Am I Smart or Stupid? You Decide.

Many people say that we, Dachshunds, are stubborn and non-trainable. I would like to comment on the type of intelligence many people say we [Dachshunds] have for just a minute. Are we intelligent enough to think on our own and do the 'right' thing or are we just plain ole' stubborn, non-trainable, if you will. Some trainers, breeders, and behaviorists will say that there are two types of dog intelligence: the highly and easily trainable dogs, such as Border Collies, Shelties, or Blue Heelers (the 'working' class breed), and the independent thinkers, those breeds that require little or no human intervention, such as Dachshunds [like me], Beagles, or Vizlas (the 'hunting' class breed). I would like to think of myself as an independent thinking breed. So, don’t think that your stubborn, non-trainable Dachshund is stupid. On the contrary. The problem is not with your Dachshund's stubbornness as much as it is that your Dachshund may be too smart! Pleasing our human parent is paramount, but not to the point of total boredom or through ridiculous repetition or through the performance of an activity that makes no sense at all or has no point whatsoever! Believe it or not, we love to have fun, too, and revel in any activity that includes the indulgence of exercise, discipline, and treats. But what’s so fun about sitting in the middle of the floor being told to sit, stay, sit, stay, sit, stay…We would prefer that our training sessions be short, fun, challenging, and consistent, but not to the point of boredom, because believe me, if you’re bored, you can bet your petuties we will be bored, too. Just like our human parents, we want to do things that are interesting and challenging; we want to enjoy the food we eat, our sleep, and our playtime; and we’re happy to learn to new skills and do the right thing, as long as it makes sense and has a point. So, the first thing you [a doxie human parent] must remember when starting a training session with your doxie is that training must be fun, must be rewarding, and must be something you and your doxie do every day together – something both you and your doxie look forward to with enjoyment.

So, what do you think? Are we smart or stupid?