The first week sets habits that last fifteen years. Get the ramps, the crate and the toilet routine right now and most of the hard work is done; get them wrong and you spend a year retraining.
This is what to have ready before collection day and what to expect from a Dachshund puppy’s first seven days.
Before collection day
Ramps or steps for every piece of furniture the puppy will be allowed on. This is the Dachshund-specific item and the one people buy too late. A puppy that learns ramps at ten weeks uses them for life; an adult that has jumped off the sofa for three years is much harder to convert. Our guide to back problems explains why it matters so much.
A crate, sized so the puppy can stand, turn and lie flat — no bigger. A crate with spare room becomes a bedroom and a bathroom.
A baby gate for the stairs.
A harness, not a neck collar, for walking.
An enzymatic cleaner. Ordinary cleaner leaves scent markers the puppy can still smell, and those markers say “go here again”.
The same food the breeder has been using, enough for two weeks. Ours leave on a set food with the amounts written down.
Plus the ordinary things: bowls, bed, a few toys, and a vet appointment booked for the first few days.
Day one
Keep it dull. No visitors, no party, no passing the puppy around. The dog has just lost its mother and littermates and arrived somewhere that smells entirely unfamiliar.
Straight to the toilet spot on arrival, before going indoors. Then a small area of the house rather than the run of it — too much space too early is overwhelming and makes house-training harder.
Offer a small meal. Some puppies will not eat much on day one; that is normal and usually resolves by day two.
The first night
Expect crying. It is not manipulation — it is a young animal alone for the first time in its life.
The approach that works best is a crate beside your bed for the first few nights, so the puppy can hear and smell you. Move it gradually if you want it elsewhere eventually. Going straight to another room usually produces a longer, louder adjustment.
Expect one or two toilet trips overnight in the early weeks. Carry the puppy out, no talking, no play, straight back to bed. Making night trips boring is what stops them becoming a social event.
Toilet routine from hour one
Out at every one of these: on waking, within ten minutes of every meal, after any play, before bed, and every hour otherwise in the early weeks.
Same spot every time. Stand still and boring. Reward immediately on the spot the moment the puppy finishes — not indoors thirty seconds later, or you reward coming inside.
Accidents will happen. Never punish; clean with the enzymatic cleaner. The full method is in our guide to potty training a Dachshund, and this breed is genuinely slower than most — four to six months is normal.
Back care starts now
From the first day, every person in the house:
- Lifts with the chest and hindquarters supported together, spine level. Never by the front legs, never with the back end dangling.
- Uses the ramps rather than lifting onto furniture.
- Does not let the puppy jump down from the sofa, a bed or your arms.
- Keeps the stair gate closed.
Teach visitors too. It takes thirty seconds and it is the most protective habit in the house.
Week one, day by day
Days 1–2: settling. Quiet house, small area, toilet routine, vet visit. Expect a subdued puppy and possibly a soft stomach from the change.
Days 3–4: the personality arrives. Usually more confident, more playful and considerably more bitey. Puppy biting is normal — redirect onto a toy rather than telling off.
Days 5–7: start the basics. Name recognition, handling the paws and ears daily, a few seconds of crate time with the door shut. Three to five minutes of training, two or three times a day, is plenty — see training a Dachshund.
What is normal and what is not
Normal: crying at night, a reduced appetite for a day, soft stools for a day or two, hiccups, a lot of sleeping — sixteen to twenty hours a day is usual — and sharp teeth.
Call a vet: vomiting repeatedly, diarrhoea beyond a day or with blood, refusing food beyond twenty-four hours, lethargy that does not lift, or any difficulty moving.
That last one always. Reluctance to move, a hunched back or wobbliness in the hind legs needs a same-day vet in this breed.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Dachshund puppy take to settle?
Most are visibly comfortable within three to five days. Full confidence takes a few weeks.
Should the puppy sleep in my room?
For the first few nights it makes the adjustment much easier. Move the crate gradually afterwards if you want to.
When can the puppy go out for walks?
After vaccinations are complete — your vet will confirm. Carrying the puppy out to see the world before then is good socialisation.
Is biting normal?
Yes. Redirect onto a toy every time.
When should I introduce the ramps?
Day one. It is far easier than retraining later.
Collecting one from us
Every puppy leaves vet-checked, current on vaccinations and worming, with a one-year health guarantee, paperwork for your vet, and the food and amounts written down. See who is available, read about feeding, or get in touch.
