My Needy Dachshund!

ORIGINAL: MimisMom

Hello! I am the proud owner of Mimi, a miniature dachshund that we have had for a year. We adopted her- she's about 3 years old. Since we got her, she's had a myriad of quirks- they really aren't that problematic in retrospect but they are kind of annoying.

Here is a short list:

- Peeing when excited- typically when someone comes in the house. We've found a solution in letting her out AS SOON as we get home. If we even lean down to pet her before letting her out, she's rolled over and squirting. It seems as if she has no clue that she even does it.

- Pooping in the house. She does not do this all the time. We have a routine- I let her out every morning before I go to work, she poos and pees. I let her out when I come home, the same occurs. However, once and a while, there is poop and pee in the house. I think she does it out of spite when she is left alone and does not want to be. I am pretty sure she can hold it, so what's the deal?

- Licking, licking, licking! Mimi will lick you to death! My mother claims she will stop when she says "No lick" but that doesn't work for me or my husband. Hands, face, legs- it doesn't matter if we are petting her or even paying attention to her. She also licks her paws, the couch, her toys, etc...

- The 'defense roll'. When she is on the floor, if you lean down to pet her, she rolls over. I know this is a submission thing, and since I don't know what happened to her before we got her, it could be a product of abuse. Still, is there anything we can do about it?

- If you yell at her, she pees. For example, she attacks the vacuum. "Mimi- NO!" then she pees.


I know there are other things I am not remembering right now but those are the key issues. We have not given her any obedience training- she knows the things she came with. "Go to bed" = go in the crate. "Sit", "Come", "Stay" (but only kind of), "Drop it".

I hope someone can give me some advice!

- Kirsten

The issues you're describing are typical of the Dachschund breed. They are very highly intelligent dogs, but we named our current one Sgt. Schultz after the Hogan's Heroes character because he "Hears nothing, sees nothing" (unless he wants to) ... They own you and they are closer to cats than dogs in the respect that they tend to express themselves more than any other type of dog. Schultz is well known for his continual barking at guests when we have dinner parties until he calms when he gets attention (I usually give him some treats to quiet him and although I know it's enabling that particular behaviour, it does keep him quiet). He also has a habit of marking his territory wherever my dad (who is on his 70's and lives with us and is the doggy daddy) sits if Ralph doesn't walk him on schedule or misses a petting session. Schultz is a breeder dog and we had a trainer who taught him keywords such as he knows "Go to your crate" or "Go to the basket", and if he sees any of us grabbing paper towels to wipe up his markings (or when the resolve bottle comes out for carpet markings) he immediately heads for the "security" of his crate. If you even jokingly say "What did you do?" he makes a beeline for the crate and goes to the back of it. We don't believe in spanking or "rubbing his nose in it", but we use the verbal commands and he really responds.  He usually spends most of the day with "grandpa" (my dad) sitting in his lap and heads for his crate around 10PM on my dad's schedule. BUT if we're out of the house, my dad definitely puts Schultz in his crate because otherwise he'll mark territory because he's jealous we left him alone.

Now, he has been on many trips from our home in Florida to our home in Delaware and  he has no trouble while in the Minivan,  but as you said, "it's done out of spite".  As far as the rolling over into submission position, almost all doxies do that, and Sgt. Schultz absolutely hates the vacuum cleaner. He also has a habit of marking territory around any new items that come into the house. and the licking is their way of showing their love for you. Schultz loves to jump on the recliner with my dad and kiss him all over.

So what you're describig about Mimi, is absolutely normal doxie behaviour. They are spoiled brats and they own you !!!

One way we have dealt with bad behaviour is to ignore Schultz when he comes for attention and tell him "You were a baaaad dog" and he slinks off dejected, knowing he is on restriction. Othersiwe, doxie behaviour is something you have to grin and bear with because they are wonderful dogs and they travel exceptionally well, but they are a little dog with attitude.

If you need to talk to me about any habits or how to work with them (ie: psyche the pooch out), feel free to PM me. My family has always owned Dachshunds and we're quite used to their quirks, but their intelligence and personalities are well worth the minor issues. They are very social, so allowing Mimi to have time with other dogs is also a good way to drain some of the energy.

btw, that's Sgt. Schultz in my avatar in his sunglasses he loves to wear at the beach. He also likes getting his bandana when he goes to the groomer and the only time he'll ever growl or get nippy is if you try to take the bandanna off. Oh, and as far as baths, he loves them. I've even had him on my surfboard at the beach (which he loves)....

My parents own dachshunds, and have some friends that have 3.  There is one out of the five that has some similar problems that yours does.  I can only give you a suggestion for the pooping.  Do you free feed her?  You should only give her food at meal times.  That way you get her schedule down pat.  I know exactly when my dog is going to go, but that's because I feed her on a schedule. 
 
As for the licking,  are you holding her when she licks you?  If you are when she starts the licking frenzy then put her down immediately.  This tells her that when she licks she's not going to get to cuddle or be held anymore.
 
Those are somethings I can think of.  I'm sure someone will be along to give you more suggestions.
 
PS she's a cutie.

Peeing when excited is usually submissive peeing. This stems from the fact that, as puppies, the mother would roll them over to clean their genitals. When you enter the house, completely ignore the dog. Don't talk to her, pet her, or make eye contact. Wait until she is very calm and call her over to you when you want to give her affection, and don't use any high-pitched noises.

Ruling out incontinence, the innapropriate elimination is probably because the scent of her elimination is lingering on the carpet. Use a product like nature's miracle to scrub it out.

Don't downplay this licking issue. This isn't a quirk... it's an obsession! I have seen this before when the dog will become stuck on an activity like licking or chewing. Despite the fact that dachsunds are small, they are high energy. They were bred to drag prey out of burrows and such. How often do you walk the dog? You should do this for about 30 minutes to an hour everyday. Vigorous walking or running is best. The dog is channeling her energy into something undesirable. When she does this licking, correct her and never give her affection when she is doing it!

You should be thankful that you have a submissive dog. Unfortunately, the dog is submissive but also has bad behaviors. What you need to do is to teach the dog to still be submissive, but not a nervous pushover. Do some trust exercises. Sit on the floor with treats, pick her up often, reward her for being outgoing... ect. Then you can successfully correct her.

It is a complete myth that a dog of a certain breed will always display certain behaviors or quirks. I have a husky, and when we first moved into our house, the neighbor came over and said "The person who lived here before you had a husky. I didn't know you could have a husky and not have it running everywhere." The same person also said "Don't get a chow, they always bite!" This is completely not true in the same way that all pitbulls are vicious predators. It is simply an example of bad characteristics being brought out of an individual dog.