A Calm, Consistent Plan for Dachshunds
Toilet training isn’t a battle of wills; it’s a management system. Dachshunds are clever, scent-driven, and routine-loving—perfect candidates for fast success when the environment is set up right. This guide gives you a repeatable plan that works in apartments or houses, for single pups or multi-dog homes, and in all Aussie seasons.
The Core Formula
Toilet training = Prevention + Timing + Reward + Supervision.
- Prevent mistakes with smart confinement (crate/pen) when you can’t watch.
- Time opportunities to match biology: after sleep, eating, drinking, playing, and roughly every 30–60 minutes when awake for puppies (extend gradually for adults).
- Reward instantly (within 2 seconds) at the exact toilet spot.
- Supervise like a hawk when free—if you can’t watch, back to the pen.
Setup: Zones and Tools
- Primary toilet spot: Outside on grass or a specific substrate. Use the same area to build a strong scent association. Apartment life? Use a real-grass tray or high-quality toilet pad near a balcony door, then transition outside later.
- Confinement: A playpen with bed, water, and a small chew, or a crate for short naps and overnights. The pen allows “life near you” without roaming.
- Leash station: Keep a leash by the exit. Carry your doxie if needed to avoid mid-hall accidents.
- Rewards: Tiny, super-tasty treats only for toilets at the correct spot (to keep their power high).
- Cleaning: Enzymatic cleaner (non-ammonia) to break down odour—if it smells like a toilet to your dog, it is one.
The Daily Schedule (Puppy & New Adopters)
Think in cycles: wake → toilet → activity (5–20 min) → toilet → confinement/nap (1–3 hr).
Key timings:
- Immediately after waking (including naps)
- Within 5–10 minutes of eating or drinking
- After play/training sessions
- Before confinement and before bed
- Once or twice overnight for young puppies
Start with every 30–45 minutes when awake for 8–12 week pups. For adult rescues, begin conservative (60–90 minutes) and extend as success builds.
The Outside Routine (Script It)
- Clip the harness and walk to the same spot.
- Stand still; say your cue once (“Toilet”).
- Quiet patience for up to 3 minutes (no play).
- If they go: mark (“Yes!”) the instant they finish, feed 2–3 small treats, praise, then a bonus 1–2 minutes of sniffing as a life reward.
- If no result in 3 minutes: back inside to crate/pen for 10–15 minutes, then try again.
Consistency builds understanding faster than cheerleading.
Accident Management (No Drama)
You’ll have some—everyone does.
- Catch in the act? Calm “Ah-ah,” then scoop and sprint to the toilet spot. Reward if they finish outside.
- Found a puddle later? Your moment has passed. Clean with enzymatic cleaner, no scolding—punishment only teaches secrecy.
- Track patterns: Note times/contexts. If accidents always happen at 5:30 pm, pre-empt at 5:15 pm.
Crate & Pen: Why They Accelerate Training
Dogs naturally avoid soiling where they sleep—used correctly, crates shrink the error zone. For naps/overnight:
- Size: large enough to stand, turn, lie comfortably, not big enough to create a toilet corner.
- Comfort: Non-slip bed, safe chew.
- Routine: Toilet → crate; on wake, straight outside.
- Duration rules of thumb (puppies): Age in months ≈ hours they can hold at rest, up to ~4–5 hours (nights extend sooner). Daytime awake windows are shorter.
If your dog soils the crate: rule out too long, too big, too anxious, or UTIs/parasites.
Night Training
- Early bedtime toilet, quiet return to bed.
- Set a middle-of-the-night alarm initially (e.g., 1:30–2:30 am for young pups), then push later every 2–3 nights as success holds.
- Lights low, no play—this is a business trip, not a party.
Signs Your Dog Needs to Go
- Circling, sniffing intensely, wandering to the door or typical corners
- Sudden restlessness during play
-
Leaving the room you’re in (stealth toileters seek privacy)
When you see it, interrupt gently and escort outside.
