I am an adorable and well-trained dachshund. It took efficient training and great patience on the part of my owner and me to finally balance my need for independence with discipline.
For forever now, we have been known as a difficult to train breed. Crating is a method that many parents use to discipline their dogs and also to keep them from coming into their bed. We tend to prioritize our comfort, and if we see crating as a harmful activity, we will resist and be very hard to train, which is why we must recognize our crates as our resting point instead of a means to punish us.
How to Start Your Dachshund’s Crate Training
Buy A Suitable Crate
Before starting the crate training of your dog, you need to find a pleasant and comfortable crate. Buy a crate that is spacious enough to fit in easily, but not big enough to contain a peeing area. To avoid sleeping on a wet spot, we learn to hold our bladders and communicate the need to be taken out.
You need to buy a crate that allows us to look outside so that we do not feel lonely in there. However, before we use the crate as a sleeping area, we need some time to get comfortable with the idea.
(The crate shown above with the comfy side cushions is available on Amazon here)
Make The Crate Attractive
For us to be able to look at the crate and see a safe and warm place, it must look like one. Buying comfortable blankets and cushions can help create an appealing picture. If you keep our toys in the crate, we might even go in to play with them.
Keep The Place Closer To Where You Sleep
We dachshunds have significant separation anxiety. We often sleep with our parents in their beds. Crating must never make us feel isolated. We must be able to see what’s going on around us and feel seen and heard. We are extremely social dogs, and if our need to socialize is not getting fulfilled and we feel secluded, then we will start avoiding the crate.
Feed Them Inside
We often visit the area that we associate with our meals. We would attach positive emotions and reactions to the place and would be more than willing to occupy it.
Keep the Door Open
You should not be in a hurry to crate us; it can make your dog feel tricked or trapped. Prop the door open and let your dog explore the place. When we have the freedom to move in and out as we wish, we will warm up to the idea of sleeping in it. After a few more days, once we see it as our room, you can wish us goodnight and casually close the door before sleeping.
Sleeping in The Crate
Once we feel comfortable in the crate, we can start sleeping in it. It is best to keep us close to your bed, where we can look at you.
We can indeed be housetrained with the help of a crate. Over time, we learn how to hold our bladders to avoid making our sleeping spot dirty. Remember to open the door early in the morning and take us out to relieve ourselves. It is your responsibility as a dog parent to prevent us from getting UTIs or kidney stones from holding our bladder for too long. You need to let your dog out every few hours if you’ve locked them in during the afternoon so that they can do their business in the courtyard.
To successfully crate train us, you need to keep us happy by offering praise and rewards. Our need for socialization, activity, play, and freedom must be satisfied during the day so that being in a crate does not feel like being deprived of joy and our basic needs.
Is Crating Your Dachshund Cruel?
While crate training is an excellent way to train a dog, it can make the dog feel lonely and also become a source of stress. Crating can hamper our need for socialization and get in the way of our independence.
We must not be left alone inside a crate for more extended periods. It can give us immense anxiety, and we might start barking, howling, or whining in your absence.
What Do The Activists Claim?
Many animal rights activists like Peta claim that crating a dog is depriving them of their social, physical, and psychological freedom. It is a convenience-only-for-owners practice that is often used on adult dogs to toilet train them.
What Trainers Suggest?
Most trainers suggest that crating is not wrong in and of itself. However, it is imperative to know when you should and shouldn’t put your dachshund in a crate. A crate can be misused and can become a cruel way of dealing with us.
Crating Should Not Be Used As a Punishment
If we are kept in a crate after we disobey our master or create a mess, then it can start feeling like a punishment box.
Do Not Use The Crate When They Are Excited To Be Outdoors
It shouldn’t be used to curb our need for attention. We can sometimes be over-energetic, and crating us when you are not in the mood to entertain us can make us feel unloved and dominated.
Do Not Force Us Into The Crate
We are very stubborn and independent dogs. If we feel that our freedom is being snatched away from us, then we might retaliate with aggression. There can also be a loss of trust.
Crating Should Not Be Carried Out For Long Periods
Putting us in a crate when you are at work to avoid the possibility of a mess is not a good idea. Do not crate your dachshund for longer than they can hold their bladder. It can lead to excessive discomfort and health problems. We will also be unwilling to go inside the crate again for at least a few days.
Do Not Crate The Dog When They Are Alone If They Get Anxious Easy
We are a sensitive dog breed. We get easily anxious and restless when left alone. To deal with our stress, we tend to bark, howl, chew on things and even soil the bedsheet sometimes. If your dachshund gets extremely anxious when left alone and whines the moment you command him to go in the crate, then you mustn’t try to go up against his will. When worried and inside a crate, we can start scratching the walls and end up with broken nails, teeth, and hurt claws.
Do Not Try To Train A Dog That Gets Afraid Of Crates
Crates are used for training dogs, not to scare them. Once we start looking at the crate as a bad place, we shouldn’t be forced into it. Being left trapped in an undesirable box can make us feel terrible and stress us out.
When Your Vet Advises You Not To Crate Them – DO NOT CRATE THEM
If your dog suffers from specific a medical condition, your vet might advise you not to put them in a crate. By going against medical advice for your convenience, you are acting cruel and selfish and harming our physical health. If we have a medical problem like arthritis or inflamed joints, then it is best to keep us out of the crate.
Conclusion
Dachshunds are hunting dogs, and we hunt badgers by digging after them in the ground. We have a special knack for digging and for sitting in small and confined places, like a den.
“Our den needs to be our cave and not our cage.”
If we view our crate as our room, a haven, and a place to take refuge from the hustle and bustle of the house on some days, then the crate can become our territory.
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