Dachshund is one of the few small dog breeds that deserves respect. You do not need to evaluate it only by its funny appearance. This small but tightly knocked dog is very wayward and cunning. It needs to be controlled and educated, despite its size.
What does raising a dachshund mean? How to bring her up, this baby? Now we will describe in detail the most important points.
Who is a dachshund?
This is a hunting dog. In German, it is called Daxhund, which translates as "badger dog." She was bred for hunting burrowing animals. Aggressive, wayward, able to persistently achieve her goal, the dachshund accompanied the owner on the hunt. And without prey, as a rule, they did not return.
The breed gained fame in the late 80s of the XIX century. Then in Germany, 54 individuals were registered, ideally suited to the zootechnical requirements of those times. It was with them that the distribution of the breed began around the world. If earlier these animals were accessible only to a narrow circle of people who love hunting, today dachshunds are wonderful companions.
Breed features
Before we talk about the features of raising a dachshund, we highlight its most striking external feature.
The long body and short legs give the breed a funny look. Someone calls his pet a tram, others call it a sausage on its legs. All this is very nice, but in fact, the dachshund has too long a spine, when compared with the general proportions of the legs and body.
Why is this bad? Possible pinched nerve endings. And this leads to a loss of control over your own body. Most often, the hind legs are affected. A healthy and active animal turns into a disabled person. Below we will provide tips on how to avoid such injuries.
What about character traits? Animals are very wayward. And in the absence of proper education, the dachshund becomes absolutely uncontrollable and aggressive. How to raise a wayward pet? The answer to this question is presented in the "Training" subsection.
Dachshund Care
A dachshund puppy appeared at home. Raising and caring for him is a responsible occupation. Like any other puppy, he needs the attention of the owner and care.
What is caring for a small pet? First of all, it is regular and proper feeding, walking and training, despite the size and age. The puppy will grow up and turn into an uncontrollable hysterical dog. Does the owner really need this?
Where does it all start? With food and walks. Let's dwell on this issue:
- Very young puppies are fed 6 times a day, every three hours. This continues until 3 months of age. Then the pet is transferred to food 5 times a day. Upon reaching 4 months, feeding is administered 4 times a day. This continues until six months. Then, from 6 to 9 months, the puppy eats already 3 times a day. And after 9 months it is transferred to 2 meals a day.
- The puppy does not walk until the second vaccination. This must be remembered. Because the baby does not really have immunity yet, but on the street you can "catch" anything. The second vaccination is done when the pet is 56 days old.
- After each walk, the baby's feet and stomach are washed.
- Just like that, you don’t have to completely bathe the dog. One or two times a year will be enough. If the animal is very dirty, you can wash it with dry dog shampoo.
- The long-haired dachshund is combed out several times a week. Shorthair will be enough of a similar procedure no more than once a month.
- Claws cut as they grow. It is advisable to carry out this manipulation in a veterinary clinic.
- Vaccinations are done at 28 and 56 days. The first vaccination is made by the breeder, the second by the owner. Then the pet is vaccinated annually. They give him a comprehensive vaccine, which includes a rabies vaccine.
- The pet should have a daily routine, this is the basis of education. Everything should be consistent.
How to raise a puppy?
Raising a dachshund puppy, like any other, begins with a sequence of actions. Golden rules for the owner to help raise a great dog:
- If the owner once said no, it’s forever. You can’t ban today, and tomorrow you’ll allow. The animal will simply cease to understand the owner.
- Beating a puppy is unacceptable. As well as yelling at him. The most optimal punishment is to shake the collar, catching at the crime scene.
- There should not be frequent use of braking commands. These include "no," "no," and "fu."
- We do not feed the dog from the table, thereby reinforcing its unwanted behavior, which is expressed in begging. And we do not allow the animal to pick up anything from the ground on the street.
- Walking and feeding are always carried out at the same time. In the morning, suppose at seven o’clock, they carried the baby out for a walk. At half past seven fed. And so every day. Even on weekends and the first of January.
- You can start training your baby from the age of 2-3 months. An inexperienced owner is best to seek help from a dog handler.
- Half of the training is based on contact with the dog. How to achieve this? Own consistent actions, the ability to timely reinforce the animal and the game, of course.
