Updated Jan. 2020 By Ava Jaine

Socializing your new pup is an Essential Skill for their development.  But Wait! Don’t jump in too quickly.  Your pup needs to be wormed and have his first vaccines.  Safeguard your pup from other dogs who are not vaccinated to protect them from so many dangerous diseases.

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Why Socialize Your Puppy?

Socializing your puppy will help them become familiar with new sounds, smells, and sights in a positive way.

Correctly socializing your pup will prevent them from becoming frightened of other people or traveling to new places.

Dogs who are not socialized at the correct age are often Fearful and Aggressive.

The best time to socialize your dachshund is between 10-16 weeks old.  Later is Too Late!

Did you know that one of the Top Reasons dogs are surrendered to a shelter is because of behavior problems?

Confession Time! Our dog, Bastian wasn’t socialized as a young puppy.  From the start, Bastian had his den mates, our dachshund Reno, and our German Shepard, Artemus to play with.  They were his close doggie family.

We didn’t reach out and meet other people with dogs because they were so good with each other at home.  We didn’t know how crucial it really was for us to take them out and meet other dogs that didn’t live with us. 

So, when we introduced our new dachshund puppy, we made sure to socialize him as soon as we could.

Tips For Socializing Your Dachshund

Once your dog has been wormed and received his initial vaccines from the vet, it’s a good time to start introducing some new doggie friends.

Here are some great socializing tips to help your dachshund get along with others:

• Introduce New Friends
• Car Rides
• Walks on a Leash
• Introduce New Sounds
• Gentle Behavior
• Don’t force a scared dog
• Reward for Good Experiences

Introduce New Friends

Introduce new people and animals gradually. Too much exposure to new animals or people can cause your dachshund to become overwhelmed. Plan small doggie play dates and introduce your dog to your neighbors (with or without dogs). It is important your neighbors get to know your dachshund in case there is a time they wander into their yard.

Get Down to Their Level

When people are introducing themselves to your dog, ask them to get down to the dog’s eye level and let the dog approach them slowly. This allows the dog to make the decision if he wants to sniff their hand or allow them to pet his head.

Make sure young children have help petting your dog, sometimes being gentle doesn’t come naturally to kids, so help them understand kindness and respect towards your dog so they become friends.

Car Rides

Take your dog on car rides. Whether they are a brief ride to the park or to grandma’s house, allow your dog to tag along. Dachshunds love bye-bye rides. When you are leaving the house, give your dog a command so he knows where he is going. “Time for a bye-bye ride”, etc… They will quickly love this command and associate it with going on a trip with you.

If your dog tends to be prone to getting car sick, try shorter trips in the car and be prepared with some cleanup gear in case.

Make sure your dog is safe and secure in the car for the ride. You can have them in their small travel crate, sit them on a passenger’s lap, or you can even buckle them up in a dog car seatbelt.

Also, check with your vet to make sure your dachshund doesn’t have an ear infection, sometimes this can cause inner ear dizziness which can lead to getting sick in a moving car.

Walks On a Leash

When you first hook up your new dachshund pup to a leash, he probably won’t have a clue what to do with it. He needs to learn that he is safe and secure on the leash. Don’t pull too hard on the leash, this can hurt your dog’s neck, Be Gentle.  Always secure the leash around your wrist. When a dachshund sees another animal, he may try to bolt, try your best not to let your dog loose.

If you encounter another dog walker on your path, you can let the dogs sniff each other if they seem friendly enough, but keep in mind not all dogs are friendly. If your dog seems scared, don’t force them to meet with the other dog.  Just move them away from each other and hold on tight in case of an aggressive encounter.

Introduce New Sounds

Introduce some new sounds to your dachshund. They love to hear the radio, as long as it is at a reasonable volume. When indoors, introduce your dachshund gradually to the sound of the vacuum cleaner. Allow them to lay in a nice comfortable spot a safe distance away from the loud sound. Obviously, don’t chase them with it, it isn’t funny to them, it is terrifying.

While playing outside or on walks, listen for the fire engines or a distant passing train, allow them to listen and let them know they are ok.

Gentle Behavior

Always treat your dachshund with kindness. They love you with all of their being, they need your love and support at all times. They depend on you, their loving owner, to love and protect them back.

Keep your kids away from the dog if they are too rough or making the dog nervous. Allow your dog to escape and find a safe place to hang out when roughhousing.

Now, don’t coddle your dog too much, they are allowed to have their own unique experiences, just keep watch and keep them safe.  Keep socialization experiences positive ones. Whether it is a quick introduction with your neighbor or attending a puppy playdate, make sure things stay safe and positive.

One bad experience is hard to erase from any dog’s mind, always keep watch and protect your dog. It can seem like hard work at times, but you will have a much better-behaved dog on your hands if you do things right.

Don’t Force a Scared Dog

If there is ever a situation when your dog acts scared towards another animal, person, or place, don’t force them. Dachshunds have a special intuition that allows them to keep themselves guarded against others.

It may be just a new face to them, allow them to make the decision to want to allow the friendly introduction or skip it.

Forcing your dachshund into a frightening situation will cause them to become very skittish. They could possibly develop harsh instincts like biting or warning others when they feel threatened. When they are actually threatened in any way, yes, they need to defend themselves, but biting a stranger or a guest that visits your home will become a problem.

Reward a Good Experience

When a child does a good deed, like behaving in the grocery store, it is a great opportunity for the parent to reward the child and continue that good behavior going forward. Well, the same is true for your Dog.

Reward your pup for a good puppy playdate experience.  If they got along with the other dogs, give them a treat on the way home.  This positive behavior is an incentive to continue being an obedient dog.

Did you know that it can cost thousands of dollars in vet and behaviorist fees to fix the problems caused by a lack of early socialization?

Dachshunds have a unique disposition and an adorable bold attitude.  Here are some common traits to keep in mind when socializing your Dachshund.

To raise a well-behaved dachshund, it takes lots of love, care, and plenty of patience. If you work at being consistent with routines, you will have a well-established relationship with your dog.

Your dog will love you no matter what. Even when you have frustrating days, you will have other days where you can’t live without them. Cherish these special times of building a strong friendship with your new companion. Time is precious, live life to the fullest each day.

Let us know some of your favorite socialization training tips in the comments below.

Dachshund Behavior Tips:

• Learn more about Dachshund Separation Anxiety
• Learn 5 Amazing Secrets Only Dachshund Owners Understand from Dachshund Bonus.com

Are Dachshunds Hard To Train?

When your dog is about six months old, he will be ready to learn some basic verbal commands.  Have some fun with basic training commands like “come”, “sit”, “lay down”. Click the Puppy Commands Button to learn more.