The Reward Economy
Use tiny, top-tier treats (pea-sized). A jackpot (2–3 pieces) builds a powerful “outside = treasure” association. Gradually fade to praise after a few solid weeks, but keep surprise bonuses to maintain behaviour.
Common mistake: rewarding at the door afterward. Reward at the toilet spot within 2 seconds of finishing.
Troubleshooting by Scenario
1) “Holds it outside, toilets inside.”
Outside is too exciting or you’re walking too much. Go to the same quiet spot, stand still, and limit to 3-minute attempts. Reward on location, not back inside.
2) “Peeing when excited or greeting.”
This is often submissive/excitement urination. Keep greetings low-key, crouch sideways, reward calm after a successful outside toilet, and build confidence with brief training games. Don’t punish—this worsens it.
3) “Great during day, accidents at night.”
Move dinner earlier, restrict water 1–2 hours before bed (not for hot days/medical needs), add a late-evening toilet, and consider a smaller bedtime meal. Young pups may still need one night trip.
4) “Marks inside (adults).”
Neutering may help if hormone-driven, but management matters: restrict freedom, clean all prior spots enzymatically, and reward outdoor marking on cue to redirect the habit.
5) “Goes on rugs only.”
Rugs mimic grass. Remove or roll up rugs during training; later reintroduce one at a time after two clean weeks.
6) “Regression after a move/holiday.”
Return to day-one rules for 5–7 days: short leashes indoors, pen when you can’t supervise, frequent scheduled trips, high-value rewards. Most dogs snap back fast.
7) “Tiny frequent pees, straining, or accidents despite progress.”
Call your vet—rule out UTI, crystals, bladder irritation, diabetes, or GI distress causing urgency.
Multi-Dog Households
- Take new dogs out alone at first so you can confirm who’s gone and reward the right dog.
- Dogs copy dogs: once the newbie succeeds outside consistently, group trips can help.
- Prevent competitive marking indoors with leash-on-supervision and scent-neutral cleaning.
Apartment & Weather Tips (AU-Friendly)
- Storms/heat: Schedule early/late; use covered areas or a balcony grass tray as a backup, then reward double for outdoor success later.
- Lift/elevator delay: Pick up and carry or keep them on your arm in a harness to prevent lobby accidents.
- Beach days: Offer a toilet break on entering and leaving; rinse salt/sand and watch for drinking seawater (can trigger urgent stools).
Sample 7-Day Plan (Puppy, 10–12 Weeks)
Daily backbone: Out on wake; every 45–60 min when awake; after meals, play, naps; before crate; before bed. One night trip.
- Mon–Tue: Pen + crate introduced. All toilets on leash to the same grass patch; jackpot rewards.
- Wed–Thu: Extend awake window to 60–75 min if clean streak holds. Add a doorbell cue (hang bells; ring, then out).
- Fri–Sat: Gradually add one supervised free hour after a success; if clean, expand tomorrow.
- Sun: Review log; identify peak accident times and pre-empt by 10–15 minutes.
By week two, many pups can manage 90-minute awake windows with clean streaks. Adults rehomed often progress faster with this exact structure.
Red Flags (Vet or Trainer Time)
- Persistent accidents with no improvement after two structured weeks
- Straining, blood, strong odour, excessive thirst/urination
- Severe anxiety in crate/pen (seek force-free trainer to build calm confinement)
- Sudden regression in a previously trained adult (medical first)
The Finish Line and Maintenance
You’re “toilet trained” when your dachshund has no accidents for 3–4 consecutive weeks, asks to go out, and holds reliably at night. Keep a light version of the routine: morning, post-meal, pre-bed toilets; occasional surprise rewards to keep motivation high; and prompt cleaning if slips occur.
Toilet training isn’t luck—it’s logistics. Make the right thing easy and rewarding, the wrong thing impossible, and success becomes the only story your dachshund knows.
