As a seasoned dog owner, I have had the privilege of welcoming two Dachshund puppies into my life, Summit and now the newest addition, Otter.
The first week with your new furry family member can be both exciting and daunting, but if you approach it right, it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience.
I’ll be sharing my personal experience with my latest puppy, Otter, lessons learned, and tips I’ve gleaned to help make your Dachshund puppy transition a smooth one.
Note: This blog post has been edited from the transcript of this video, but provides additional information and details.
Traveling with your puppy through airports and airplanes
Getting Otter back from Kansas City to our home in Washington state would require a plane ride, which was a bit nerve-wracking.
He was small enough to ride in an airline-approved dog carrier under the seat, but we weren’t sure how his newly formed ears would hold up or whether he would bark or howl.
But Otter proved himself a true champion throughout his journey.
Although the one-hour flight delay could have disrupted potty training, Otter managed to hold his urination and defecation throughout the entire delay and did not soil his cage once.
He was only slightly agitated upon landing, likely due to the change in air pressure, and I was impressed with his calm demeanor.
I’ve flown before with two other dogs and my fears turned out to be unfounded – I was really impressed – but I still get a little nervous every time I fly with a new dog.
Using these tips when flying with your dog can be a real lifesaver.
Introducing my puppy to my pack
One of the biggest concerns people seem to have is introducing their puppy to pets they already have in the home.
In my case, I take a more relaxed approach because I’m a dog caretaker and my dachshunds are used to a variety of characters rotating in and out.
A dog spends years alone, of Because you’ll be the center of attention, introductions can be more delicate.
In either case, in my experience, it’s best to bring the puppy home without much fuss.
The difference is how closely you need to monitor the older dog and puppy, and how long it may take for your existing pets to accept the older dog and puppy.
Instead of a traditional neutral territory introduction, I simply brought Otter into the house and allowed the dogs to sniff and become acquainted at their own pace.
One of our dog-sitting clients, Brody, has assumed the role of Otter’s playmate for the next few weeks.
Brody’s sweet nature and Otter’s adventurous spirit have fostered a friendship that has warmed my heart.
But not all of the pack was so welcoming. My 14-year-old dachshund, Gretel, remained neutral, tolerating Otter’s occasional hugs but gently scolding him when he was too pushy.
Summit, a cranky 5-year-old dachshund, was a bit more difficult.
There have been several incidents of resource guarding where she has bitten Otter over food.
This is an area we are actively working on and I strive to ensure a harmonious and safe environment for all our furry family members.
Note: Otter has been with us for 5 months now and all the dogs know their place and get along well.
Potty training and early training initiatives
Potty training is always a high priority for me when getting a new puppy, and Otter has done amazingly well.
As a work-from-home dog mom, I was able to take my dogs outside frequently and strictly follow tried-and-true potty training procedures.
He quickly learned to go to the bathroom outside.
The only trouble we had was when Otter refused to go outside and immediately went to relieve himself inside.
This was a reminder to me that consistency and patience are key when it comes to potty training.
I didn’t get mad at him, I just calmly wiped the stain away with paper towels (I didn’t use cleaner at first) and left it outside for him to smell himself the next time I went out.
5 tips for a smooth puppy transition
Based on my experience raising two puppies (Summit and Otter), I’ve compiled five important tips to help you succeed through the first week with your new Dachshund puppy.
1) Consider your puppy’s sleeping environment
The decision to have your Dachshund puppy sleep on your bed from the get-go or to crate train him can have a big impact on his attachment and separation anxiety.
I decided to have the two puppies sleep together from day one, but that may not be the best approach for everyone.
If you want your puppy to eventually sleep in a crate, it’s important to start crate training early to avoid difficulties down the line.
In fact, Otter’s breeder instructed us to have Otter sleep in a crate at night for the first six months.
I questioned this and she said I could do what I wanted, but she suggested this so that the dog would learn to sleep alone in his crate first, in case he needed to sleep alone again after I put him on the bed.
Needless to say, I didn’t listen, but looking back, it was probably good advice.
Summit will sometimes sleep in his crate on his own, and I have to admit it’s nice to have a dog who’s okay with sleeping away from me.
Keeping your dog in a crate can provide peace of mind if he injures his back and must rest in the crate.
2) Start teaching your puppy to be alone right away.
Puppies are so cute. They are babies who depend on us and can be very restless because they have just left their mother and the only language they know.
However, there’s a balance to be struck between providing comfort and stability and pampering your puppy to the point that he becomes overly attached.
I immediately began to teach Otter that he wouldn’t die if I wasn’t there.
I mostly kept them in a pen/crate with natural chews, lick mats, or food-releasing toys to keep them busy while I showered or washed the dishes.
I tried to leave before he finished and started making a fuss.
We didn’t have much time away during the first week, but we plan to extend that time once he feels more comfortable.
3) Don’t aim for perfection
Raising a puppy is a learning experience, so be kind to yourself. Resist the urge to do everything perfectly from the start.
For the first week (and maybe the first three months), I decided to focus on the basics: teaching Otter his name, potty training, socializing, building his confidence, and bonding with him.
Dogs can learn obedience and tricks at any age, but if you miss the critical socialization and bonding period, you’ll have to work at least twice as hard to achieve it later…. and you may never get to where you could have gotten if you’d started from day one.
When starting obedience training, the first things I teach are to sit, to sit on the mat (place), to come off the mat, and to come to me when I call.
4) Establish a routine
You’ve probably heard this advice many times about Dachshund puppies: Dogs like predictable behavior, so you have to establish a routine right away.
While I have generally agreed with this idea, something just didn’t sit right with me, especially since our lives are far from normal and yet my dogs were thriving.
In fact, my dachshund I don’t Follow a routine.
But then I realized that it’s possible to have routine even in a chaotic and ever-changing life.
For me, I like to think of routine as a loose schedule — I need some predictability, and there are certain things my dachshund will never let me forget.
Two things that I consider to be predictable routines are:
- The weenies eat twice a day, usually around 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- My dogs always sleep with me (or someone else), regardless of time or place.
I also think of “routines” as cause-and-effect behaviors: if I do A, I want my dog to do B.
I work from home, so when I’m sitting at my desk, for example, I want my dogs to be calm and, hopefully, asleep, regardless of the time of day.
For me, establishing a routine is more about setting expectations and trying to keep it as consistent as possible than it is about having a structured time schedule for everything (though if that’s your preference, that’s fine too).
5) Teach your puppy to stay calm
Once, when I was lamenting how having my puppy, Summit, in the house meant I couldn’t get any work done, a dog trainer from my Mastermind group gave me this advice:
“One of the most important jobs as a pet owner is to teach your dog a household routine. Most importantly, teach them when it’s time to play and be active, and when it’s time to settle down (with something safe) and have fun.”
A light bulb went on in my head: Huh?? Would you really do that? This concept was a total game changer for me.
Teaching the puppies to stay calm allowed me to give them the attention and care they needed while still being productive myself.
My older dogs already knew this routine, but Otter had a hard time understanding it, even when he quipped that Summit had disturbed her beauty sleep.
I placed Otter’s cage near my desk and locked him in his natural biting position when I sat on the chair, and he quickly began to get used to it.
Final thoughts
Welcoming a new Dachshund puppy into your life is a truly special experience, but it’s also a serious commitment.
Learning from my own experience and implementing these tips, I am confident that you too will find your first week with your new furry friend easier and more confident.
Remember, each puppy is an individual and adaptability, patience and a willingness to learn with your new companion is key.
Enjoy this special time and be sure to read the other posts on my blog for even more tips.
