Dachshund owners think of their pets as charismatic, comical and affectionate, but their neighbors seldom agree. Dachshunds are known for their bark, whether it be to protect their territory, to show dominance, to greet people or to express their boredom. With proper training, you can teach your dachshund to bark less and only when commanded to do so.
Step 1
Exercise your dachshund daily. Dachshunds often bark out of boredom, and a tired dog is not a bored dog. If you wear out your dog daily and play with him inside and outside of the house often, he won't bark at you or others to get attention. Be sure to spend a lot of time with your dachshund, they're an affectionate breed and will bark excessively if their owners spend too much time away from them.
Step 2
Establish yourself as the pack leader. Because dachshunds are intelligent and affectionate, their owners often treat them as members of the family. If you let your dachshund get away with barking all of the time, he'll think he's dominant, and will be harder to train in the future. When your dachshund barks, wait until he stops, then say, "Quiet," in a firm voice and reward him with a treat or toy. Never reward him while he's still barking, or he'll think barking is what you want him to do. Eventually, you'll be able to take the treats away from the training, and your pet will stop barking when you give him the command.
Step 3
Teach your dachshund to speak. Dachshunds can be great guard dogs, but they tend to bark excessively once a guest has entered your home. Because you don't want to stop your dog from barking entirely, you can teach him to speak only when allowed, then silence him with the quiet command once you know who has arrived. Get your pet to start barking by knocking on the door, ringing the doorbell or making barking sounds while saying the command, "Speak". You want to teach him that barking when someone approaches the door is OK. Now command him to be quiet and reward him with a treat once he stops barking. Your pet will learn to bark when you say speak, so if someone suspicious approaches the home, you can give the speak command, and your pet will bark.
Step 4
Practice showing your dominance and using the quiet and speak commands multiple times daily. Dachshunds are stubborn, but they respond well to positive reinforcement and short, but frequent training sessions. Soon you will have your dachshund barking only when you approve, and you'll be able to quiet him with a simple command. Keep the training experience fun and positive for your pet and play with him throughout the day to prevent barking due to loneliness or boredom.
References
Tips
- Bark collars and citronella-spraying collars can be used to deter your dog from barking, but they don't work on all dogs. Shock collars often cause dogs to fear their owner and make future training more difficult.
Warnings
- Use a firm voice when commanding your dachshund, but don't yell at him. Yelling will make the training process stressful for your pet and can cause it to take longer.
Writer Bio
Courtney McCaffrey graduated from the College of Charleston in 2008 with a B.A. in media studies. She has served as an editor for Blooming Twig Books and the MADA Writing Services publishing company. She is now a writer on various outdoor sports such as snowboarding, skiing, surfing and bodysurfing.