Dachshunds are one of the most difficult and stubborn breeds when it comes to house training. I have some who will go six hours and never need to relieve themselves, and others who prefer to go every 2-3 hours. Each dachshund is different, but one thing they all share in common, they hate rain and very cold weather and will stand at the door refusing to step outside and relieve themselves, therefore I keep pee pads down for those situations. I use washable bed pads (google Inspire Washable Reusable Incontinence Underpad, 30 Inches X 34 Inches or Avacare Medical, Cardinal Health Washable Bed Pads) as indoor potty pads to avoid filling up the trash with the throw away kind. They wash and dry great and last  a really long time. 

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Using a crate whenever you can't supervise them in the house will help train them to hold their bladder longer, but some puppies are sneaky and quiet and will not let you know they have to go. Some dachshunds will pee and poop no matter where they are. There is no rhyme or reason to it. They just don't care.....

 

Establishing a very set routine for training and disciplining your puppy must occur right from the start.  A couple of things that puppies do by nature are bite, chew, pee, poop, sleep and eat.  One thing you do NOT want to do is break your puppy's trust when training them where to do these things.  The first person he/she sees many times is the person they bond with.  Puppies love, accept and trust you to take good care of them.  When puppy does something wrong, if you yell, scream, flail your arms in the air  or throw things at them as you call their name, you are actually defeating your goal.  Puppy is now starting to fear coming to you.  You need to use a low tone firm assertive, "No!"  and lots of happy sound praises to differentiate between the things you want him/her to do and not to do.  

 

When you get your new baby, we will have already been working on the potty thing with pee pee pads.  Others might go outside when it is good weather.  When each puppy goes, they get a happy sound or a clap with a "Good girl or boy."  If they did their business, they get a small treat that rewards their behavior.  While they are young, it might be necessary to take the treats out in your pocket for immediate reward so they can associate the act of their business and the treat.  Consistency and repetition makes the biggest difference.  Figure out what you expect of your puppy and stick with it.  You can start to form a routine by taking puppy out as soon as he wakes up, before and after meals, after a round of play and at least once during the night if they are young.  Some puppies will be able to sleep through the night, others will need to go half way through the night.  Try to always take him/her to the same spot and use the same cue phrase or word.   

 

While inside, if you see your puppy looking distracted, walking in circles, sniffing the ground very quickly, darting back and forth quickly, then know, he is about ready to squat and go potty.  Pick your puppy up, take him out to the designated potty spot and tell him to "go potty" or "go pee pee" Don't forget to reward and praise your puppy when he/she does something you like.  If puppy goes inside and you catch him/her in the act, tell him, "No, no" and then take him outside to the spot and use your key words.  You may have heard or been advised to rub puppy's nose in the potty mess, but this is bad advise for a dachshund.  First of all, it is unsanitary, secondly, you have just broken your safety trust with your little one.  If you don't catch puppy in the act, just clean it up and wait for the next opportunity to teach.  Believe me, it will come.

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If you are wanting to start bell training, ring the bell as you are walking out the door. Pick up your puppy and take him outside and place him in a little enclosed area on the grass.  Just remember not to leave your puppy alone.  They will be rather small and a big bird could see them as prey (a good meal).  

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If your puppy is having a hard time knowing what you would like for him to do outside, take an old used pee pee pad piece that has been peed on and place it in the potty area.  It will not take long for your puppy to learn what you want him to do in that spot.  Being consistent and placing your puppy in the same area every time the puppy awakens, after a nap, about 15 minutes after eating or drinking or whenever your puppy is looking for a spot.  Eventually, you can keep moving the pad closer and closer to the door until the pad is outside and puppy understands no potty inside.  This process will take some time, partly for the fact that their little bladder will be about the size of a pea.  At first, they will need to go about every hour.

 

For those families that do not have a fenced in backyard, I recommend having some kind of temporary exercise pen set up to where you can take puppy out immediately in the mornings, set puppy in and stand waiting for a completed job.  Remember when teaching puppy what outdoors is for, do not go outside and pick up a toy or start to play.  Puppy needs to learn that when they go outside, it is time for their business to be done.  I usually set my puppies down, look away, using a birds-eye side view to watch them as they are pottying, and then once I see they did their business, I praise puppy and THEN play outside. If they get the idea that they are suppose to play when they go out, this could be very frustrating. You could be there for hours trying to get puppy to potty and then just as soon as you bring them back in the house, they will have an accident. Consistency and repetition is key to your success.  

 

Not every dog communicates to their owners in the same manner.  Some may grunt, bark, twirl, stare deeply into your eyes, some paw at your leg, some bounce up and down like a ball.... part of successful potty training is helping establish a method for your dog to communicate with you, recognizing your dog's communication sign, and acting on it quickly and appropriately.  If you are teaching your puppy to use a bell to communicate their need to potty, you will need to hang a string of bells at the door where you expect puppy to go out to potty.  Each time you take puppy out to potty, you will need to ring the bells.  At some point, puppy will realize that the bell is rung right before potty time and start to ring it themselves.  After a period of time with puppy ringing the bell to communicate, you can hopefully take up the pee pee pads, allowing your puppy to communicate his/her need to go outside (but remember the rain and cold may not help in getting them to go outside) .  

 

If you want to continue to allow puppy to potty indoors, there are some fancy litter box containers, or pad holders on the market.  If you are wanting to switch to a litter box, eventually change the pads or paper to the pellets keeping the box in a consistent place.

 

Remember, when accidents occur, and they will, never be harsh or hit the puppy just say, "no, no," jingle the bell and take the puppy to the potty spot.

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And always, always, always, praise your puppy when he does it right.