Do Dachshunds bark a lot? The answer is yes, it’s typical Dachshund behavior to bark often and loudly for several various reasons. After all, they are in the hound group and were bred to be hunters. Being able to bark long and loud means the Dachshund is a valuable asset for hunters to have around.
Sometimes the size of the dog doesn’t equate with the strength of his vocal cords. For example, Dachshunds are small dogs, but their bark sounds like it’s from a much larger dog. So when a Dachshund really gets into it, your neighbors are probably going to complain, especially if the racket is going on in the middle of the night.
Why Dachshunds Bark?
Everyone is aware that dog barking is a way for dogs to communicate with the world around them, and dogs bark for a massive variety of reasons. Dachshunds bark because they are talking to other dogs, guarding their territory; a Dachshund wants his owner’s attention for some reason; it’s also a way they express emotions.
Dachshunds also bark because they are experiencing emotional problems. For example, they are feeling stress or anxiety at being left home alone. They are afraid of their current situation or might just be plain old bored.
A Dachshund barking is him just being a dog, or he wants to tell you something. But if it starts to become excessive, and you’ll know when this happens, then nine times out of ten, there’s something he’s experiencing that’s causing him concern.
If you leave him alone in the house and it’s every day, which might be the root cause of the barking anyway, and you suspect your Dachshund is going for it hours on end, then you could ask your neighbors (if they haven’t already given you their thoughts on the subject).
Another way to discover what’s going on with your Dachshund when you’re not at home is to buy a doggy camera where you set it up in a location that will pick up his activities. You can download apps with some of them to watch him at home on a live stream, even interact if you want to test if that calms your Dachshund down should he seem anxious.
Dachshunds The Hunting Dog
Let’s not forget that all hunting dog breeds have high energy levels. This energy level is something that many Dachshund owners do not always recognize; they don’t see beyond the size of the dog and believe a ten-minute walk around the neighborhood is sufficient exercise.
If a Dachshund never gets the opportunity to exercise his lungs and heart and tire himself out, he will rapidly become bored and listless. Barking could be a way of expressing his unhappiness. He cannot tell you to get his leash out and take him for some exercise. On top of that, a Dachshund is a happy, joyful little dog and likes to play around a lot. If he’s not getting any opportunity to play games, that’s another viable reason for him being fed up.
Going back to what we spoke about earlier, leaving a Dachshund home alone for hours is another reason for him to become bored, and his barking is a release from his boredom. As we said, Dachshunds are hunting dogs; they were bred for this; it’s in his genetics. He can no more shed his personality than you or I. Just because we have domesticated them doesn’t mean they aren’t, at heart, still that hunting dog. Which means he has an in-built prey drive.
If a Dachshund has access to a large window in his home, have you ever watched him? I’m sure you have. He’s alert and looking for any sign of movement, big or small; your Dachshund is on the lookout for prey. It might be squirrels (a Dachshund favorite), birds, cats, other dogs, and any trespassing humans.
Because Dachshunds are territorial dogs, always looking for anyone or anything that dares to transgress into his realm. Any of these perceived trespasses will result in the Dachshund bark. He’s letting all and sundry know this is his kingdom, and don’t you dare to step into it. He’s guarding, protecting, taking care of what’s his; he does all this by barking his warnings to anything in earshot.
Dachshund Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a big reason for Dachshunds barking, even Dachshunds that rarely bark will bark for attention when suffering from separation anxiety. And yes, Dachshunds do get separation anxiety. At heart, they love to be part of a pack. They adore their human family, and they want to do whatever you’re doing and go wherever you’re going. The Dachshund certainly doesn’t want to be left behind.
Have you ever noticed how without you saying anything, your Dachshund suddenly starts acting strange? He follows you. He might be licking his lips; he senses you’re going somewhere. Your Dachshund is in your face, telling you, “I want to go, don’t leave me behind.” He might even give off little whining sounds. All of this is the anxiety set in.
What do you think he’s going to do after you have left and he’s not with you? Of course, he’s going to bark and bark. Your Dachshund is terribly upset.
What Triggers Your Dachshund’s Barking?
In this article, we have spoken about several reasons why your Dachshund could be excessively barking. To try and curb this behavior, what you must now do is identify what triggers your Dachshund to bark. Does any of our explanations match your Dachshund’s barking? That’s the trigger for your Dachshund.
Retrain Your Dachshund’s Behavior
Once you understand the trigger for your Dachshund’s barking, it’s time to re-wire his brain, so he doesn’t bark when the trigger occurs. This training is a type of behavior modification. All Dachshunds love treats; they enjoy their food. So the best way to proceed is reward-based training. What we’re aiming for is to teach your Dachshund that good behavior is rewarded with a treat, whereas bad behavior is not.
Shall we assume that separation anxiety is your Dachshund’s trigger? You know he’s going to bark long and loud after you leave because you can hear him down the road. So try this. Get ready as usual and ignore his jumping around or whatever behavior occurs when he’s trying to get your attention. Pick one of his treats that he enjoys. I like to suggest a treat that can last a reasonable amount of time. If he enjoys a dental chew, for example, use one of those.
Once you’re ready to leave, take the treat and put it somewhere he can’t just wolf it down in seconds because you won’t have got more than twenty yards before he starts barking. I wrap a dental chew in one of my dog’s blankets, not in a way he can’t retrieve it, but sufficiently covered, so he needs to work at it. I let him see me do this. I place the blanket with the treat in his bed. I make him sit and stay by his bed until I’m just about to go out of the door, then I tell him to get his treat.
I have done this ever since we saw he was having separation problems and barking like crazy after leaving the house. Now, each time we go, he’s far more concerned about the treat than about us leaving, and we never hear him barking anymore. We do find his blanket strewn all over the floor, though.
One other trigger might be excessive barking when someone approaches your gate, even just walking by. Once again, using treats is by far the best way to impress on your Dachshund what you need him to do, or in this case, not do and stop barking. Your dog needs exposing to the trigger. You’re going to recruit someone to help you because you can’t wait for random strangers to appear; it will take far too long.
So ask your friend to approach the gate beginning some distance away, but close enough for the trigger to animate your Dachshund. Have your friend walk to the gate. If your friend gets to the gate without your Dachshund barking, reward your dog with a treat. If he barks, start the procedure again. This exercise takes time and patience, especially from your friend, who probably isn’t entirely as motivated as yourself. But with time, it works.
Retraining your Dachshund takes time, and I have to say a massive amount of patience. What I would caution against is getting angry and frustrated. That mood will only make matters worse and possibly even scare your dog. He doesn’t realize what you’re attempting, so don’t anticipate his total obedience to this training.
I never advocate anti-barking collars or any aversive training; it’s cruel and, in my opinion, ineffective anyway. A dog can be the most loving creature on the planet, but if you’re brutal or aggressive towards them, they can turn aggressive themselves because they believe they are defending themselves.
Conclusion
This article has answered the question do Dachshunds bark a lot. We have also explained what can trigger a Dachshund’s barking; and examples of how you can retrain your Dachshund to stop an excessive barking behavioral problem.
