Aggressive Dachshund Ruling The Roost
Dear John,
I rescued a Dachshund named Diesel about 3 years ago from an abusive lifestyle. He was about 7 lbs sopping wet, missing hair, full of fleas, with huge slits in his ears. Now he is about 10 lbs heavier, in great shape, hair grew back and his slits make him unique. He was great when I first got him until the horrible aggressive side showed. I noticed it mainly when I would leave for work, anytime I would close a door and leave him behind it the teeth come out and he would launch at me in attack mode and then now while I was gone he would pee all over everything but before that he would always pee on the wee wee pads I left there for him. I tried with a nice big cage for him but 2 problems occurred with that as in he would howl for hours annoying neighbors and it was a whole process to get him into the cage, he would hide and try n bite me before getting in there and sometime I couldn’t get him in at all.
I flew him from Hawaii to New York, he took a liking to my dad. I live upstairs in an apartment with my parents downstairs and he likes to visit down there, at first I would just open my door and do my special whistle for him and he would come right up, then he started not listening and staying down there under a table and when I would go down to get him he always barks at me and would come at me with teeth showing ready to attack, anytime myself or parents would leave he would come out n chase us even bit me in my butt once.
He has bit me maybe 4 times over the past 3 years of having him. I’d say he is about 5-6 years old, and I was thinking to get him neutered, I always wanted to breed him but it’s not in the cards right now and I would much prefer to have a happy less aggressive Diesel than maybe one day have his little offspring running around. Is it too late to get him fixed and if I do will it make a difference? I find when he’s in heat is when this aggression is at its worst.
As I mentioned earlier he took a huge liking to my dad whom he even just bit the other day in a serious attack, jumped up n bit him in the thigh pretty good. We have since then taken away his ability to go under that table or have any hiding places, he becomes very territorial over “his” things so all bones, toys, and beds have also been taken away. He was getting a little more timid until last night when my man and I walked into our bedroom to go to sleep he just came at us with teeth again ready to attack.
Spraying water at him used to make him totally submissive but even that doesn’t work anymore. When he’s good he’s great but this aggressiveness he shows is alarming, there are many children around him and he has always been good wth them but I don’t want it to come to that one horrific time he ends up being in one of his “moods” and one of my little buddies ends up getting hurt. I know I said a lot but I’m desperate because I love him and want to continue to provide him with a loving home so any advise will be oh so helpful!
Nicole (New York)
Hi Nicole,
I understood some of what you’re describing, but I’m not sure about where you refer to him as going into “heat”. Male dogs don’t go into heat (and people unaware of that shouldn’t even think of breeding). Also, you’re only supposed to breed sound dogs, not an aggressive Dachshund with a mystery background that behaves like Al Qaeda terrorists. Neuter the aggressive Dachshund. Might help with his behaviour a bit but not enough to solve all of your problems which are more about relationship confusion as opposed to hormonally motivated.
You seem to be using approaches with the mindset that you want to turn an aggressive Dachshund into a “timid” or submissive Dachshund. That’s not your goal. You don’t want a submissive dog; you want a subordinate one. You want a relationship based on mutual respect, not fear.
About some of his behaviour, he may not even be an aggressive Dachshund. He may be one really confused Dachshund that is lashing out in frustration. I doubt that’s entirely it as it does sound like he also has a skewed sense of who’s the teacher and who’s the student in his life and that will be your primary problem and is a bit of a bully. I’ve turned around many of these dogs, but it’s as much a mindset change in the dog owner as it is the dog and far too much to cover in a column.
As a result, I’m just going to suggest you purchase my e-book, The Beautiful Balance – Dog Training with Nature’s Template. It’s short, it’s cheap, and it will help you understand why he behaves this way and what to do about it. (There isn’t any silly stuff about water bottles and bribing him with treats to bother with as well.)
Regards,
John Wade
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