Dachshunds have a reputation as one of the harder breeds to house-train, and it is deserved. It is not stupidity — it is a combination of a small bladder, a strong dislike of cold and wet, and a breed-wide willingness to decide that the hallway rug is, on balance, the better option.
How to potty train a Dachshund is mostly a question of removing the dog’s choices until the right habit is the only habit. Expect four to six months for reliability, and longer for a small percentage. Anyone telling you two weeks has not owned one.
Why this breed is harder than most
- Small bladder, frequent needs. An eight-week-old puppy can hold on for roughly one hour per month of age, and not much longer overnight.
- They hate wet grass and cold. A Dachshund standing three inches off the ground gets a soaked belly in dew. Many will simply refuse and come back in.
- They are low to the ground. Scent lingers where they sleep and walk, and any missed accident becomes an invitation.
- They are stubborn about being told. Pressure backfires. A dog that gets told off for accidents learns to go where you cannot see, not to stop going.
The routine that works
Take the puppy out at every one of these moments, without exception:
- Immediately on waking, every time
- Within ten minutes of every meal
- After any play or excitement
- Before bed
- Every hour otherwise, in the early weeks
Go to the same spot every time. Stand still and boring — do not play, do not talk. The moment the puppy finishes, reward immediately and enthusiastically, on the spot. Not indoors thirty seconds later; the dog will connect the reward to coming inside.
If nothing happens within five minutes, go back in, watch closely, and try again in fifteen.
Crate training, and why it helps here
Dogs avoid soiling where they sleep, and a correctly sized crate turns that instinct into a training tool. Sized correctly means enough room to stand, turn and lie flat — no more. A crate big enough to have a bedroom and a bathroom gives the puppy a bathroom.
Build it as a good place, never a punishment: feed meals in there, leave the door open during the day, start with minutes rather than hours. A puppy crated for long stretches will be forced to soil it, and once that habit starts the crate stops working.
Overnight, expect one or two trips out in the early weeks. Carry the puppy to the spot, no talking, no play, straight back to bed. Making night trips boring is what stops them becoming a social occasion.
The cold and wet problem
This is the single most common reason Dachshund house-training stalls, and it is fixable.
- Clear a small patch and keep it clear in bad weather. A paved or gravelled area beats soaked grass.
- A coat for winter is not an indulgence for this breed. A cold, wet, reluctant dog will hold on and then go indoors where it is warm.
- Go out with them rather than sending them out. A Dachshund alone in the rain comes straight back to the door.
- If they refuse and then go inside within minutes, that is information, not defiance.
Accidents
Two rules, and they matter more than everything else combined.
Never punish. Not shouting, not the nose, not the rolled newspaper. The dog does not connect your reaction to a decision it made ten minutes ago. It connects your reaction to you, and starts going behind the sofa instead.
Clean with an enzymatic cleaner. Ordinary household cleaner leaves scent markers the dog can still smell perfectly well, and those markers say “this is the spot”. Anything ammonia-based actively makes it worse.
If you catch them mid-accident, interrupt gently with a noise and carry them straight outside. Reward if they finish out there.
On puppy pads
They solve a problem now and create one later. A pad teaches that going indoors on a soft surface is acceptable, and a rug is also a soft indoor surface. If you live several floors up, or a medical reason makes outdoor trips impossible, use them — and expect a second transition later.
If you can go straight to outdoors, do.
When it is not a training problem
Sudden regression in a previously reliable dog is worth a vet call rather than more training. Urinary tract infections are common and easily treated, and straining, blood, or a sharp increase in frequency all warrant checking.
One that matters specifically in this breed: loss of bladder control alongside any back symptoms — a hunched posture, reluctance to move, weakness or dragging in the hind legs — is a veterinary emergency, not a house-training issue. See our guide to Dachshund back problems.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to potty train a Dachshund?
Four to six months to reliable, with accidents along the way. Some take a year.
Are Dachshunds harder to house-train than other breeds?
Generally yes, mostly due to bladder size, weather aversion and stubbornness rather than any lack of intelligence.
How often should an eight-week-old puppy go out?
Roughly every hour while awake, plus after every sleep, meal and play session.
My Dachshund was trained and has started again. Why?
Check with a vet first, then look for a change — a new routine, a house move, a new pet, colder weather.
Should I use puppy pads?
Only if outdoor access is genuinely impractical. They add a second transition later.
Is my puppy being spiteful?
No. Dogs do not toilet out of spite. It is bladder capacity, habit, or stress.
Before your puppy arrives
Have the crate, the enzymatic cleaner and the outdoor spot ready before collection day — the first week sets the habit. Our puppies are started on potty training before they leave, which gives you a head start rather than a finished job. General training advice is in our guide to training a Dachshund, and you can ask us anything.
