Sometimes I get a taste of adventure and it’s pretty much all I need to send me into a full blown meltdown when mom won’t let me off the leash to investigate further.
In this case that “taste” consisted of me physically biting a wild animal in the woods. What can I say, I like to live life on the edge! Adventure Awaits my friends!
Does your dog take hunting as seriously as I do? 
Sometimes after a successful day of “stink” hunting on the farm I can’t help but feel super proud of myself for the most recent rich potent smell I found. I mean it’s a real art to find the best spot to roll in.
After inevitably tracking me down with my GPS tracker (thanks for ratting me out Trax!*), mom never quite appreciates my most recent stink-capades. It’s only a matter of minutes before she utters those words…..B..A..T..H.
*affiliate link
Stink eye commence, why is my fun always ruined?
Sigh, don’t worry, I’ll always live to stink another day!
Is your dog a master of the stinky smells just like me?
Some dogs are born with it, some dogs aren’t. And I can’t help that I was cursed blessed with this amazing nose that can lead me to a groundhog hole deep in the woods, through thickets and brush, where no one else knows it exists.
My poor pal Trooper doesn’t have this gift, sometimes I’m surprised he even knows which way is up. (love ya Troop!)
Without me the world would be full of unknown groundhog holes, unattended, and unwatched.
And for some reason, I don’t think my special skills are very appreciated around here!
Sigh. It’s an uphill battle for me every single day. The struggle is real my friends. #DachshundLifeStruggle
Does your dog like to follow their instinct?
If you’re owned by a dachshund then you know exactly what the term “selective listening” is. And incase you’re unfamiliar, here’s a fun video of my selective listening skills in action…
What can I say, if you want me to do something it better be worth my while!
Does your dog have selective listening skills too?
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Chewy.com, but all opinions are entirely my own.
Now if you own a Dachshund are owned by a Dachshund then this might sound familiar to you. Picture this, you open your front door and your dog darts out after some scent or sound (or perhaps just the thought of all of the above) and no matter how many times you call them they won’t come. Frustrating right? Imagine how us Dachshunds feel with all that nagging!
So it seems the alternative to always worrying that your dog won’t come when called is to keep them safe and secure on a leash at all times. It’s not a bad option, but what happens if you drop the leash, it breaks, or your dog accidentally gets out of the house?
In my mom’s case, she was tired of having to always leash me just to walk out our front door and get into the car to go to work everyday.
So instead with a little help from some yummy treats, like these Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats from Chewy.com, mom has trained me to load into the car by myself. Or I guess depending on who you ask, I’ve trained my mom to give me a treat every single day for simply walking to the car (no one ever said dachshunds weren’t smart).
The key to the training method my mom has used with me is high value treats. High value just means it’s a treat that your dog LOVES. It has to be something your dog is willing to work for. These Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats work great because they are nice and soft and meaty yet healthy enough that mom doesn’t feel guilty about giving me one everyday.
So in the beginning of my training mom kept me on the leash and put a treat in her hand. She’d lure me to the car every day with the goods and once she lifted me into the car I would get my reward. We did this EVERY SINGLE DAY for several weeks.
When I began to look forward to getting my treat in the car every morning (and seemed less interested in exploring the yard) mom removed my leash and continued to lure me to the car.
Another few weeks passed and mom stopped walking right next to me and instead went ahead of me to the car and cued me to come load up (and get my treat).
A few more weeks later mom stopped carrying the treats in her hand and instead left my Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats in the car (the handy resealable bag is great for on-the-go-training). She also started allowing me out of the house in front of her.
And before she knew it I was running to the car (off leash) each morning and waiting to be lifted into my booster seat.
Now it’s not to say along the training route I didn’t occasionally try to wander off. But when I did mom was quick to retrieve me and return me to the car (without a treat reward for wandering). It didn’t take me long to realize that if I just went directly to the car I’d get a treat every single time.
The key here is routine, consistency, and very very yummy treats.
So if you’d like to give this training method a try, or if you simply want a great high-value treat to reward your dog with, I highly recommend the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats from Chewy.com.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats:
How trustworthy is your dog off leash?
Disclaimer: My mom is not a professional trainer and these are just methods that have worked for me. They may not be suitable for all dogs and always exercise caution when allowing your dog off-leash especially near busy roads or dangerous areas. Happy Training!