The Winter Blues:
Housebreaking Your Dachshund
In Hard Times

Okay, I'm gonna go there.

Where's there?

It's the place where so many dachshund parents have gone more times than they care to admit: I'm taking you to the Land of Pee and Poop.

It's not as if every dog owner doesn't have to go to that place, but dachshund parents have a special relationship to the Land of Pee and Poop. Dachshunds are notorious for being "just a little bit housebroken."

The Little Princess will pee and poop in the backyard or on her walks when it's convenient: When spring and summer are in full bloom and the grass is an inviting green, she will love to please you by doing her business outside. But when winter brings its snow, sleet and rain, The Little Princess will make every effort to avoid the outdoors. Why should she risk getting her paws or chest wet by going outside when your new rug or the towels on the laundry room floor would do just as well?

The winter can be blue indeed for dachshund owners unless we recommit ourselves to proper housebreaking techniques. Here are some tips and some downright tricks! to help lead you out of the Land of Pee and Poop.

Is It Possible to have a 100% House Trained Dachshund?

Recently, I asked the dachshund community on Twitter (What is Twitter?) whether a fully-house trained doxie is even possible? The majority of respondents said "No!" loud and clear:

"I sincerely believe NOT. Pretty sure that is why they call it 'doxie trained' in all the books :-)"

"My 7 aren't. Not for lack of trying, but every one of them still has an accident now and then."

But at least one dachshund parent serves as a shining example to the naysayers:

"My last doxie . . . was nearly perfect. Even on her last night, she got up from her sickbed to ask to go out."

Wow! At least one dachshund parent has mastered the art of proper house training for our notoriously difficult-to-house-train doxies.

The success of even one doxie should give the rest of us great hope. It is possible to house train our dachshunds, we simply have to know how to do it. The "how" of it admittedly is not always so easy. A doxie parent on Twitter made the case point blank:

"If there is such a thing [as a 100% trained doxie], I'd like to meet the owner and pick his/her brain!"

This article aims to do just that--allow you a window into the best techniques, principles and practices for house training your dachshund.

Tails From the Wetlands: One Doxie Parent's House Training (Mis)Adventures

I have a confession to make: The first winter I spent with my doxies Max and Bernie was something of a nightmare.

It didn't start out that way. As soon as I brought them home, I set up a feeding and walking schedule we could all live with: feed twice a day and walk immediately thereafter.

For a time, we lived in bliss.

Although Bernie was never good at alerting me when he needed to go outside, he was good about going potty on schedule. Since he was taken outside every 2 hours or so, he did not have any indoor accidents. Max was a sweetheart. He went potty like clockwork, but if he needed to go outside he would stand by the door, pace and scratch until I let him out to the backyard. All was well.

And then the rains came.

From October to March it rains in Sacramento. To make matters worse--and this may sound a bit paranoid, but I swear it's true--Mother Nature had it out for me. She somehow got hold of our schedule, and she would let loose The Great Flood every time I got The Boyz ready for their walk. And you know how doxies feel about walking in the rain! I would open the door and try to coax Max and Bernie outside, only to be met with that patented "you must be CRAZY!" glare dachshunds have perfected.

My schedule went the way of the Dodo Bird, and so did my perfectly house trained doxies. I suddenly started coming home to more "accidents." I became frustrated (and angry!) until I realized I was setting up an impossible standard for my doxies to meet. Thanks to Mother Nature, I could not stick to a strict walking and break schedule for the doxies. Could I really expect a 100 % accident-free home?

The Three Levels of House Training Excellence

Although many trainers advocate the schedule of two walks and potty breaks every two hours for house training, it isn't very realistic for most of us. With jobs, kids, and other commitments, we simply do not have the luxury of time.

Does that make us bad doxie parents? Of course not! Besides, even if you are able to commit the time--as I was--the winter months wreck havoc with such a program. The rain, sleet, snow, and wind bring out our doxies' near-pathological dislike of all things wet, such as grass and sidewalks.

What's a responsible dachshund parent to do?

I eventually came to think of the house training dilemma in a completely different way. To my mind, there are levels of dachshund house training. Each level calls for a different set of commitments on your part. I think of these three levels as The Gold, The Silver and The Bronze Standard.

The Gold Standard

The Gold Standard calls for near 100 % adherence to the no-potty-indoors rule. For some of us, it is as much a place of fantasy as Dorothy's Oz. For others, it is an every day reality. What separates the two groups?

