WEINER PUPPY KINDERGARTEN
Training a Daschund is one of the most enjoyable, rewarding things you can do with your dog. Daschund are highly intelligent and, treated kindly, one of the most loyal and responsive companions you could ever hope to find.
I've discovered that the principles of teaching and training people and dogs are quite similar.
There are many methods and techniques for training Daschund puppies. With reinforcement of the basic puppy training that I have begun success is guaranteed with proper routine.
Rewards
Many trainers use food as a positive reinforcement in training dogs. In my experience, I have never used food for training purposes. This is not to say that food rewards are not effective, only that by relying on nonfood rewards the trainer has the opportunity to enhance his or her relationship with the Daschund on an emotional rather than material basis.
Praise versus Punishment
When I train a Daschund I prefer to administer heavy doses of praise rather than punishment. Corrections, when necessary, are made firmly but quietly. Praise is dispensed liberally. I do find that I use negative reinforcement ("No!") more frequently in teaching citizenship skills, but I also look for a lot of opportunities to praise my Daschund when they are behaving correctly.
Age to Begin
Dogs may begin their training at very early ages, and can learn throughout their lives. I tend to avoid any kind of formal training program with a Daschund until he or she is eight to ten weeks old. I have also trained much more mature Daschund who have received little or no previous education with good success; the adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is categorically untrue. My training extends during the entire lifetimes of my Daschund.
Relationship between Owner and Doxie
The new owner and Daschund must have a relationship based on mutual trust and respect. My greatest challenge in training a Daschund is not in making him or her do what I want but rather on my ability to effectively communicate what I want. I can only do this if the Daschund and I have a rapport, if we have a genuine appreciation of one another. I pay close attention to my tone of voice, my gestures, and my facial expressions. The degree of our success or shortcoming is a shared accomplishment or challenge because we are partners.
Discipline and Happiness
I believe very strongly that disciplined Daschund are happy. Undisciplined Daschund tend to become easily bored. Disciplined Daschund seem to have a higher sense of self esteem. And disciplined Daschund are a lot more fun to be around.
Frequency and Duration
In general, I prefer to provide regular, brief training sessions. These sessions are on average about twenty minutes each, and occur three to four times a week for a mature Daschund, and about 5 minutes two or three times a day for younger Daschund. When possible, I like to do training just prior to dinner time.
Citizenship
Citizenship training involves the many commands I train my Daschund that help make our entire household run smoothly. Many people take some of these commands for granted, but they are extraordinarily important. Citizenship training includes letting my Daschund know that certain behaviors are inappropriate and intolerable, such as snapping, snarling, growling, and, of course, biting. Citizenship training also includes housebreaking and eliminating undesirable behaviors such as chewing, barking, or (in some households) getting up on furniture.
Basic Commands
Basic commands build on the foundation of citizenship training. The most important commands to teach your Daschund are: sit, stay, come, down, and heel. In our family we teach every Daschund how to say "howdy" - it's something they enjoy doing, it's cute, and it helps build on the overall discipline of the dog.
Your Doxie's Name
Dale Carnagie said that a person's name is the most important sound in the world. I use my Daschund' names frequently and include it in most of my commands.
Fun
My training sessions always begin and end with short play periods. This allows the Daschund to associate training with enjoyable activities, and also enhances the relationship between the dog and me.
Consistency
Use the same voice and hand commands in your training sessions. Enforce your commands consistently, even when it feels easier to let something slip. Otherwise, your Daschund may become confused and frustrated.
Reasonable Expectations
Do not expect your Daschund to perform perfectly. Daschund are highly intelligent and responsive. They are not robotic, and they are not perfect. Exercise patience. If you become frustrated, suspend your training session for that day.
Guard Training
Companion Daschunds do not require specialized guard dog training. They are naturally protective of their homes and families.
Formal Education
If you have the opportunity to enroll yourself and your Daschund in a formal obedience training program, do so. Additionally, there are numerous invaluable resources available in print and online.
Most importantly in any Daschund training,
treat your dog
respectfully and compassionately.
Daschunds are sensitive and very adoring
to their owners.
Harsh words and behaviors only
confuse your dog and do not promote compliance.
Your Daschund's responsiveness to you is nested
within his or her relationship with you.