- Do not just caress the puppy. Just because the soul of the master requires. The pet should receive caress in a dosed manner and for some merit.
- For a completed team, it is imperative to encourage a small pet. It can be a toy or a treat.
So, once again we draw the main conclusions: consistency in actions, regular play and promotion of correct actions.
Toilet training is also education
With the education of a dachshund, everything is already clear, but how to teach a baby to go to the toilet only on a diaper? Because nobody wants to wipe his "business cards" throughout the apartment.
Everything is simple. As soon as we saw that the puppy wants to use the toilet, carefully take it and put it on a diaper. I did my tricks - we give something tasty for this. After several times of such reinforcement, the puppy will understand that you should only go to the toilet in one place.
How to find out that a pet needs to empty his intestines? The puppy begins to fuss, stomp around and sit down. Particularly impatient can begin to whimper. If you notice all these signs, then most likely we are planting it in a diaper.
Dachshund character
The upbringing and nature of the dachshund are closely related to each other. To educate and train such a pet, a large margin of patience is needed.
What are the main character traits that can be distinguished?
- Waywardness. These dogs love to do their own thing. Ignoring the owner’s prohibitions, or pretending not to have heard him.
- Excessive hysteria. Alas, modern dachshunds have such a character trait. They viciously yap and snarl if they don't like something. How to wean from such a habit? Slap lightly across the face when the pet tries to snap back. Understands two or three times that you can’t act like that.
- Aggression. The situation is familiar when you walk along the street, and the owner with the dachshund passes by, and the dog, pouring an evil bark, tries to attack? This is from a lack of education and an increased level of energy.
- Devotion. There is no other loyal dog like a well-bred dachshund. These animals are desperately brave, will fight for the owner until the last breath.
- Mobility and playfulness. Lovers of running and walking, dachshunds will be excellent companions for lovers of an active lifestyle.
Representatives of the breed have one, but a big drawback. They do not know the stop signal in the diet. They will eat until the feeder is empty. And then they’ll also ask for supplements. No need to feel sorry for the hungry and unhappy dog, slipping her tidbits. Dachshunds are very prone to obesity. This significantly reduces their life expectancy. By the way, these dogs live 15-17 years old.
Training
Now let’s get acquainted with the rules of training and raising a dachshund. How to train such a wayward pet?
As mentioned above, everything starts from an early age, a clear sequence of actions is required from the owner. Any dog is capable of mastering the general course of training (obedience). Dachshund with its natural quick wits is no exception.
First of all, the owner needs to understand how to act. For example, we want to teach the dog the sit command. To do this, take a treat in the right hand and raise it above the dog’s head, slightly moving his hand behind her head. The pet will need to sit down to see the treat. As soon as the dachshund sat down, immediately give her yummy and add a conditioned stimulus - the "sit" command.
In our case, a treat is a motivation for a pet. And the dog independently understands that it needs to sit down in order to get what it wants.
Other teams also work out.
Male or female?
Which one to choose? Is raising a dachshund boy harder than girls? Hardly. Both are wayward and stubborn.
The bitch is more affectionate, but cunning to impossibility. The dog is straightforward, may try to challenge the palm in relations with the owner. But should he explain who is in charge of the house, he immediately understands. The bitch will strive by any means to prove that she is the most important person here.
The disadvantage of males is that, having sensed a flowing bitch, they lose their heads. Bitches flow twice a year, estrus lasts 21-23 days. During this period, constant monitoring of her walks is necessary, in no case should she be let loose from the leash.
Once again about diseases
We have already mentioned the disproportionately long dachshund spine. And we already know what the pinching of nerve endings is fraught with. How to avoid this?
- Up to 7-9 months, you can not let the puppy go down the stairs. Carry it on your hands if you have to walk on stairs.
- Sofas and armchairs under the strictest ban. The point is not only in raising the dachshund, but also in the fact that jumping from them, the dog can be seriously injured.
- You can’t let the little puppy run a lot.
Conclusion
The article provided information about such a breed of dog as a dachshund. The features of her character, possible illnesses are described, but most importantly, they paid special attention to the education of the dachshund and the training of this dog.
What else can be added to the conclusion? Fulfilling systematically all the necessary requirements in relation to the pet, the owner will give him a long and happy life.