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I'm looking into getting a dachshund here in the next few months. What advice do you have for a first time doxie owner (but not first time dog owner?)

I do have cats and a border collie/brittany mix as well.

Thanks for any advice!

I am a new owner, too. Before I started looking for a dog, I got the book "Dachshunds for Dummies," read another book on them (can't remember the title), read about them on the different Duchshund rescue organizations' websites, talked to several breeders, and found some Dachshund forums to read through. I think I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this breed before I found Abbey. Pretty much everything I read in the books has happened to us.

For me, it was important that I found a Dachshund that was not known to be a crazy-barking type and was a little larger than the mini's. I think if you read all you can about the nature of the breed, and really understand what these dogs were bred to do and what their natural responses and urges are, and are willing to be very patient and diligent with the training, you will be okay.

I am definitely no expert, though. And it's been almost 3 weeks since we got Abbey, and we are still having plenty of training issues. But part of that is that she is 8 months old, used to be an outside dog, and she still manages to escape my presence for a few seconds and relieves herself in the house. And I do literally mean seconds....

Good luck. I hope I was able to help some. There are others here that have lots more experience that will surely help you out, as well.

>>I'm looking into getting a dachshund here in the next few months. What advice do you have for a first time doxie owner (but not first time dog owner?)
>>
>>I do have cats and a border collie/brittany mix as well.
>>
>>Thanks for any advice!

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Main advice I would give is to make sure the new dog is opposite sex from the dog you already have. Also, realize that two dogs make "pack up" in going after the cats, and necessitate keeping your dogs and cats apart when you can't supervise them. And a Dachshund has a different mindset from a herding or sporting breed, but an equally great need for training. Dachshunds were bred to work independently at the task of going into a hole and fighting a fierce badger. Dachshunds have been said to have "alligator jaws." Your Dachshund may want to do things that you can't safely let the Dachshund do because of the innate weakness of the spine.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com