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The first time I shut the crate door, Oscar panicked. But he threw himself against the bars, scratched his nose raw, and cried like I\u2019d abandoned him. Honestly I felt like a monster.
Still every crate training article I read said the same thing: \u201Cgradually introduce it, make it cozy, use treats.\u201D That advice works for Golden Retrievers. So my Dachshund needed something completely different.
If you\u2019re here because your Doxie hates the crate \u2014 and you\u2019re wondering what you\u2019re doing wrong \u2014 you\u2019re not alone. Still most Dachshund owners fail crate training the first time. So this is the method that finally worked for Oscar, and I think it\u2019ll work for your stubborn little burrower too.
Why Dachshunds Are So Hard to Crate Train
Let me be blunt: Dachshunds are not Labs. Now they were bred for one job \u2014 crawling into badger dens and flushing out prey. That burrowing instinct means they\u2019ll happily enter a tight, dark space. But they hate being trapped inside one with no way out.
So you\u2019ve got a triple problem:
| Dachshund Trait | Why It Breaks Standard Crate Training |
|---|---|
| Burrowing instinct | Will enter the crate willingly, then panic when the door closes \u2014 they can\u2019t leave the den on their terms |
| Stubbornness \u00d7 independence | Doesn\u2019t care about pleasing you the way a retriever does. Treats work only until the door shuts |
| High separation anxiety risk | A crate can feel like \u201Cyou\u2019re locking me away,\u201D especially if you only use it when leaving |
Plus, their small bladders mean they physically can\u2019t hold it long \u2014 the \u201Cage \u00d7 1 hour\u201D rule is real. And they lose body heat fast in an open wire crate because they\u2019re so close to the ground.
So standard advice doesn\u2019t account for any of this.
The Fix: Turn the Crate Into a Burrow
Here\u2019s what I figured out after my third failed attempt: Dachshunds love being in a den. But they just need to feel like they chose to be there.
So instead of fighting their instincts, I worked with them. I turned the crate into an artificial burrow \u2014 a warm, dark, covered space that feels like the tunnels their ancestors were bred to hunt through.
The two things that made this work:
A JOEJOY Hooded Cave Bed (small, 23-inch) inside the crate creates the roof and walls of a den. It’s got a hooded canopy that turns an open wire cage into a cozy cave. Now Oscar went from ignoring the crate to crawling inside to nap — no training needed, just the right setup (affiliate link).
A KONG Classic Small (stuffed with wet food or peanut butter, then frozen) makes the crate the place where high-value rewards live. Not treats scattered on the floor. Plus it\u2019s a 20-minute project that occupies his brain.
Put them together and you\u2019ve got a den with treasure inside. That\u2019s the whole framework.
Stage 1: Location and First Contact (Days 1\u20133)
So put the crate in a spot where your family spends time \u2014 living room, not a laundry room. Dachshunds are pack animals. A crate in the corner of an empty room feels like exile.
Set up the JOEJOY bed inside the crate. But leave the door wide open, tied back so it can\u2019t swing shut.
Now the easy part: drop high-value treats just inside the entrance. I used Zuke\u2019s Mini Naturals here \u2014 they\u2019re 2 calories per piece, so you can reward freely without worrying about weight. Oscar is very food-motivated, so he\u2019d stretch his neck in, grab the treat, and back out. That was progress.
If your Doxie won\u2019t even approach the crate, upgrade to Bil-Jac Little Jacs \u2014 chicken liver flavor, very smelly, very tempting. Most Dachshunds can\u2019t resist these.
What success looks like: your dog voluntarily puts their front paws inside the crate to get a treat. Don\u2019t close the door yet. Not even for a second.
Stage 2: Door Half-Closed (Days 4\u20137)
Once Oscar was comfortable walking all the way in for treats, I started closing the door \u2014 but only halfway, and only while he was eating. Then the moment he finished, I opened it again.
So this is where the frozen KONG Classic Small becomes your best friend. I stuff it with a mix of plain yogurt, a little wet food, and a few kibbles, then freeze it overnight.
Why frozen: it takes a Dachshund 20\u201330 minutes to work through a frozen KONG. Now that\u2019s 20\u201330 minutes of the crate door being closed while your dog is happily occupied. Oscar didn\u2019t even notice the door was shut. He was too busy.
If your Dachshund abandons the KONG and starts pawing at the door, you moved too fast. So dial back to a 5-second close, then 10 seconds, then 30. Build up in tiny steps. Slow is fast with this breed.
