By: Neelesh Karn
Are Dachshunds hard to potty train?
Well, to answer it in one word: yes. It’s pretty challenging to potty train a dachshund for various reasons. Primarily because it’s tough to get them into a routine.
If you are also finding it tough to potty train your Dachshund, then don’t worry; we’ve got your back.
In this post, we will tell you how you can potty train your Dachshund. But first, what is the best time to potty train your Dachshund?
When Should I Potty Train My Dachshund?
Start as early as possible because instilling a habit can take time. Also, make sure that your puppy is not using puppy pads indoors. Make your dog get in the habit of pooping outside while he is a puppy.
What is The Best Season to Potty Train My Dachshund?
The best time to train a Dachshund is around the warm spring or summer months. Avoid potty training in winter because Dachshunds hate the winter season. Also, staying out for a long in the winter can also harm your Dachshund’s health.
What is Potty Training Regression in Dachshunds?
Potty training regression is the period where Dachshunds do well in potty training but suddenly go off track. Generally, potty training regressions start at the age of 4-5months. During this period, Dachshunds generally start pooping indoors all of a sudden for 3-4 days. This happens even if they have been doing well in the training.
Now, this is the point where you have to be most patient and persistent with the training. Many newbie dog trainers give up at this point, making all the efforts go to waste. Keep following the same schedule and all the tips that have been working for you. At the end of it, you will see the change!
So, now, how do you train your Dachshund? Here are some tips.
7 Tips To Potty Train Your Dachshunds
Note: Before potty training your dachshunds, you must check with your vet. It can be harmful to the puppy to poop outside for various reasons.
For example, the weather may not be suitable for the puppy; you may not have a safe garden or yard for a puppy. You may live in an area where your puppy can get infected with Canine Virus. You should not take it lightly because this virus can be fatal.
1. Look for Signs
It’s tough for a Dachshund to convey its desire of wanting to potty. You need to look for certain signs to find out whether your dog is feeling like doing something.
Signs could be anything like frequent sniffing, increased movement in the litter box, anxious behavior, etc.
2. Take him out on regular breaks
When you need to take your Dachshund for breaks, notice the time intervals between two breaks. Keep that time interval in mind, and take out your dog at regular time intervals.
Going out on regular breaks is good. If the dogs are not taken regularly, the chances of them pooping in the house will increase.
3. Go to the same spot
Dogs like predictable places. So, try to go to a particular place for pooping. This will give a sense of comfort to your dog because it gets to know what that particular place is for.
This helps in reducing anxiety in dogs because of which they don’t feel the need to hold their poop and pee for long periods.
4. Reward him pooping outside
If you have noticed that your dog has gone out and done the needful, reward him with a treat. Reward him with things that he likes or take him out for a walk to his favorite place. This will develop a positive attitude in your dog and he will make it a habit to poop outside.
5. Don’t punish him
If you catch your dog peeing or pooping, don’t punish him. They will understand you better with time but not with intimidation. Take them out immediately to their pooping place. Even though he may not poop, it will reinforce which place he needs to poop.
6. Make a routine
It’s always good to have a routine. When you have a routine for your Dachshund, it will be easier for you to know his pooping time. Following a routine will also make it easy for your dog to poop. You won’t have to force him to poop.
7. Train consistently
It’s very difficult to potty train a dog if you do it sporadically. Make sure to do it consistently if you want to build a habit. Dachshunds can be very stubborn and if you give up, they will take advantage of it.
Weekly Potty Training For Dachshund
8-11 weeks old: During this age, your Dachshund would need to poop multiple times an hour. Look for the signs mentioned above on the 1st point. Use puppy pads while being indoors, and go outside at designated intervals.
12-14 weeks old: At this age, the potty breaks would be lesser but they would still pee or poop frequently. Try to let them out once every hour and look for any signs.
14-16 weeks old: Now, your Dachshund can hold it for longer. But you would still need to let them out once every 2 hours.
16-18 weeks old: Generally, at this age, you should take your Dachshund out every 4 hours. Track the timing between two breaks and take your dog regularly as per the timing.
Note: The goal here is to complete the puppy training in 6 months. You just need to follow the 7 tips and regulate it as per age.
