# Some questions about my mini dachshund puppies behaviour



## culturalelite (Jan 16, 2011)

Hi,

I have a couple of questions about my new miniature dachshund puppies behavior. He's a great little dog,he's about 12 weeks old, and i've had him for 5 days. He's already following me around like a shadow. I love him so much.

I've read a couple of books about dog training in the vague hope it might help me as he gets older. I'm paper training him in my apartment at the moment on puppy pads as he hasn't had all his shots (2nd round of shots will be in a week, the vet says he's ok to go outside 1 week after that, so we still have at least 2 more weeks of him being caged inside)

So I was reading about getting him to settle at night, and a lot of the stuff I was reading seemed to be basically 'let him cry himself to sleep'. So I tried... he had his crate in the bathroom that' next to my bedroom, with a puppy gate on the door so he could see me. He had his blanket in the crate, chew toys, and a hot water bottle under the blanket. 

He cried solid for 2 hours, and I admit I gave in. Less because of the dog... and more because of my neighbours :/ he's a little dog, but he sure can howl. 

So the next night I had the crate next to the bed (it's a soft crate, with various openings) and basically slept most of the night with my hand in the crate to keep him calm. He tried to scrabble and get out a handful of times (I told him off with a 'AH AH' noise, corrected him, and lay him down) and he slept through most of the night.

After that night I was afraid he might need to go to the bathroom (hence some of the scrabbling to get out) so I bought a pen to attach to the crate so now he has that with puppy pads in too. but he's still scrabbling to get out a lot (which again, I give him the 'AH AH', correct him, and eventually he settles after about the 12th time fo me doing it :doh: )

I'm trying to tire him out before bed (not easy in my small place), and have him on a regular schedule of eating and going to bed. 

I'm hoping... eventually he'll stop trying to get out of the crate/pen and settle all the way through the night. I'm aware Dachshund's are notoriously difficult to train, and stubborn.. but i'm sticking with it.

Does anybody have any tips, or can tell me if im doing something in-particular wrong? or any advice/help/tips would really be appreciated.


p.s .. this is him: http://bit.ly/gCRQWR


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## RedyreRottweilers (Dec 17, 2006)

It sounds like you are doing just fine. Keep up what you are doing. He will acclimate to his confinement very soon.

Stick around here, there are some fantastic folks who can and will give you great advice on any questions you might have. 

He is an adorable little booger, but you gotta post a lot more photos than just that one!!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I have a mini dachshund, too, Harper, who is just over a year old!  Congratulations! 

First, you didn't GIVE IN by having the crate in your bedroom. LOTS of people do that, in fact, that's one piece of advice that is given to people when their puppies cry at night: put the crate in your room, so they can see, hear, and smell you! So, you're fine on that! 

So, does he USE the puppy pads at night? I mean, after you attached the pen, and put the pads in? Lots of young puppies need a bathroom trip in the night, so that was good thinking on your part!  Their bladders and the muscles around it are developing, and they can't always hold it.

BUT, if he seems to need a bathroom break during the night, the only thing I might do differently is try setting an alarm (for you) and letting him out of the crate, and taking him to the potty area that you have set up in the other area of the house. IMO, you want him to get used to the fact that there is a RIGHT potty place, and it isn't always going to be right where he is. So, by getting up yourself, and taking him to the potty place, you're training him that, when he needs to go, he needs to find the right potty place.
I know it's a hassle to get up, but lots of us have done it, me included, and I think it would be good for him to get used to going to the right place!


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## culturalelite (Jan 16, 2011)

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the encouragement.

Yeah he's using the puppy pads that are in his pen at night (and not doing it in his crate) and using the pads in the living room during the day (the main area).

I also take him to my work with me (I run my own business) so he has another crate under my desk, and pads outside it, that he's also pretty good at using.

I'd say their are accidents about 25% of the time, but of course i'm correcting him, taking him to the pad and then praising him a lot when he does it in the right place. It will be much less confusing for him I hope when I can take hi outside properly to eliminate. 

although, as you say... I should definitely try the setting-alarm thing. 

I'll give it a shot.


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## PiperPuppy (Nov 28, 2010)

Eeeepppppp!!!!! What a cutie-pie puppy you have!! OMG. Just so adorable. 

My puppy is almost 4 months old. At night we set her crate on a box right next to our bed, with the door facing me. She goes in just fine, but whines sometimes as she is settling down (putting her head down and having her nose right up to the door). If she continues to whine, I put my finger through the crate door and she licks it. She can see me the whole time. She can sleep through the night, now, without pottying, which is nice. If I wake up during the night I can see her curled in a little ball at the back of the crate, fast asleep. 

This didn't happen over-night (so to speak). But with repetition and consistency, she has learned this is how we do it.  During the day we bring her crate into the living room and leave the door open all day. Sometimes she will voluntarily go into the crate to rest or nap. She also runs into her crate if my son is being "too much" for her. Hopefully your puppy will come to like the crate and see it as a safe place. 

Pix of Piper in her crate: http://www.dogforums.com/dog-pictures-forum/89686-first-day-vs-now.html#post947646


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

what a great yawning picture, congrats!


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## 5 s corral (Dec 31, 2007)

what a cutie 
i have a 7 year old standard doxie


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## Celestevah (Jan 10, 2011)

Omg so cute!!! I love the dapple ones! We just got a long hair mini dachshund but he's already 6 months old, which might of attributed to separation anxiety being with his parents so long. We crate next to the bed and he's pretty good. We try to tire him out but if we still have the tv on or I have a light on to read he's going at his toys like nuts in there. Once we turn the lights off it takes him a little bit to calm down. We have a towell in there currently cause he had messed all over his bed, I have to lay on his bed and get it smelling like me again so hopefully he'll warm up to it again because with the towel he can move it and scratch the bottom of the crate and it's NOISY!


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