The first is the first; chewing is a natural behavior for Dachshunds, especially puppies. Dachshund chewing is not something you can stop, all you can do is redirect the chewing towards an acceptable item, providing enough interesting toys and activities that your Dachshund doesn’t want to destroy your things.

Should You Stop Chewing Your Dachshund Puppy?

When a Dachshund is a puppy, it looks cute and doesn’t really do much damage when chewing. A lot of people think this is cool, or even funny, but it’s not. Left untreated, your Dachshund puppy will grow up thinking it’s okay to chew on whatever he wants, causing hundreds, even thousands of dollars in damage to your expensive furniture, floors, and shoes. He should stop chewing his Dachshund when he is a puppy by showing him that chewing on his possessions is not okay, but there are many toys that are acceptable to chew on.

How to stop your Dachshund from chewing

Once you’ve made the decision to stop chewing your Dachshund, you have a few options available to you, all of which involve positive training techniques. Never punish your Dachshund by yelling at or hitting him. They don’t understand what they did wrong and may react by becoming aggressive towards you.

Box training. If your problem is that Dachshund chews when you are out of the house, then you may want to consider crate training your Dachshund. Dachshunds view crates as their den, a place where they feel comfortable and protected. Correctly crated, your Dachshund will be safe and secure while you’re away, just like your possessions.

Modifying Behavior. You can’t stop your Dachshund from chewing, so train him to chew on dog toys. When you see your Dachshund going to chew on something he shouldn’t or catch him chewing, quietly tell him to stop, remove the unapproved item, and give him one of your dog toys. As soon as he starts chewing on his toy, praise him a lot. Your Dachshund will quickly learn what it can and cannot chew.

Keep your Dachshund busy. The key here is to prevent your Dachshund from getting bored. Often times, Dachshund chewing is the result of frustration and boredom, something he must do to pass the time and stay active. The most important thing to do is to give your Dachshund plenty of exercise. Twice daily walks of at least 30 minutes with play sessions incorporated will get your Dachshund out mentally and physically, making him more likely to sleep when you’re gone. When you’re out, make sure they have plenty of toys to keep them busy.

Anti-chewing sprays. To deter tough Dachshund chewers, there are no chew sprays available. They are sprays that contain pepper or bitter apple. They taste horrible, but they are safe and will stop even the most determined Dachshund from chewing.

To prevent your Dachshund from chewing on your possessions forever, you need to be consistent. All family members need to have the same expectations and give the same response when it comes to correcting unwanted chewing. Pick up your clothes and shoes, and order your valuable belongings. Don’t leave out temptations for your Dachshund, just leave out items they can chew.

Dachshunds are smart dogs, but they are not perfect and will make mistakes as they learn what they can and cannot chew. Remember not to punish them but keep them up to date with positive reinforcement and they will learn.