Stage 3: Door Fully Closed, You\u2019re Home (Week 2)
Now we work up to longer stretches with the door fully closed while you\u2019re in the same room.
| Crate Time | Reward | Dachshund-Specific Note |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | KONG (frozen) | Start eating before closing the door |
| 2 minutes | KONG (frozen) | Stay visible \u2014 sit nearby |
| 5 minutes | KONG + Greenies Teenie | 5\u20138 minutes is the common panic threshold |
| 15 minutes | KONG (pre-stuffed) | Walk around the room, don\u2019t make eye contact |
| 30 minutes | KONG + Greenies | Only if earlier stages were calm |
I introduced Greenies Teenie Dental Chews as a crate-only treat. Now Oscar only gets one when he\u2019s in the crate. It takes him about 10 minutes to finish one, and it reinforces that the crate is where good things happen. Plus they\u2019re VOHC-certified for dental health, so it\u2019s a bonus.
Yet the 5\u20138 minute mark is where most Dachshunds hit a wall. If yours starts whining at 6 minutes, don\u2019t push through \u2014 open the door, reset, and try again at a shorter interval. Pushing past the panic only reinforces that the crate = trapped.
And please don\u2019t only use the crate when you\u2019re leaving. That creates a \u201Ccrate = abandoned\u201D association. Use it randomly during the day when you\u2019re home \u2014 watching TV, cooking dinner. Just a few minutes with a chew, then the door opens.
Stage 4: Short Departures (Week 3+)
Once Oscar could handle 30 minutes with me in the next room, I started leaving the house.
Short trips first: take out the trash, grab the mail. 2\u20133 minutes. Come back while he\u2019s still working on his KONG. Don\u2019t make a big deal of leaving or returning.
The departure ritual that worked for us: I prep a frozen KONG, put him in the crate, close the door, and walk away without saying goodbye. When I return, I ignore him until he\u2019s calm, then open the door and take him straight outside.
So I use the Ruffwear Front Range Harness Small for this routine \u2014 it clips on as soon as he comes out of the crate, signals that crate-time is over and potty-time is next. The CollarDirect Reflective Leash 5ft completes the path: crate \u2192 door \u2192 grass.
Work up slowly: 5 minutes \u2192 15 minutes \u2192 1 hour. Each step only after the previous one was drama-free for at least 3 sessions.
Yellow Flags and Red Flags
Not every Dachshund will succeed with crate training. Here\u2019s how to tell if you need to adjust or stop.
Yellow flags (pause and go back a stage):
- Whining that stops within 2\u20133 minutes
- Light scratching at the door
- Restless but settles after a few minutes
Red flags (stop crate training immediately):
- Intense door-banging that causes nose injuries
- Eliminating in the crate (they\u2019re clean animals \u2014 this means real distress)
- Non-stop screaming-level crying for 30+ minutes
If you see red flags, switch to an x-pen or baby gate setup. But miniature Dachshunds in particular are known to be extra resistant to crating. Some dogs just need a different containment approach, and that\u2019s okay.
The Bottom Line
But six weeks after that first failed attempt, I watched Oscar walk into his crate on his own, curl up on his JOEJOY bed, and fall asleep with his nose tucked under the hood. He wasn\u2019t trapped. He was home.
Dachshund crate training isn\u2019t about forcing them into a cage until they give up. It\u2019s about making the crate feel like the burrow they were born to love. So with the right setup \u2014 a cave bed, a frozen KONG, and a lot of patience \u2014 even a stubborn Doxie can learn to see their crate as a safe space.
Quick recap of what I used:
Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| Product | What It\u2019s For | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| JOEJOY Hooded Cave Bed Small (B08VDL6LS6) | Turns crate into a burrow | ~$30\u201340 |
| KONG Classic Small v2 (B0002AR15U) | Frozen reward, keeps them busy 20\u201330 min | ~$10\u201315 |
| Zuke\u2019s Mini Naturals (B000H0ZJIG) | Low-cal training treats, 2 cal each | ~$8\u201312 |
| Bil-Jac Little Jacs (B0184817SI) | High-value chicken liver lure | ~$10\u201315 |
| Greenies Teenie Dental Chews (B06Y2CKKDS) | Crate-only chew, VOHC certified | ~$15\u201325 |
| Ruffwear Front Range Harness Small (B0CLB65P5L) | Crate-to-potty routine | ~$35\u201345 |
| CollarDirect Reflective Leash 5ft (B09XWTKSW7) | Complete the potty path | ~$8\u201312 |
If crate training isn\u2019t working yet, check out my Dachshund separation anxiety guide \u2014 it covers alternative strategies for dogs who really struggle with being alone. And if you\u2019re just bringing home a puppy, the Dachshund puppy essentials checklist has everything you need to start right.