Dachshund Clicker Training

Dachshunds were bred to be badger hunters. They were fearless and powerful dogs whose job it was to both catch and kill their prey. These characteristics are seen today in Dachshunds who bark, bite, and chase.

Having a poorly trained Dachshund can be frustrating, embarrassing and dangerous. Training itself can be difficult given how stubborn and independent Dachshunds can be. The key to training a Dachshund is to let them think that they are in charge of, and running, the training session.

One training method that allows this is clicker training.

How Dachshund Clicker Training Works
The idea behind a clicker is simple. You train your Dachshund to recognize exactly when they’ve done something right by using a clicker, a device that makes a sharp, simple sound that they can hear from a distance. When you first start Dachshund clicker training you will have to condition your dachshund to the clicker, that is, you have to teach them that the sound of the clicker results in a reward. Most people begin using treats as a reward, sitting with their Dachshund, clicking once, then rewarding with a treat.

Once your Dachshund is conditioned to the sound of the clicker you can start teaching commands, clicking and rewarding when your dachshund performs a wanted behavior. Clicker training can also be combined with command words very easily, something that many other training methods cannot.

Clicker training is humane, simple, and incredibly effective.

The Benefits of Clicker Training?
The biggest benefit of Dachshund clicker training is how easy it is. It can take as little as 15 minutes to teach your dog that a click is a good thing and even less time to start teaching basic commands. Clickers are small and easy to carry with you, allowing you to train in a variety of differing environments and situations. They are more standardized than your voice, that varies in pitch and tone and can be misread by your Dachshund. In conjunction with a command, a clicker teaches your Dachshund precisely what you want them to do so you will not have to worry if they understand that what they’re doing is right or wrong.

With more advanced Dachshund clicker training, the clicker can be replaced with simple praise or affection. Using this positive reinforcement technique you will never need to use more controversial and inhumane training methods.

If you are having problems with your Dachshund, any trainer will tell you that you need to exercise them and then train some basic skills/behaviors. Clicker training can make the process much easier.