Dachshunds are tenacious, independent and smart, originally bred to hunt and kill badgers. These characteristics have been passed down the generations which can cause problems with barking, biting and aggression if Dachshunds are not well trained from a young age
As soon as you see your Dachshund puppy biting it is time to address the problem. Dachshund puppies look cute and you wouldn’t think that the small nips they give would be a problem, but not stopping the behavior can result in significant aggression problems later in life.
Start Young
If you were to watch a puppy grow up in a litter you would see that biting is regulated by the puppies themselves. When one puppy bites another, the outcome is typically that the puppy they bite turns round and bites them back. This is a very effective deterrent resulting in most puppies knowing not to bite by the time they are ready to go to their new home.
If you have problems with your Dachshund puppy biting, take immediate action! At this young age your puppy is play biting. You should never hit your Dachshund, especially not at this age when they will not understand what they have done wrong. Doing so will frighten them and can lead to problems with anxiety and aggression as they grow up.
To stop your Dachshund puppy biting you need to take a consistent, fair approach, not just to the biting, but to their behavior in general. Reward good behaviors and discourage bad behaviors, making certain that you are not giving mixed messages. For example, if you want to stop your Dachshund puppy biting then you shouldn’t play games that involve chasing. Remember, Dachshunds were bred to chase and catch prey and will likely grab hold of you if you run from them.
Ways to Stop Puppy Biting
When your Dachshund puppy bites your instinct may be to punish them, but this is the wrong thing to do. Instead tell them “no”, or make a high pitched squeal when they bite, then giving them something acceptable to chew on such as a dog toy as soon as they let go. Making a yelping noise can be very effective in stopping biting as it is similar to the noise that your puppies litter mates made when they were bitten. Your Dachshund puppy will soon learn that biting you is not OK, but biting their toys is.
If you get an older Dachshund puppy who has not been taught not to bite your task may be more difficult. If the technique described above doesn’t work then you should consider taking them to puppy training classes. In addition to having expert help with the biting problem, your Dachshund puppy will have the opportunity to be well socialized with both people and other dogs their age.