The first night with a new dachshund puppy is sweet, loud, and a bit chaotic. Tiny paws, big voice, and one clear question in your head. Where does this little dog sleep?
For me, the answer has always been a crate, taught slowly and kindly. Done well, it gives your puppy a safe den, helps with toilet training, and saves your skirting boards.
Done in a rush, it just teaches the puppy to shout. The plan below is the one I use, with the mistakes I learned to skip.
Why Dachshunds Take to a Crate
This breed was made to work in dark, tight burrows underground. A crate with a blanket over the top feels oddly familiar to them, more den than cage.
Most of mine chose the crate on their own once they linked it with food and quiet naps. That link is the whole job in week one. You build it in small, easy steps.
The crate also sits inside the bigger puppy picture. If you are starting from scratch, my dachshund puppy training tips cover the other early routines to run alongside it.
Picking the Right Size
Size trips up a lot of new owners. Too much room and a puppy will sleep at one end and use the other end as a toilet. Too little room and he cannot stretch or turn.
A standard dachshund usually fits a 30 inch crate. A miniature usually fits a 24 inch crate. Your dog should be able to stand, turn round, and lie flat on his side.
Buy for the adult size and use the divider while he is small. The AKC crate training guide for puppies gives the same advice. Give only enough room to sleep, then move the divider as he grows.
Wire, Plastic or Soft Sided
I start with wire. It lets air through, folds flat for storage, and most models include that divider. A blanket over the top makes it dark and den like.
Hard plastic travel crates feel cosy too, but they are harder to scrub and rarely have a divider. Soft sided crates look gentle and last about one afternoon with a chewing puppy, so save those for a calm adult.
Where to Put It
Put the crate where the family actually sits, a corner of the living room worked best for me. Dachshunds want to be near their people. A crate in a cold back room feels like being shut out.
Line it with something soft and washable. I picked ideas from our guide to best beds for dachshunds, low and flat so short legs step in without a climb.
Add one safe chew toy. Skip loose blankets with strings and skip anything small enough to swallow. A clip on water bowl helps at night, though most puppies do fine without one for short spells.
In a home with a cat, the crate helps there too. As I found while writing about dachshunds living with cats, a cat can watch the new puppy from a safe distance while he settles in his own space.
The First Week, Step by Step
This looks slow on paper. In real life, most puppies I have raised were sleeping well in the crate within 7 to 10 days, because we never had to undo a scare.
Days 1 and 2, Door Open
Feed every meal inside the crate with the door wide open. Drop a few good treats in through the day and let him wander in and out as he likes.
Do not shut the door yet, not even for a minute. If he falls asleep in there by choice, that one nap teaches more than an hour of coaxing.
Days 3 and 4, Door Shut Briefly
Once he trots in happily, shut the door while he eats. Open it as soon as he finishes. Then stretch it to five minutes, then ten, while you stay in the room.
Give him a stuffed food toy for these short spells. Sit nearby, read, let it feel boring.
Boring is good here. Boring means safe.
Days 5 to 7, Short Time Alone
Now step out of the room for a minute or two, then come back without a fuss. Build to 20 or 30 minutes over a few days. Keep arrivals and exits quiet.
If he panics, you went too fast. Shorten the next spell and add food again. The crate should always predict good things, never a telling off, and that rule protects all the work.
The First Nights
For the first week or two, I put the crate right by my bed. He has just left his mother and littermates. Hearing you breathe nearby makes a strange house feel less lonely.
Expect one or two toilet trips a night at first. Keep them dull. Out, toilet, praise in a low voice, back to bed, no game in the garden at 3 in the morning.
Once he sleeps through most nights, move the crate a few feet at a time toward its final spot. A sudden move across the house can restart the crying.
Using It for Potty Training
Dogs try hard not to soil where they sleep. A snug crate turns that habit into help, which is why the divider matters so much for a small puppy.
My routine never changes. Crate, straight outside, wait, praise and a treat the second he goes. Then play or a walk, so outside does not end the moment he performs.
This breed has a stubborn streak here, and I will not dress it up. Reading why dachshunds are hard to potty train will save you some self blame in week two.
As a rough guide, a puppy can wait about one hour for each month of age. A puppy at 3 months needs a break near every 3 hours in the day. Night times stretch a bit longer.
How Long Is Too Long
A crate is a bedroom, not storage. Puppies under six months should not be left more than 3 to 4 hours at a stretch in the day.
Adults can manage a split day, say 4 hours, a good midday break out, then another spell if you must. The ASPCA guide to introducing your dog to a crate makes the same point. No dog should spend most of life in a box.
Never use the crate as punishment. Send a dog there in anger twice and he will dread the sight of it. Weeks of trust can thin out fast.
When It Goes Wrong
Whining and Barking
Some fussing in the first days is normal. Check the basics first. Does he need the toilet, is he hungry, is he overtired and wired?
Then wait for a gap in the noise, even a short one, and reward the quiet. Open the door mid shout and you have taught a neat lesson. Shouting opens doors.
Accidents in the Crate
Repeated accidents usually mean the space is too big or the wait was too long. Shrink the space, shorten the gap, and clean with an enzyme cleaner so the smell does not call him back.
If accidents carry on with the right size and timing, see your vet. A urine infection can make holding on painful, and no training plan fixes pain.
Chewing Bars and Escapes
Bar chewing often means boredom or too long inside. Add a frozen stuffed toy, shorten the spell, and give a proper walk or play session before crate time.
Bent wire, sore paws, or frantic escape tries are different. That can point to separation distress, which I cover in my dachshund separation anxiety tips. Scale back to day one steps and get professional help if it does not ease.
Adult and Rescue Dogs
Adults learn this just as well, sometimes faster, because their bladders give you more time. Use the same steps. Open door, meals inside, short shut spells, then longer ones.
A rescue may arrive with bad crate memories from an old home. Let the dog set the pace, not your calendar. Two steps forward and one back still gets you there.
There is one more plain reason to teach it. Dachshund backs can flare up, and vets often prescribe strict crate rest for recovery. A dog who already likes his crate copes with that rest far better than one meeting it in pain.
See the Routine in Action
This video walks through the early crate steps with a young dog. Watch the timing of the rewards and how short the first shut door spells are. That patience is the bit owners rush.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start?
Start on the day he comes home, often at 8 to 11 weeks old. Young puppies take new routines in fast. Older dogs learn too, with a bit more patience from you.
Should the crate be in my bedroom?
For the first week or two, yes, if you can. He settles faster near you, and you hear him when he needs a night toilet trip. Move it slowly once nights are calm.
Is crating cruel?
No, not when it is taught kindly and used for sane lengths of time. Most dachshunds treat it as their own quiet spot. It turns cruel only as punishment or endless confinement.
What size suits a miniature?
A 24 inch crate suits most miniatures. He should stand, turn, and stretch out fully inside. If you buy bigger for growth, use the divider to keep it snug for now.
How do I stop night crying?
Keep the crate by your bed, keep night trips calm and dull, and reward quiet moments instead of opening the door during crying. Most puppies settle within a week on a steady routine.
Week one feels long, I know. By month two, most owners barely think about it, because the dog trots in on his own at bedtime. Mine still do that now, years on, and that easy night routine is worth every slow first step.