Nighttime Potty Train For Dachshund
8-10 weeks old: Around this age, you would need to take your Dachshund out 1-2 times to potty.
11 weeks old: At this age, you would need to take your Dachshund out once every night to potty.
12 weeks old: Mostly, Dachshunds sleep through the night without going to the potty. But you would need to take them out to potty early in the morning.
How to Train Senior Dachshund Dogs?
There is no need to worry even if you have adopted an older Dachshund. It can be quite beneficial because older Dachshunds are easier to train than young puppies. All you need to do is give some time for house training the Dachshund.
You need to follow almost the same tips as we have given for puppies. Training a senior Dachshund is less complicated because they don’t poop as often as puppies.
The vital part is to start the training as early as possible. You should try to take them out on the first day you adopt them. Take your Dachshund out to the spot that can be a perfect potty place and a place where it can go easily.
Dachshunds are stubborn, so this can be the only issue in-house training a senior Dachshund. Keep the training sessions short so that your dog doesn’t feel burdened.
Take them out frequently so that you can instill a habit. You need to show who is in charge and be persistent in training your Dachshund.
What Do I Need For Getting Started With Potty Training?
To train your sweet paw, you would need five essential things.
- Patience
- Leash and collar
- Puppy pen
- Create
- Treats
Patience: Patience is the key to any dog training but more so potty training. You have to be patient with your little toddler to see the results. Remember, it takes time to make it a habit.
Leash and collar: Leash and collar are important so that you can take your puppy out.
Puppy pen: A puppy pen is better if you want to limit your dog to a particular area. It would help maintain cleanliness as well.
Crate: You should choose the crate that is big enough for the Dachshund to sit.
Treats: always have some treats with you to reward sweet paw.
How Many Meals Should A Dachshund Puppy Take?
It’s natural for the puppy to want more and more food in their growing age. But, you would need to regulate the meal to keep the Dachshund healthy. Check out the points below to see how many meals you should give your Dachshund in a day.
- Two-four months old: 4 meals a day
- Four-six months old: Three meals a day
- Six-eight months old: Two-three meals a day
- Over eight months old: Two meals a day
How To Know Whether My Dachshund Wants To Go To The Toilet?
As mentioned earlier, you just need to look for some key signs. We have mentioned some of the common signs below.
- Circling the litter box
- Sniffing the litter box
- Anxiousness
- Barking
- Squatting
- Whining or crying
- Roaming around the place where he has pooped or peed before.
- Staring at you without any reason
- Sitting close to the door
Can I Shout at My Dachshund Puppy for Pooping indoors?
No, you should avoid shouting or doing anything that intimidates your dog. Instead, take them outside to the place where you want them to poop.
Even if they don’t poop, going to that place will reinforce the habit of going to that spot. You also start using a cue word, by which your dog can know that it’s time for the toilet.
What Should I Do If My Dachshund Keeps Pooping Indoors?
Getting started with puppy training is tough. It’s possible that your Dachshund still may poop indoors. In such case follow the tips mentioned below:
- Focus on the fundamentals.
- Pick your Dachshund up.
- Smear poop outside.
- Constantly keep an eye on your Dachshund.
- Memorize the potty routine of your toddler
- Use high-value treats to motivate your puppy
- Don’t react to accidents that happen indoor
- Clean up
- Don’t stress, follow the training tips patiently.
- Keep going, train your dog consistently.
Can I Use Puppy Pads to Potty Train my Dachshund?
No, you should strictly avoid using puppy pads. Although it may look very convenient, Dachshunds can become habitual of puppy pads.
Once it becomes a habit, it will become even tougher for you to train your dog. So, don’t fall for this easy option if you don’t want to regret it later.
Should I Get an Indoor Puppy Pen for my Dachshund?
Yes, an indoor puppy pen or crate can be pretty helpful in confining your puppy to a limited area. Puppy pens are big enough for your Dachshund to play around with. Having a puppy pen doesn’t mean that you would not have to keep an eye on your dog. You would still need to take it out to potty regularly.
Puppy pens are different crates that give confined space for dogs. Puppy pens are pretty sustainable and can last long, but they can also have negative effects.
Because of its own space, the dog may start pooping in the crate. This is why you must keep an eye on your Dachshund and keep up with the training.
