever someone tries to throw them out of the area.
Badgers have the level of intelligence that a human mind cannot cope with easily. So in the 15nth century, somewhere in Germany, some canine breeders tried to find a solution for this and developed a domesticated breed. The breed was Dachshund.
The Dachshunds breed has characteristics that can help humans to get the badgers thrown out of their house. They are intelligent and highly aggressive when it comes to hunting down badgers.
Their skills of detecting smell and sound, along with their slim, small-sized body, allow them to track down the badgers in the deep holes. However, only a glimpse of a badger is enough to test their temperament.
They are so stubborn that they won’t let it go so quickly and will only stop after successfully killing the badger.
Though the Doxie breed is loyal to its owners, a stranger or another dog will quickly witness your canine’s aggressive behavior. According to a study on breed differences in canine aggression, Dachshunds are one of two breeds that scored higher than average for the charge level directed towards animals and humans.
Among the breeds that showed the highest level of severe aggression, such as bites, Dachshunds were at the top of the list. Done by Deborah L. Duffy, Yuying Hsu, and James A. Serpell, this examination of the Dachshunds is available here.
According to Georgina Beach, domestic dogs such as Dachshunds have inherited behavioral sequences that make them notoriously aggressive. The body appearance of Dachshunds is unlikely to justify the level of aggression shown by this house-friendly dog.
In the year 2000, two fatal attacks by Dachshunds happened. Here is the link to her publication on aggressive behavior in domestic dogs.
Reasons for the Dachshunds being Aggressive
The Dachshunds breed is not loyal but also a family-friendly breed. Generally, they don’t attack every single dog and stranger passing by. They only show their aggressive side when they sense something suspicious around them or something that is affecting them physically and mentally.
You must know the fact that the Dachshund breed is unique. They have great instincts and power and are also emotions like no other dog breed. Hence, there are also factors other than ancestral characteristics that test a Dachshund temperament. Let’s learn about those factors:
Miniature Dog Syndrome
The miniature-sized canines have a syndrome of being aggressive at times when it is not even necessary. Doxie breed is a stubborn breed that considers itself superior to all the other dog breeds.
Irrespective of the opponent’s canine size, Dachshunds always give a tough fight with extreme confidence. Furthermore, they apply the same behavior pattern towards strangers if they try to harm them.
“My Dachshunds believe they are much bigger and stronger than all the other dogs. Our new neighbors had a notorious Rottweiler who never dared to come closer to the property because of the Dachshunds.
I also had a hundred and two pounds heavy Pitbull. At that time, one of the Dachshunds was only five years old, but he was the Alpha canine of our house.” – Barbara Hardin.
Barbara Hardin used to be a newspaper editor. Now she is a mother of four Dachshunds and loves to spend her time exercising and playing with them.
Aggression Because of Fear
Dachshunds are born with the characteristic of being brave, but sometimes everyone has some sort of fear. Most importantly, Dachshund puppies, whenever they feel lonely, they become depressed.
In depression, when they make mischief, people give them punishments, creating the fear of interacting with new people or even new pooch. Then, as they grow older, their hormones make aggression a reaction against fear.
“My husband and I adopted a mini Dachshund 6 months ago from a nearby adoption shelter. When we saw him first, his adorable eyes caught our attention, and we decided to adopt him.
Now, as he is growing older and older, he is becoming more aggressive day by day. We consulted the behaviorist at the adoption center and learned that his previous owners raised him in an agitated environment”- Gail Everett.
Aggression to Protect Their Resource
Dachshunds are very attentive to their surroundings. The smell and noise are so sharp that even humans can’t detect those alerts. Under such situations, Dachshunds become aggressive about protecting their belongings.
It can be anything from saving their owners to safeguarding their favorite snacks. If they have made a hunt, their temperament won’t allow even the guardians to come closer to it.
Linda Wilson, an owner of seven Dachshunds, said, “All my Dachshunds become aggressive in difficult situations but love to socialize otherwise. One day I was playing with them in the local dog park, and a large Husky attacked me. My Dachshund became ready for action and saved my life from that Husky.”
Aggression Because of Hormonal Changes
As your Doxie starts growing, you will notice a lot of hormonal changes both in body structure and behavioral patterns. For example, male Dachshunds become highly aggressive during mating if they cannot find a partner.
Their aggressiveness was quite dangerous during this period because they would jump over anyone and start humping.
After giving birth to new puppies, female Dachshunds become very possessive and aggressive about their babies.
You will witness an immediate growl if you try to reach closer to them.
Tips to Sway Your Aggressive Dachshunds
Though genetics make the Dachshunds aggressive, a lot depends upon the uprising the guardians do. The training and the habits taught at a young age leave a mental and emotional residue.
Here are some tips to improve the temperament of your Doxie:
DIY Method
If you have a little Dachshund puppy, start teaching him how to socialize with others and behave in different situations—this way of training your canine by yourself benefits you in the long term.
Your Doxie will feel more connected with you and obey your commands more than anyone else.
You can start by trading their favorite treats for every excellent habit that they learn from you. Little pups know what you teach them, so it is better to have a little knowledge about training your canine before any DIY training.
Here is a YouTube link; this will help you a lot.
Hire a Professional Trainer
If training your canine personally is not improving, hire an expert trainer. The trainer will desensitize the pup and monitor hormonal changes in the puppy.
If the trainer notices anything unusual with the Doxie, I recommend you to consult a vet about the ongoing problems.
Consult Your Vet
Consulting a vet might be a better option if the aggression is because of some health-related issue or hormonal changes. The increased production of hormones and testosterone makes your Doxie hyperactive.
If you are unwilling to indulge your canine in any breeding process for offspring, you can opt to neuter your Dachshund.
Neutering also reduces the risk of internal diseases such as the development of bladder stones.
Here’s the catch: Neutering your Doxie reduces the level of hyperactivity but does not guarantee the complete removal of aggression in your canine. Hence, we request you to opt-in for neutering only after taking proper advice from your vet.
How To Identify That Dachshund is Showing Signs of Aggression
Dachshunds always show a sign of aggression as a warning sign that they are about to attack. Identifying the trigger warnings is also necessary so Dachshunds don’t have to take unnecessary training and vet appointments.
Some consider it a way of playing because of the Dachshund’s small-sized body.
Aggression because of other people and animals includes activities such as growling, taking a stiff stance, direct eye contact, etc.
On the other hand, fear attack warnings involve trying to move far away from you, avoiding direct contact with your eyes, hiding in dark places, etc.
Final Words
Finding out why Dachshunds are aggressive must be a shocker for many readers; after all, this adorable domestic canine is so tiny in size. From a beginner’s perspective, it is impossible to judge that Dachshunds are so aggressive.
Now that you have this knowledge about the aggressiveness of Dachshunds, we hope that you will improve your canine’s temperament with the tips mentioned in this blog. Stay tuned for more updates about Dachshunds.