# Maybe! Maybe getting a doxie



## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

I've decided I want to get a mini Dachshund puppy (well, I've wanted one for years, but I've decided I have the money to, now) - the trouble I have is timing! (as usual)

There never seems to be a "perfect" time to get a pet, but it always works out wonderfully when I do. I just don't want to mess up when it comes to a dog.

I currently have my two adorable hedgies and three cats. Possibly the most annoyance I have with them are vet bills, poop and everyone feline waking me up at 2 am because they want their necks scratched or want to sleep on my face. I have more cuddles than I can ask for from these guys.

(I had to sell my chameleon because he was just taking up too much of the wrong kind of space with his cage and accessories.)

My roommate does have her hound dog, the super sweet, super smart (meaning she doesn't like to listen haha) 5 month old named Maisy. I love her to death but she isn't mine so it's not quite the same. Maisy is also a large dog breed mix, so it kinda makes me nervous about putting her next to a mini doxie.

Any thoughts from doxie owners?

Maisy does require a lot of attention from both me and my roommate, but mostly just standard training items like exercise and ignoring her when she jumps up. She is fully potty trained now, thank goodness.

Financially I should have no problem with having a dog in addition to what I already have. Time-wise, not 100% sure. I'm going to be working full-time starting next week in addition to _maybe_ taking one (final!!!!) college course so I can graduate in December.

The only way it could work (cause of puppy training) is if they don't have room for me to enroll in the class. I'd have to wait an extra semester to take it. My work office is down the road so stopping by in the middle of the day is no problem. And between my roommate and me there is almost always someone home and awake.

But here's the photo of the puppy I hope I'll have time for... He's a chocolate and tan boy that will be ready to go home in 5 weeks. So, I have a month to think about it! (unless someone else gets him, in which case the decision will have been made for me)


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## MochiAndMe (Jul 13, 2013)

I don't own a Dachshund, but I love dogs and read/look up a lot about them, so I'll still answer.

You shouldn't be worried about the small Dachshund and large dog. Especially since Maisy's young.
How they get along depends on introducing them and how you act around them. If you think Maisy's being too rough, just move her away. 

If you are not sure you have enough time, I would wait until you do have time. Better you wait and end up being able to train an amazing dog then buy it now and end up having a dog that goes to the bathroom where he pleases and doesn't listen to you because you didn't have enough time to train it properly. 
However, you said someone's always home, so you and your roommate could train it, as long as you both train the same way. 

Here's the thing, though; Maisy's 5 months old and you both are still training her to be well behaved. Make you both have enough time and attention to go around. You can't neglect either or you'll have a poorly behaved dog. If it were me, I would wait until Maisy's older and fully trained. If she's older then it also means when the puppy comes she'd automatically be "alpha" since it's a puppy. 
I say this because you don't want them fighting.
I have two dogs, one's old (we regret getting a puppy when she was old, we wished we could get it when she was not 9 years old) and one's younger and very skittish. They've had a few small fights near dinner time and one time they had a huge fight. Our younger, nervous dog was in pain for some reason (we don't know what happened. They were playing outside and I let them in, older first since she's 'alpha' out of the two of them. Then our puppy ran around the house, yelping.) I let him inside to comfort him, and he immediately lunged for our older dog. My parents weren't home and my brothers heard them and came rushing down. They would not stop. Everyone was crying because blood was everywhere and they wouldn't stop, and I was slapping them with dishtowels (by the way, we only did this during the fight. I would never do this to punish them or reprimand my dogs) and my oldest brother was trying to pull them apart. Anyways, it lasted for several minutes until I remembered to pour water on their heads. They pulled apart, and we put the puppy in his crate, the older dog was bleeding badly. She was tilting her head and shaking it. We began to clean her off, as well as my brother (he got bit trying to separate them.) In the end, the younger dog had NO injuries whatsoever, and our old dog was bleeding badly. We drove her to the vet to get her cleaned up, and my brother went to the hospital for his arm. It was incredibly scary. 

Anyways, only get the dog if you are sure you have enough time to train it, if you can handle Maisy and the new puppy's training at the same time, and if you're able to train them to behave together. (make sure Maisy's the alpha; she came first. We're now working harder to make sure our younger dog know he's lower than the older.)

Hope that helped.


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

That does help, thanks! 

