How Dachsies manipulate

Dogs need certain things, like food, shelter, warmth, and companionship. They also desire certain things, like more food, more warmth, and a whole lotta companionship. Dogs don't like other things, like hunger, standing out in the rain, or being ignored. They're social animals, domesticated to enjoy the good life — and oh, how they love suppertime.

It only makes sense, then, that your Dachshund will do whatever he can to get more of what he wants and less of what he doesn't want. Any creature does this (even you). Some are simply more effective in their techniques than others. Your Dachshund will soon learn — all on his own — what behaviors encourage you to hand over the goods (treats, kind words, snuggles) and what behaviors cause you to go off the deep end or purposefully ignore him.

Are you a pushover? Your Dachshund will soon discover whether a cute expression accompanied by a slightly cocked head will melt your heart and cause you to toss another gourmet dog cookie in his direction. If you're not careful, he'll come to learn that barking, nipping, whining, or jumping results in treats and attention. (To a Dachshund, even negative attention like yelling is better than being ignored.)

Always remember to reward the good behavior, not the bad. In other words, turn the tables on your clever little pet. If he recognizes that begging only gets him ignored, but that lying quietly in the corner during dinner leads to you serving her dinner, then congratulations. You have the upper hand. When you make him realize that bad behavior results in nothing, and that good behavior — a well-behaved greeting when you arrive home, with an eager wagging tail but no jumping, for example — gets him plenty of praise, stroking, and kisses, you'll be manipulating him in the best way.

After your Dachshund is well-trained, you'll be able to bend the rules now and then. However, if you make it a habit to enforce rules only when you have the energy, you may as well forget the rules altogether. Your Dachshund won't understand inconsistent enforcement. He won't know how you'll react when he does something, so he won't even try to anticipate. He'll just do what he wants to do.

0 0

Post a comment

  • Receive news updates via email from this site