The real question you must ask yourself is this: What are you willing to do to get to the Gold Standard? Are you willing to put yourself and your dachshunds on a rigid feeding and walking schedule and allow for potty breaks during the day? Are you willing to put in a doggie door (and either train your doxie out of its tendency to bark loudly at everything or face the wrath of your neighbors)? Are you willing to do what it takes to make the outdoor potty experience convenient (and even fun) for your doxie?

If so, read on and you'll find some techniques to make your job easier.

The Silver Standard

After assessing what it would take to meet The Gold Standard, many of us decide it's not a trade off we are willing to make. Perhaps you don't need a no-potty-indoors rule. Maybe you can live with something less than absolute perfection? If so, The Silver Standard might be something to aim for. Admittedly, The Silver Standard is for some a "second best" option that focuses on containment. But if it works, it works!

The Silver Standard advocates either crate or paper training. Crate training is ideal for parents with young doxies in particular (some overanxious older dachshunds have a difficult time with confinement.) Doxies are unlikely to mess up their "den", and even if they do the mess is localized. But if you work really long hours (more than 8,) crate training may not be a reasonable option for your doxie. You might consider paper training your dachshund and confining him to a single room (or perhaps two rooms.) This option has worked best for me.

I opted to turn my sunroom into a doxie playroom by blocking off the area with a baby gate and putting all of their favorites toys, bones, water and treats right there. I also set a puppy pad right near the door--a good distance away from their beds and water. I then trained them to use the puppy pad.

The end result has not been perfect, but it is something I can live with. From time to time, The Boyz will pee through, around or near the puppy pad, and I'll have extra work on my hands. Additionally, I can't say the pads don't sometimes emit a certain . . . odor. Getting rid of the pad is usually the first thing I do when I get home, and I'll also mop up the sunroom floor for an added sense of freshness.

To my mind, the Bronze Standard is a compromise solution. But it is one that works for me, The Boyz, and our current lifestyle.

Might it work for you?

The Bronze Standard

Some of you might look at both the Gold and Silver standards and determine they are too much. The truth is, there are hearty individuals out there who simply choose to opt-out of the Pee & Poop battle. They are not as squeamish as the rest of us. Their dachshunds are allowed to roam the house and if they happen to "do their business" indoors, it's not the end of the world.

What can I say to these folks? You have a Zen-like acceptance of what is that is just . . . ummm, hard to understand! But I bet you live a longer, more stress-free and more productive life than the rest of us.

About the only words of advice I could give are to keep plenty of hydrogen peroxide and some water around to clean up the mess, and to be fruitful and multiply! The world could use more laid back types like you.

Why are you reading this article?

Techniques to House Train Your Dachshund

The rest of us are probably a tad more controlling than the Bronze Level dachshund parent. If you just can't learn to accept life in the Land of Pee and Poop, here are some specific techniques you'll find useful in housebreaking your doxie whether you choose a Gold, Silver or even a (modified) Bronze Standard.

Remember first of all that good house training is all about timing--yours and your doxies. Put her on a regular feeding cycle, and her release cycle should also a certain rhythm. Dachshunds typically have to go to the bathroom between five to twenty minutes after feeding. Your best bet is to take them for a walk immediately after feeding.

Peeing on Command

A friend of mine taught me the simple technique of training a dog to pee on command. When it works, it's fabulous! On a cold winter day, you can take your dachshund out to the yard, use the special command, and be back inside toasty warm before you know it.

I must give a word of caution before you celebrate: The technique worked beautifully on my older doxie, Max. He understood the command within two days, and he was happily obeying at least part of the time on day three. Within one week, Max was trained to "do his business" on command.

I tried the same technique on my younger dog, Bernie and it never worked. Bernie is the more stubborn, "Alpha" of my two dogs and he tested me until, frankly, he won. There are so many different techniques to use, I decided it was not worth my time and effort to focus on this one with Bernie. But I highly recommend it if you can get your doxie to play along!

The technique itself is rather simple: Choose a word that you will use every time you dachshund goes to the bathroom--whether it is a number one or a number two. I chose "pee-pee" for Max, and "tinkle" for Bernie. If you have multiple doxies, it is better to choose a unique word for each to avoid confusion. Also, you should use the same word whether you dachshund is peeing or pooing. You don't know which is likely to come out when you issue the command!