I think I am just going to wait for now. I'm nervous about Maisy's training the most because she just recently started being a general "good." I don't need regression right now


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## Stellara (Nov 12, 2011)

I own a miniature doxen. He was one of my orphan rescues and came to me emaciated at 2 weeks old with two other siblings. They were for some awful reason torn away from their mother as newborns and stayed in this awful home until I got them. The girl gave them to me because they were all dying anyway..I drove to get them over two hours away at 1 in the morning. 
They all had parvo and I had to have the two euthanized because they were not going to make it. The vets wanted to euthanize Charlie but I told them I wanted to give him one more night and he miraculously improved. I had to tube and syringe feed the poor thing for weeks. They all called him the "Miracle puppy." We ended up keeping him.
The big thing with them is they are very stubborn and need a really firm hand and patient person. They get VERY determined and need to be kept busy. Charlie was a slow learner because of his start I believe, but all of the doxen owners I know agree that they are both stubborn and determined  They are also very snuggly- Charlie does not sleep anywhere that is not on a human lap. They are also famous burrowers so some require extra training to not dig at couches, chairs etc. The biggest thing is walking them from a young age so they get used to it and providing entertaining toys to keep them busy.
As far as other animals, I just got Charlie used to tiny orphans and my kitties from a young age. My hedgehogs always have their own room but he knows that if I am sitting on the couch with something small in my hands snuggling that he needs to stay at least one foot away and stay calm. I've owned many dogs but he is very different than the ones I have owned in the past since I've always had herding dogs. My other dog learned SO quickly and is SO darn smart, but Charlie has also done a lot of learning and has done great with clicker training since he was slow with learning to obey commands.
Regarding the other dog in the home, I would not be worried unless she has shown any dog aggression issues. Just monitor well at first and if possible do a meet and greet if you are adopting from a rescue, etc. Doxens are not really delicate like chihuahuas. They remind me of mini bassets and although they have back sensitivities, etc because of their long backs they are muscular and play pretty rough. Charlie holds his own against our dog who is probably three times his size. That being said, my dog does get down on his level to play (he actually will squat down so that their heads are on the same level lol), but Charlie is very fast and very sturdy and can really hold his own even when we do play dates. 
I'm not an expert but I do know several people who have owned miniature dashunds for decades so if you have any particular questions I could ask them for you


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## Stellara (Nov 12, 2011)

I forgot to mention- keep in mind that miniature dashunds need to go out more often than, say your roommates dog as well. We had to let Charlie out every 2 hours when he was a puppy or else he would go in the house. Now at about a year old he is let out every 5 hours but he still will sometimes have an accident when he gets really excited.
My collie has NEVER had an accident in the house from when I got him as an 8 week old puppy...so just remember every breed and dog is different but small dogs have small bladders and will need to go our more frequently especially as puppies.

Forgot to add some puppy pictures


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## Stellara (Nov 12, 2011)

dachshund** It's NEVER good when you accidentally misspell the breed of dog you own :-X


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

Aw, thanks for sharing your experience! I love those puppy pictures!

I know hounds in general require patience with training, and it's good to hear some of the specifics (like the digging thing).

I can't wait until I have a backyard, it's a great thing to have for a dog!


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## MochiAndMe (Jul 13, 2013)

Oh my god. The pictures!
Also, when you get a Dachshund, make sure you teach them not to jump on people! People I know with small dogs never taught them not to jump on people, and while it's not knocking us over like it would with a big dog, their tiny claws hurt!


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## AlexONeil (Nov 14, 2012)

I have a dachshund, and let me tell you. They are clever little beasts. I would not recommend getting one unless you know for sure you have the time. As someone else mentioned, they have itty bitty bladders. My boy is 6, and he still has accidents in the kennel if I'm gone too long. He is incredibly dense when it comes to common sense, but he's a genius with problem solving. Doxies also tend to be on the anxiety-prone side, so unless you can socialize the puppy early, with many different people, they could end up having stranger issues.

If you do end up getting one, I'd suggest introducing the hedgies very carefully, with them being a hunting breed and all. Good luck!


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

thanks for the tips!!!

My roommate is cracking me up with her hound puppy. One of my cats got locked out of my room and pooped somewhere in the living room. Maisy hauled it out, probably ate some, and left the rest in the dining area next to some yarn (just two little turds and one small strand). My roommate found them, did some googling, and decided that Maisy had vomited up an intestinal impaction. She flushed the "vomit that looks like poop" before I could see it and it took me the longest time to convince her that her dog wasn't dying.

:lol:


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