If you already own a dachshund, till now you might have come to know about their aggressiveness and if you are planning to get one, you should be well aware of this trait beforehand!
Yes, Dachshunds are one amongst the most aggressive breeds and they cannot help it but own it to their genes as they were bred hunters and relied on killing their prey for survival.
Their social interaction skills are not that grey even with other breeds. But aside from this fact, there are several other factors that can contribute to their aggressive behaviour such as fear, anxiety, bad parenting, loneliness, etc.
So, if you are wondering why your Dachshund puppy is being so aggressive, you have just landed on the right page because here I have a list of all the reasons behind it and also will tell you how to tackle this very aggressiveness and make your Dachshund pup a friendly one!
So, without wasting any more time, let’s start…
Reasons why your Dachshund puppy is so aggressive
1. History of Dachshunds
As is already mentioned, Dachshunds were bred for hunting and chasing badgers. Therefore, it is their inherent characteristics to be dominant, act instinctively and be aggressive towards their prey.
2. Feeling threatened
The feeling of fear pops from being threatened by certain situations like being outside their territory, when confronted by a superior breed, loss of possession, etc.
In these situations, your Dachshund pup might either directly attack the threatening element or it might start barking excessively.
3. Nature of protection
Yes, Dachshunds are very protective in nature, be it their owner or their property. So, if it feels that an intruder has come to snatch or harm it’s property, it becomes aggressive in order to protect them.
This somehow can be traced back to their history of killing their prey and protecting its possession for itself.
4. Establishing their superiority or hierarchy over other breeds
Dachshunds do not like to be looked down upon by other breeds, so if it sees a larger and more muscular breed than itself, it tries to show its hierarchical superiority by displaying aggressiveness and if it’s a small breed, Dachshunds return back to their predatory nature.
5. Stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety leading from separation from its mother or previous owner, or you leaving it alone at home for work can make your Dachshund pup very aggressive.
Other causes of stress and anxiety might be a particular situation like guests coming to the house or interacting with other dogs or any health problem.
6. Boredom and loneliness
Boredom and loneliness can spring from being left in the house all alone, not spending enough time with him, not involving yourself in the activities he likes, etc.
7. Lack of proper training
Just as a child, all the good qualities should be imbibed in the early stages of life in your Dachshund.
So, if you have missed out in proper care and training of your pup, it might be the root cause of him being aggressive now because he does not know what is bad and what is good.
Also, if you just simply always scold or hit him for his negative traits, he will tend to do it more often.
See also: Why are Dachshunds so Emotional?
What are the aggressive behaviours of a dachshund?/how does a dachshund pup show aggression?
Till now we have talked about how aggressive Dachshunds are! But do really know what aggression actually looks like or how will you understand if your Dachshund is actually aggressive or not!
Well, here’s a list of the aggressive behaviours exhibited by a dachshund:
• Excessive lunging
• Barking while exposing all their teeth out
• Growling
• Scratching with their nails
• Biting or attempting to bite
• Making direct eye contact with the stressor
• Running towards the stressor and jumping on it
How to manage aggressiveness in a dachshund pup?
As the proverb goes: “Nip the vice in the bud”, so should you try to correct any of the above mentioned aggressive behaviours in your Dachshund puppy as soon as you notice them.
Here’s how to do it the right ways:
1.) Try to learn the cause behind the aggressiveness of your Dachshund pup:
Even before you start to correct the wrong behaviour in your Dachshund, you need to be well aware of what’s actually causing it.
Try to figure out whether the cause behind its aggression is fear, or genetics, reaction towards a particular situation or a dog or a person, whether it is his protective nature or it’s just his boredom or loneliness or stress.
2.) Try to minimize fear:
Learn what is the fear element of your Dachshund pup and try to avoid that particular situation or the stressor coming in front of it.
3.) Try correcting aggressiveness through positive reinforcement training:
In the puppy stage, your Dachshund can easily be controlled with small rewards like his favourite food or his favourite toy.
So, the next time your pup exhibits aggressiveness, scold him and once he listens to your command, reward him with his favourite thing.
4.) Do not react to the situation:
Another way to correct aggressiveness in your Dachshund pup is to avoid any connection with him once he starts showing his aggressive nature.
Do not look at him or do not talk to him for a few hours just to let him understand that you are not happy or upset with his behaviour and your pup will be less likely to repeat it the next time.
5.) Avoid over-socialisation:
Some breeds are not meant for socializing and you have to admit your Dachshund is one among them.
Dachshunds generally do not like crowds and they will react aggressively if they feel vulnerable in the crowd. So, avoid taking them in parks while being unleashed.
6.) Keep them active:
If you give proper time to your Dachshund and make him exercise regularly to the required amount and time, it will have exhausted itself with the activities you are making it to do and will be less likely to have any energy in store to show aggressiveness.
7.) Do not play rough with your Dachshund pup:
Rough games involve tug of war, jumping hurdles, fetching its toy, forced running, etc. These activities will only trigger its aggressive nature. Instead try to play puzzle games with him, make him learn commands by giving rewards, watch tv with him on the couch, etc.
8.) Show kindness towards him and teach him the act:
Be kind towards him more than necessary and it will act back the same way.
Talk to him softly, pat his back and head the moment he comes to you, take him to your lap, do not do the activity he does not like and gradually your Dachshund pup will become calm and composed.
9.) Take your Dachshund to the vet if the aggressive behaviour is beyond your control:
Just as we need psychologists to calm down our fear, anxiety and doctors to treat our health, likewise your Dachshund might be suffering from one of these and need immediate attention.
10.) Do not shout back at him or use physical means to stop aggression in dachshund pups:
If you fear his aggressive behaviour or shout back at him or rebuke or hit him for his behaviour, he will tend to do it more often with anger. So, try to avoid any such methods to control your Dachshund pup.
Wrapping it all up!
Just like not all human beings are the same, similarly not all Dachshunds will exhibit aggression!
And even if your Dachshund shows aggressive behaviours in the initial years, hope you know now how to correct them!
Remember there’s nothing in this world that can’t be cured with love, attention and care!
With that I would take your leave from this post with a hope to see you soon in the next!
