Dachshunds were originally bred to hunt badgers and other burrowing animals. They are independent, determined and incredibly scent-driven. Their fulfilment comes from using their nose, solving problems and having opportunities to dig, search and work. Dachshunds are courageous little working dogs with a strong hunting instinct. They thrive when given outlets that satisfy their natural desire to search, investigate and problem-solve. 👃 Scent Work (Highest Priority) - Scent detection - Find It games - Food trails - Hidden toy searches - Tracking 🕳️ Digging Outlets - Designated digging pit - Sandpit treasure hunts - Buried toys - Buried food searches 🧠 Problem Solving - Puzzle feeders - Shaping exercises - Trick training - Food enrichment - Interactive toys 🐾 Hunting & Searching - Searching long grass - Woodland sniff walks - Scatter feeding - Search boxes - Natural foraging opportunities 🤝 Working With Their Handler - Engagement games - Loose leash walking - Recall games - Target training - Basic obedience 🌿 Exploration - Sniff walks - New environments - Confidence-building obstacles - Different surfaces - Safe environmental exploration Things to Avoid ❌ Repetitive ball throwing ❌ Long periods without mental stimulation ❌ Punishing natural hunting behaviours instead of redirecting them ❌ Expecting them to simply "walk nicely" without fulfilling their instinct to sniff and investigate Great Genetic Outlets - Scent Detection - Tracking - Find It Games - Digging Pit - Food Trails - Scatter Feeding - Puzzle Feeders - Search Boxes - Trick Training - Target Training - Confidence Courses A fulfilled Dachshund isn't simply a tired dog—it's a dog whose nose, hunting instincts and determination have been given an appropriate outlet. When you satisfy their natural instincts through structured scent work, searching and problem-solving, you'll often see a calmer, more focused and content companion both at home and out in the world.

If the power of consistency and clear communication wasn’t preached enough by my co-workers and I, Rip’s progress is the prime example 🤩🙌🏼 This powerhouse has come incredibly far in the short 4 weeks he’s had with us at the Shelly store 🎉🥳 From dragging us through the door, refusing to engage and train, and showing signs of high anxiety and reactivity around other dogs… to today walking beautifully on the grass with zero leash pressure, disengaging with other dogs immediately when called, getting through whole training sessions with wonderful engagement and peacefully laying down several times throughout the school day 🥹 The girls and I could not be prouder of this big smiley boy and his lovely mum @Tenneal Taylor ❤️

Chili went on her first big girl walk with the academy today! 🤩🤩 We walked along the bike track, visited the beach and practiced our impulse control on the grass, all of which were surrounded by several other dogs and people. She behaved BEAUTIFULLY 🥹 no barking, no grumbles and consistent engagement 🩷 The cherry on top was a MAN telling her how beautiful she was as she laid quietly at our feet 🍒🥳 Well done Chilli and @Tamara Wassink, the consistency is paying off 👏👏

We have a level 1 graduate!! Huge congratulations to Oscar and his family, this is a massive achievement. The first level is always the hardest ❤️

He is a little vid of the goodest boy Ollie @Julie Venturini You did amazing!! Handler engagement, Loose Leash Walking at it's best!