Dachshunds are clever, and they are stubborn, and those two things are the same trait viewed from different ends. A dog bred to go down a badger hole alone and make its own decisions is not built to take instruction on trust. How to train a Dachshund comes down to accepting that and working with it rather than against it.
This is not a difficult breed to train. It is a difficult breed to boss. There is a difference, and it decides how the next six months go.
Are Dachshunds hard to train?
They have a reputation for it, and the reputation is half earned. Dachshunds learn quickly — often faster than the owner expects — but they will not repeat a behaviour simply because you asked. They need a reason, and they will weigh it up each time.
What this means in practice:
- They respond very well to food. Better than to praise, in most cases.
- They lose interest in repetition. Five minutes twice a day beats twenty minutes once.
- They do not respond to force. Harsh corrections produce a dog that hides rather than a dog that complies.
- They remember what worked. Including the things you did not mean to teach.
Owners who find them impossible are almost always fighting the dog. Owners who find them easy have worked out what the dog wants and are using it.
Training a Dachshund gets easier once you understand why it resists, which comes down to what the breed was built to do. The temperament guide explains the independence, the prey drive and the barking that everything below is working with.
Start here: the first two weeks
Before any commands, spend the first fortnight on three things.
1. Name recognition
Say the name once, and the moment the head turns, reward. Nothing else. Do not use the name for reprimands, ever — a name that sometimes predicts something unpleasant stops working.
2. Socialisation
This window closes faster than people expect. Introduce as many different people, surfaces, sounds and calm dogs as you safely can while vaccinations allow. Dachshunds are naturally wary of strangers; the difference between a confident adult and a suspicious one is usually laid down now.
3. Handling
Touch the paws, ears and mouth daily, paired with something good. You will be clipping nails and checking teeth for the next fifteen years, and a dog that accepts handling makes every vet visit easier.
The commands that actually matter
Sit is easy and nearly useless on its own. These four are the ones that matter for this breed:
Recall. The hardest and the most important. Dachshunds were bred to follow scent, and a Dachshund on a trail has genuinely stopped hearing you. Build recall indoors first, then a garden, then a long line. Never call the dog to end something enjoyable — call, reward, release back to play. A recall that reliably predicts the end of fun stops working within a fortnight.
Leave it. Prey drive plus a nose at ground level means they find things you would rather they did not eat. Start with a covered treat in your fist, reward the moment they stop trying, and build up to items on the floor.
Settle. Teaching a Dachshund to switch off on a mat is worth more than any trick. Reward calm on the mat, gradually extending the time, and you have a dog that can come to a cafe or sit through a work call.
Off. Not for manners — for the spine. Getting a Dachshund to come off furniture on cue, rather than launching, is back protection. More on that below.
Barking: the honest version
Dachshunds bark. They were bred to bark underground so the hunter could locate them, and a big voice in a small dog is the breed working exactly as designed. You will not train it out entirely, and anyone promising you can is selling something.
You can reduce it substantially:
- Do not shout. To the dog you have joined in.
- Teach “quiet” properly. Let two or three barks happen, say the word once, and reward the first gap in the noise. You are rewarding silence, not preventing sound.
- Manage the triggers. If the window onto the street is the problem, close the blind. Removing the trigger beats training against it.
- Never reward the demand bark. If barking produces attention, food or the door opening, you have trained it deliberately.
If the barking is worst when you leave, that is separation distress rather than a training problem, and it needs a different approach — build up absence in seconds and minutes rather than leaving for hours and hoping.
Train around the back, not just the brain
This is the part that separates Dachshund training from training any other small dog. Intervertebral disc disease is the defining health risk in the breed, and several of your training decisions either protect the spine or damage it.
- Teach ramp use early. A puppy that learns ramps from week ten will use them for life. Retraining an adult that has jumped off the sofa for three years is much harder.
- Do not teach sitting up to beg. It looks charming and it loads the lower spine.
- Skip repetitive stair work and jumping for toys. Twisting mid-air is exactly the movement to avoid.
- Walk on a harness. A neck collar concentrates force on the neck and upper spine every time the dog pulls.
Our guide to Dachshund back problems covers the warning signs that need a vet the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Are Dachshunds easy to train?
They are quick learners and poor rule-followers. Short sessions, good food and consistency get results; repetition and force do not.
At what age should I start training a Dachshund puppy?
The day it arrives. Name, handling and socialisation from week eight; formal commands shortly after.
How long should training sessions be?
Three to five minutes, two or three times a day. They disengage from long sessions.
How do I train a Dachshund not to bark?
Reward the gaps rather than punishing the noise, and manage the triggers. Expect reduction, not silence.
Are miniature Dachshunds harder to train than standards?
No. Temperament is the same across both sizes.
Do Dachshunds ever become reliable off-lead?
Some do, many do not. Scent overrides recall in this breed more than most. A long line in open ground is a reasonable permanent compromise.
Bringing a puppy home soon?
Training starts the day the puppy arrives, so it is worth knowing this before you collect. See our available Dachshund puppies, read about the breed, or get in touch with questions.