Once you have your magic word, it is only a question of timing. Take your doxie for a walk and watch vigilantly for any signs of action. My dachshunds will pace back and forth before selecting a preferred spot. Once I see the behavior, I stop and watch. As soon as I see the leg hiking up, I issue the command "pee-pee." For a "number two" (pooping), you must watch the muscles around the anus closely. As soon as they open up--and before anything "shows up"--issue your command.

Simply repeat the process every time your dachshund goes to the bathroom, and you should soon have a doxie trained to go on command.

Note: The previous few paragraphs were probably the hardest I've ever had to write! I do it all for love of doxies!

Crate Training

Like most dogs, dachshunds enjoy being in their "den." It reminds them of puppyhood, when they were in an enclosed, safe, and protected environment with their mother. That instinct makes it easy to train most of them to accept, and even enjoy, being in their crates for a certain period of time.

My dog Bernie loves his crate. Our "training" consisted of putting the crate out with a blanket inside, a bone, and a chicken treat. He rushed inside and was in heaven!

Max is absolutely petrified of being confined. Because I adopted him as an older dog, I am not sure what his previous history might have been with crates. I therefore opted not to confine him.

Should your doxie be amenable to crate training, the process is quite simple (maybe not as simple as it was with Bernie, but close!) The one mistake you should not make is to rush the process. Don't just put your doxie in the crate for the first time, shut it and leave for six hours. Dachshunds, like all of us, want change to be gradual.

The easiest way to train your doxie to the crate is to make it fun for her. Put the crate out in the family room, or wherever you spend most of your time. Make sure the crate has comfortable blankets, a favorite toy and some treats. Leave the crate door open and just allow your doxie to explore. That might be all you do for the first day or two.

Later, after your doxie has accepted the crate, you'll want to move to the next step in her training. Have her go into the crate and shut the door--for no more than a minute or two. Open the door again and let your doxie out, praising her the whole time.

Gradually extend the time you leave your doxie in the crate, until she can stay in for a few hours. In fairness, anything more than six to eight hours in a crate is probably too long (I have never left Bernie in for longer than 4 hours.) And if you plan to have your dog sleep in a crate, then please don't put him in one all day long. Imagine, he'll spend more time in "jail" than free. If you have a busy schedule, consider hiring a dog walker rather than confining your doxie to a crate.

Paper or Puppy Pad Training

The only resistance I found with puppy pad training was with me. I didn't like the idea of pads because I was holding on to the Gold Standard of house training, which calls for a 100 % no-potty-indoors rule. Once I let go of that vision, I found it surprisingly easy to train both of my dogs to use a puppy pad.

I use puppy pads because they are convenient, absorbent, and easy to clean up. But the training process should be the same whether you use paper or pads.

Find a puppy pad you like and smear it with a bit of your doxie's pee. Place the pad in a location your doxie can easily get to, but that is away from her food, water, etc. Praise her when she uses the pad. When she doesn't, quietly pick her up and place her on the pad. She should get the message pretty quickly if you are consistent.

Where Do You Go From Here?

Without question, house training a dachshund is a challenge! Many of us undertake the journey, but few complete it. There is light--having a fully-house trained dachshund is possible. It simply takes some work. Hopefully, the ideas in this article have given you a great place to start.

If you are looking for even more house training techniques and information, the Doxie Dames highly recommend The Ultimate House Training Guide.

Brought to you by the same authors of the SitStayFetch program, The Ultimate House Training Guide provides excellent guidance on some common house training problems, including:

• House training tips for a new puppy


• Common problems with paper training your dog


• FAQs on house training your puppy or older dog

The Doxie Dames have partnered with The Ultimate House Training Guide not only because it provides first-rate information on house training, but it also comes with a no hassle 56 day money back guarantee. If it doesn't work for you for whatever reason (do doxies really even need a reason to refuse house training?) just send it back for a no hassle refund.

Conclusion

Many a dachshund parent has fought endless battles in the Land of Pee and Poop. It is possible to win the battle, you simply need a game plan for moving forward. First, determine your own tolerance level: Are you a Gold, Silver or Bronze Standard parent? Second, pick out the handful of training techniques that are essential to reaching your goal, and have fun training your dachshund. Third, find useful information from a reputable source to supplement your knowledge. The Doxie Dames recommend The Ultimate House Training Guide

Last, don't forget to join our free dachshund community at www.Twitter.com/doxiedames for tips, techniques and sympathy!