Q&A for How to Potty Train a Dachshund

If you see your dog having an accident, try to interrupt them as soon as you can to discourage them from doing it again. Try to take them outside right away and give them praise or a treat to positively reinforce them.

A puppy has a lot to learn, so be patient. Supervise him constantly indoors, even if this means having him on a leash so you can watch for signs of squatting. When you can't be there, pop him in his crate. Take him outside every 20 minutes, whether you think he needs to go or not. Stay outside with him for 10 minutes, so as to increase the chance of him going — and then praise him like mad when he does. If he still doesn't go, return indoors, but either crate him until the next toilet break, or take him outside every five minutes! Training is about decreasing the opportunity indoors, and increasing the opportunity outdoors.

Absolutely, Dachshunds are highly intelligent and willing to learn. The question is not whether a Dachshund can be house trained but whether the owner has sufficient knowledge to teach the dog.

'Easy' is perhaps too strong a word, but with patience and consistency, a Mini Dachshund is every bit as obedient as a Doberman or any larger dog. Key to success is getting down on the dog's level so they can better see and understand what you wish them to do.

A urinary infection would certainly be a possibility. It is unusual to toilet with such frequency, and the urge to pass water every 20 minutes indicates a certain feeling of urgency associated with a UTI. Try mopping up some of the pee with white kitchen paper and see if there is a tinge of blood present. Ideally, collect a urine sample (sucking some off the floor with a syringe may be helpful) for the vet to analyze.

Dachshunds have a reputation for being hard to potty train, but in reality, they are no more difficult than other breeds. One problem is they are so low to the ground that it can be difficult to spot when they toilet, which slows things up. But with vigilance and patience, you will succeed.

Move the pee pad gradually closer to the front door until it is outside. Then take the pee pad away. Reward her when she pees outside.

Make sure there isn't a medical problem first. Then, reward him every time he goes in the correct place. If you catch him in the act say "no," then pick him up or lead him by the collar and take him outside. Try this every 1-2 hours till he's got it down.

You should make sure you do not feed him for 4-5 hours before going to sleep. Let him outside just before going to bed. This should help.

Make sure to let her outside a lot so she has the chance to urinate if she needs to. Encourage her to urinate by making her feel safe. Talk to her in a soothing voice and when she urinates outside, give her a treat.

Figure out his reward. Is it food? Toys? Love? Try training him while you feed him his kibble.

My 11-week-old dachshund was famous for this. Every time he would want to chew on my fingers or toes, I would squat down (if he was after my toes) and look at him while saying “No nibbles” in a firm but calm tone. When he was being good and chewing on a treat or toy, we praised him enthusiastically. It was essential we didn’t use our hands to play with him. We admittedly tried many different chew toys and treats (his favorite is a small stuffed squeaker) before he realized it was more fun to chew on that than us. It took him about a month before he lost interest in my toes.

Keep your dog on a leash to prevent them from running away, and/or fence in your yard. You might also try general obedience training to make your dog aware of the boundaries of your yard so it doesn't leave, but this is not always 100% effective.

Please don't limit water, there should be free access to water at all times.

No, they are too young and distracted with other things to be able to "get it". The only think you can do is take them outside frequently and consistently reward them with treats and verbal praise when they go there. You won't see anything near immediate results but if you don't stick with it, you will never win the battle.

Try taking them outside breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, once in the evening and before bed. They will soon get into a routine and you will know what his routine is.

Your dachshund should be taking you for a walk, just follow them, stopping when they stop, stand quiet and wait for them to move. Training them in your own backyard is the secret going to the same spot each time so they can identify with toilet time being different from walking and that they need to go outside for this purpose, not indoors.

Try to look for signs that he needs to go suck as running or sudden excitement.