How to become the pack leader of 2 dachshunds.?

Question

I have 2 dachshunds. 1 male (Oscar) and 1 female (Emmy). I am having a problem as to showing them that I am the "Pack Leader?" Emmy isn't as bad as Oscar. Oscar has selective hearing and I believe he thinks he's the boss because he's the boy. He listen's to me to a certain extent but not really... What should I do? What do I need to teach them that I'm the pack leader

Answer 1

I also have a male and female doxy. (Belle & Beau) so I understand what you are up against. I have been successful in a couple of ways.

I make a point to get on their level to play, I mean either down on my hands and knees or flat on the floor. I will play with them using the top of my head and my hands. I will always start by firmly, but not harshly, holding the back of their necks and get them to role over and submit. This usually only takes a few minutes, then we just rough house. If they get aggressive, I will role them over again, until they submit. They love the play, and almost always submit with out much fuss. This activity keeps me in the leader role. I have always played with my dogs like this and think it is the #1 activity to keep myself as leader of the pack. I also taught my kids to play the same way, at least when they first start playing. Throwing the ball and other activities always come after this first few minutes of play.

I also make it a point to never give them their treats unless they are sitting. (For a doxy, that is not as easy as it sounds, but the effort works for me.) I have also found that Cesar's trick of firmly pushing with two fingers on the side of their neck works well to get them to forget what they were being obstinent about and follow what I am asking them to do.

These general activities seem to work well. When they want in my lap, they almost always sit and ask before jumping up. They are also crate trained and all I need to do any more is command "PLACE!" and they are in in an instant, wagging their tails. When I first showed a trainer that I had my doxy trained to roll over, sit and shake hands, she told me in 12 years of teaching dog training, she had never seen doxies respond so willingly and perfectly, so I guess my methods work.

The area I have the hardest time is our walk. No matter what I try, they want to be sniffing the mail boxes and light posts. I have found that by shortening the leash, I can keep them walking easier, but it is always a challenge.

Answer 2

The issue is that dogs are poor generalizers - it's not that the dog is "sneaky, greedy" etc, but that they have no intrinsic sense of morality or "rightness" and so only think something is "bad" if it has bad consequences. If it has never had bad consequences except with a human in the room, then how on earth are they to know that the rules still apply with the human out of the room? You need to train in such a way that corrections and rewards occur when the dog does not think you are present - i.e. hiding around the corner. Read here https://tr.im/7q5sH

I personally owned a Labrador Retriever (read: chow hound) that could be left 6" from a hot dog in a sit-stay for half an hour and not touch it - the word was "mine" and it meant that you don't touch that, even if I am not in the room, even if whatever, you DO NOT touch that. You could leave a plate of food on the floor for hours and not only would she not touch it, she would also keep the other animals (dogs and cats) from touching it.

In all probability, these dogs studied were just not properly trained/proofed before the experiment. With "proofing" to set them up and catch them in the act to give

Answer 3

I'll tell you straight out, my family hates cesar, no offense to those who love him, but we don't agree with how aggressively he trains the dogs (by which I don't mean angrily, I mean he is a bit too intense, even with dogs that are only timid or nervous) I do LOVE the NILF method. My family owns 2 dachshunds and a dachs-chi mix and they are all bossy, I think it is the breed, they are very headstrong and VERY smart (they had to figure out on their own how to safely get the badger within shooting range of the master, after all, inteliigence was a life saver for them)

Answer 4

Doxies by nature are stubborn...and at the same time can be kind of stupid when it comes to listening. Firm assertive training will work best. But be consistent b/c like I said, they are stubborn. We have a Doxi mix...he is 100% doxi-tude. What kind of problems are you having? That would be really helpful in pinpointing ways to help.

Answer 5

use NILIF (nothing in life is free). it is a non-confrontational way to establish leadership. it is fair and the dogs understand it completely. see links for more on what it is and how to do it.

Answer 6

its too hard to explain but i can tell u it is all explained in ceaser millans book, ceaser's way, if u know the dog whisperer u know what im talking about, if u dont, then it can still help

Answer 7

yes

Answer 8

obedience trainer

Answer 9

show lotsa dominence and scare him if bad.