Dachshund temperament: a big dog in a small package

A pocket-sized hunter

The Dachshund was bred to work underground, alone and without instructions. That’s where its courage, stamina and habit of deciding for itself come from. It isn’t disobedience – it’s breed history.

Day to day, you’ll see a superb nose, great curiosity and a certain taste for negotiation: it checks whether a command is worth it. Knowing that helps you get annoyed less and laugh more.

Affectionate without being clingy

With its family the Dachshund is very tender. It seeks closeness, loves burrowing under a blanket and often has a favourite person. With strangers it tends to be reserved and takes a moment before trusting.

The voice

Dachshunds have a powerful bark and use it: the doorbell, footsteps on the stairs, the cat on the balcony opposite. If your walls are thin, work on it early – calmly, redirecting its attention and rewarding silence.

Scolding rarely helps: from the Dachshund’s point of view, you’re just barking along.

How a Dachshund likes to learn

Short sessions, clear cues, a reward at the right moment – and the patience to repeat something ten times. Harsh methods make a Dachshund stubborn, not obedient.

Recall needs particular work, because once the nose finds a scent everything else goes quiet. Until it’s reliable, the Dachshund stays on a long line in open spaces.

Hunting instinct in everyday life

Mouse holes, animal tracks, a cat in the bushes: many Dachshunds have a clear hunting instinct, and digging is part of their happiness. Better to give it a corner where digging is allowed than to fight every hole.

For life in a flat and with children, see Dachshunds in a flat and with children; for protecting its back, Back, stairs and exercise.