What Every New Dachshund Puppy Should Learn

This isn’t exactly the article I had in mind to post today… but I just can’t keep myself from sharing the great news! Our little family has a new member: a dachshund mix puppy!

As I write this, this little doxie (as dachshunds are sometimes affectionally called) is obsessively sniffing the entire surface area of the living room floor. And yes, she! I’m no longer the only female in the house – finally!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase any of my recommended products at the bottom of the post, I will earn a small commission at no extra charge to you. Keep in mind though, that I only post affiliate links to products and services I personally love and use myself! Purchasing through my page ensures that I am able to keep writing useful content for all of you.

There is a lot for this little dachshund mix to take in!

We rescued her at 4 months old from the Devore Animal Shelter in San Bernardino and she’s now acclimating to living in a 2 level home with two cats and two humans! Needless to say, there is a lot for her to explore at the moment, and she’s definitely exploring!

So you’re probably wondering what we ended up naming her, amiright? So without further ado, this little cutie’s name is… ::drumroll please::

Dobby the House Elf!

(Yes, Dobby as in the house elf that saves Harry Potter’s life on multiple occasions… Because with her sweater on, she looks like Dobby once he was freed 😉 )

I know I made a whole big deal about how much I love pun pet names–and I still love Sweenie Pawed! But since she is going to be a migraine service dog, I felt like she needed an easier name for people to understand and relate to.

What I most want to do for little Dobby is to raise her to be a lovable and polite pup. I want people to be happy I brought her over. Training her will ensure that she is a little doxie that gets along well with adults, children, and other pets. Training a puppy is like educating your child: it may be difficult or painful to scold them, but sometimes it’s necessary. You wouldn’t want a poorly behaved pup, just like you wouldn’t want a spoiled child.

That is why, even though she is still in an adjustment period, she has already started her training. Hey, I’m an educator at heart, you know I’m going to have her be the best behaved pup in town!

Aside from wanting a well behaved pup, I’m also planning on training her to be a migraine service dog. (For more on my migraine journey, you can check out this blog post.) To be a service dog, she needs to be obedience-trained in order to enter public areas, as well as trained in her migraine-related duties. Despite my long-term goals for her, these are the first basic tasks and commands our little Dobby will be learning.

Table of Contents

This little dachshund is learning her: Potty Training

Needless to say, this is my top priority for my little weenie pup! She does well with the pads already, she just needs a little encouragement when she goes successfully.

My next goal will be to place the pads progressively closer to the doggy door. Then, I will move them outside and have her start relieving herself outdoors.

This little doxie is learning to: Sit

She is such a smart little dachshund puppy, she was already responding correctly to “sit” within a few trials! This command is very important to me. I need to be able to control her movements so that those around her are more comfortable.

Our two kitties are having a bit of a difficult time acclimating to their new housemate and the sooner she learns to sit and stay on command, the sooner their interactions will be less scary for the cats.

Unfortunately, the energy and excitement that comes with puppyhood is often too much for Robin Hood and William ShakesPurr to handle.

This little dachshund is learning to: Stay

She’s absolutely terrible at this one so far – but who can blame her?

I know I can’t! 😉

The energy that comes with being a puppy means that sitting calmly while your new mommy walks away from you is absolute torture! I’m sure she’ll learn it quickly though, so far Dobby has proven to be quite a smart puppy.

This little dachshund is learning to: Come

This is one of my priorities in her training. Although not incredibly important outdoors, since she would always be on a leash, it would just make my life a lot easier. Heaven knows I don’t want to have to chase her around the house to put on her harness or grab her up for a bath! Plus if she gets to exploring and sniffing people in the community, I want to be able to call her back to my side.

This little dachshund is learning: Down

This is another big command she’ll have to learn if we want to reach our goals. We do want her to be a polite little doxie, don’t we? She is very loving and easily excited, so I want to be able to get her to stop if she is off-duty and starts jumping on the cats, me, or others.

TL;DR

I am so excited to be a momma to a new dachshund mix puppy! Although she’s still adjusting to her new surroundings (and recuperating from her spaying) her obedience training has already begun. I can’t wait to share more about her service dog training with you!

Are there any other commands you think I should teach her? Let me know below!