How Do I Stop My Dachshund Peeing When People Visit?
For this, it would be best if you can train your friends and family. It would be a lot easier than potty training your sweet paw.
Let them know that your dog’s potty training is going on, and they would have to ignore him. Tell them not to make much ruckus. It’s just for some time until he settles down.
If you are expecting someone unaware of your dog’s potty training, then make sure to take him out before they arrive. This would help calm the excitement of your dog and you would also be able to avoid accidents indoors.
How Much Time Does it Take to Potty Train a Dachshund?
Normally it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months to potty train a Dachshund. It all depends on how well you are following all the steps and how your dog is following all the steps.
The main hurdle can be Dachshund’s attitude because they are stubborn. To cope with this you would need to be patient and keep on training consistently.
Stopping at any point would be more of a setback than having to spend more time in training. Do not change the timing, place, routine, or approach of the training. Just remember the trifecta of Patience, Consistency, and dedication, and keep going!
What If I Can’t Potty Train My Dachshund?
If you cannot see any progress in your dachshund despite the potty training then follow the tips below.
Stick To The Routine
No matter what, you must keep up with the routine. Going off the track from the daily routine would make it tough to build a habit. Follow your puppy’s pooping schedule. Generally, puppies poop after they wake up and 15-20 minutes after having a meal. So track it
down and take your dog out as per the routine.
Track Toilet Habits
Keep track of all the toilet timings of your Dachshund. Note it down every day after doing this for a week or so, you can notice a pattern. Understand these patterns and take your dog out for the toilet as per these patterns.
Don’t leave your Dachshund unattended all the time, it can’t hold long. Take him out regularly to instill the habit as per their toilet schedule.
Check You’re Not Overfeeding
Overfeeding can also be a major cause of why you couldn’t train your dog. Check out the usual meal count and the number of calories a Dachshund should consume.
Check whether you are going overboard with the number of calories. Limit the meals and calories if they are high. Follow the right routine for meals.
Control When Your Dachshund Goes Outside
Regulate the timing to take your puppy out and the spot where you take them out. Don’t let it roam out of the house much because he may start pooping in random areas.
You would need to have just one designated area to train your puppy. Use only that area to make your puppy poop so that the puppy can be aware if it’s a potty spot.
Do Some General Puppy Training
Take out some more time for potty training. Take your dachshund out regularly to make them familiar with the potty spot. Be persistent and let your dog know that you are in charge.
Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself
If things are not working out then don’t push yourself too much for it. Some people are never able to train a Dachshund because of how tough it is. They are stubborn so it’s not necessarily all your fault.
Speak To A Vet
Going to the vet is the right thing to do if your Dachshund is pooping a lot. This would help you know if there are any health concerns. You should never shy away from taking opinions from professionals.
Does my Dachshund have a Urinary Tract Infection?
There is no need to worry if your dachshund poops indoors. It’s most likely because he is still learning. But if the situation continues after taking every measure for potty training, then it can be because of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
If your dachshund constantly poops or pees in the house, you must take him to the vet. UTIs are nothing to be worried about as they can be cured easily. You just need to take your dog to the vet ASAP if he poops or pees uncontrollably.
Why My Dachshund Isn’t Going Out In The Rain?
Dachshunds hate cold weather. So it’s natural for them to not want to go out in cold rain. Because their belly is low to the ground, it gets cold pretty quickly.
Your sweet paw would always prefer peeing in the house rather than going out in cold weather.
To take your dog out, you can pick him up so that wet grass doesn’t touch her belly. Let him down slowly in the designated area, possibly with less wetness. Don’t try to push him to go out alone, you must go with him!
Does my Dachshund Need a Coat?
It’s not necessary to have a coat but it can be helpful for your Dachshund in cold weather. On rainy days, you should get a mac to keep your dog dry.
You can buy a warm fleece for the winter season. Dachshund owners love fleeces because it keeps their sweet paw warm!
Final Words
Now that you know the answer to the question “Are Dachshunds hard to potty train?” Training a dachshund would not be as tough for you as it might be before.
Following all the training tips may seem like a pain in the neck, but it would only benefit you.
Just make sure to be consistent with the training and have the patience to see the results. Slowly but surely your potty training would be successful!