Life Of A Rescued Dachshund

It’s approaching two years since Darcy came to stay with us. Sometimes I feel like my training fell upon deaf ears, which anyone with a dachshund will experience on a day-to-day basis. Ask them to stop barking at next doors cat for the umpteenth time and they happily ignore you, but one creak of the biscuit tin lid and they will hear it from a mile away.

We had long-haired standard dachshunds in the past which we trained from nine weeks old. The house would always be filled with (other people’s) children and I never had a moments worry about the temperaments of these two, they came on holiday with us and generally slotted into a busy household.

So, you would think that the addition of a mature short-haired miniature rescue dachshund wouldn’t be too different?

How wrong could I be?

They were not just like a completely different breed but a totally different species

Here is a brief description of the behaviour characteristics of the mini dachsie

“This breed is intelligent but not particularly easy to train since it has a curious nature and a mind of its own. It can be very difficult to overcome the hunting instinct and train the dog to come when called. Early socialisation is required in order for it to learn to get along with cats and other dogs. Socialisation will also help it overcome its natural wariness with strangers.”

Ok, that’s not too bad

Now throw into the mix:-

A dog who has been unsocialised and kept in a kennel environment and used as a stud dog.

A dog with no sign of recall, he didn’t even have a name.

A dog who was unwanted, neglected and abandoned by all four of his previous owners.

So actually Darcy has adapted well considering his genetics and unfortunately bad start in life. His separation anxiety is improving, he is house trained (as long as it isn’t raining) and there is now a moment’s hesitation before he sinks his teeth into you.

Unfortunately, he still guards his toys with his life, gets easily anxious with unfamiliar people and can be extremely stubborn.

I hope the next two years can bring further training advancement and enjoyment to Darcy’s life, he has certainly enriched ours and he makes me smile every day. He will never be perfect but he is to us and that is all that matters.

Additional Reading

This is a poem I wrote about Darcy.

A Poem For A Rescue Dog