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Having a hyper dachshund isn’t uncommon. They may have started to leave their puppy years behind, yet, they’re still overly energetic and you’re wondering… When will they ever calm down? At what age do dachshunds typically calm down?
When Do Dachshunds Calm Down?
Dachshunds start to calm down around 1 year old but noticeably when they reach 3 to 5 years and continues as they get older. Reasons, why your dachshund might be taking longer to calm down, are anxiety, overstimulation, lack of exercise, improper training or they’re matching your energy.
In this post you’ll discover when dachshunds typically start to calm down, at what age they’re the most energetic, the top 11 reasons why your dachshund won’t calm down as well as helpful tips to manage their energy levels.
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
Age By Age Breakdown Of When Dachshunds Calm Down
Phase 1: 1-3 weeks
When your dachshund is this young, they’ll likely still be with their litter.
They’re unsure of the world and not super rambunctious quite yet.
As with any baby, they are in their exploratory mode. Learning about their bodies and all the new things they’re coming in contact with.
As they get closer to the end of being 3 weeks they’ll start to move from their mothers milk to actual food.
Phase 2: 1-4 months
During phase 2 you’ll want to maximize their socialization to help them be comfortable around new places, people, and dogs.
Their body’s are going through major growth spurts and will need lots of food to help them stay healthy.
You’ll likely notice bursts of energy followed by crashes in this phase. They’ll be all riled up running around one minute to completely passed out napping the next.
Phase 3: 4-12 months
This phase is their junior years. And they’re the most energetic.
They’re growing into their adult bodies and are coming into their own. While they’ve likely experienced a lot during this phase, there are still many things that are new to them.
In this phase most people expect their dachshund to be highly energetic so it’s not typically surprising when they won’t calm down.
Phase 4: 1-3 years
Phase 4 is when your dachshund starts to become an ‘adult’ dog.
If they’re still highly energetic, it’s typically in this phase where people start to wonder if their pup will ever start to calm down.
Exercise and a good diet are super important to keep them healthy and regulate their energy levels.
Phase 5: 3-7 years
During phase 5 they’ve become a mature adult doggo.
You’ll likely start to notice their energy levels become more manageable here.
Frequent exercise is still important to keep them healthy and without too much excess energy.
But, they may start to slow down on bugging you as much for frequent play sessions like they once did.
Phase 6: 7+ years
Phase 6 is when your dachshund enters their senior years.
You won’t see them all of a sudden completely calm down at age 8. But this is where you’ll start to notice a gradual decrease in their excess energy levels.
As they get further and further into their senior years their ability to calm down will be much easier.
11 Reasons Why Your Dachshund Won’t Calm Down
1) Age
As you probably know from the different phases discussed in the last section, age plays a big role in your dachshunds’ excess energy.
The younger they are, the more energy they’ll have. Simple as that.
Once some dachshunds reach phase 4 (1-3 years old) you’ll start to notice them calming down.
Others might not calm down until the beginning of phase 5 (3-7 years old).
Related Reading: 7 Simple Strategies To Quickly Calm Your Hyperactive Dog
2) Breed
While dachshunds aren’t known for being one of the more high energy breeds, some can still take a while to calm down.
30 minutes of exercise should keep any dachshund fit, but some might need more to help them calm down.
Your dachshund has the nose of a hunter, because that’s what they were bred to do.
This means they’ll likely always go, go, go whenever they find a scent.
This can be challenging to train them out of because their sense of smell is so strong. But increased physical activity should help calm them down.
3) Anxious
Some dog’s aren’t able to settle down, not because they’re excited, but because of fear.
If you’re noticing that they won’t calm down mostly in specific situations, they could be experiencing anxiety or stress.
Things like pacing, excessive licking, or barking are all signs of a stressed out pup.
It could be minor anxiety that’s making them unable to relax and calm down, or more severe separation anxiety.
If you adopted your dachshund later in their life, they may have had traumatic experiences that make them uneasy and unable to calm down.
Or if this behavior is newer.. It could be because of a change in home, change in family situation (someone passed), or a change in schedule.
Studies have shown that separation anxiety is more common in shelter dogs, male dogs or when they’re separated from their litter too early.
Things that you can do to help your pup if they’re anxious are:
- Give them a wide range of experiences with other people and animals between 2-10 months.
- Giving them a stable, consistent routine.
- As infrequent absence from your dachshund as possible.
- And avoiding punishment.
Related Reading: 7 Ways To Eliminate Your Dogs Anxiety, Shyness Or Fear
4) Overstimulated
Dachshunds that are overstimulated might have a hard time calming down.
Sometimes right after a nap or a meal, your dachshund might get what’s called the zoomies.
This is where they go absolutely ballistic for a period of time without any real reason.
This typically goes away with age.
It can also be because your dachshund hasn’t been spayed or neutered yet.
Spaying or neutering your pup can help speed up the calming process as they won’t have so many excess hormones coursing through their body.
5) Boredom
A bored dog is a hyper or even destructive dog. Especially with the nose that your dachshund has.
If they aren’t getting enough attention and playtime, they’ll almost never be able to fully calm down.
The best way to get rid of boredom is to tire them out.
Of course this means they’ll have your attention when tiring them out which also helps with the boredom.
But when they aren’t stuck with excess energy and nothing to do with it, you’ll find them much more able to calm down.
Related Reading: 10 Best Toys To Entertain Your Dog | Boredom Buster Toys
6) Pent Up Energy
Pent up energy is one of the more significant reasons why your dachshund isn’t able to calm down.
Dachshund’s don’t need tons of exercise to be fit and healthy, but if you have a rambunctious doggo on your hands they might need more.
In order for a dachshund to remain healthy they need roughly 30 minutes of exercise per day.
Even if you’re giving them a 10 minute walk in the morning and evening, and having at least 10 minutes of play time… They may simply need more activity.
This will largely be impacted by their age. As when they get older they’ll naturally slow down.
But if you want to help them calm down right now, the best thing you can do is tire them out.
If you include a daily game of fetch for 10-20 minutes it can really help them get rid of their pent up energy.
Which means when guests come over or when exciting things happen, they won’t react with so much energy (jumping, barking, etc.).
Related Reading: Top 12 Best Harnesses For Dachshunds
7) Improper Socialization
If you notice that your dachshund is super reactive around other dogs and people, they likely lacked socialization when young.
Socialization is extremely important to help keep a dachshund calm around people they aren’t familiar with.
Dachshunds were bred to hunt, which means by nature, they’ll be very protective of you.
This makes it even more important to socialize them.
The best time to really socialize a dachshund is when they’re a puppy in phase 2. Between the ages of 8 weeks to 16 weeks.
This will help them not be super reactive or rambunctious around strangers or other dogs.
If your dachshund missed being social during this window, don’t worry, they can still be socialized.
It’ll unfortunately just take a little longer and require a little more patience.
8) Lack Of Mental Stimulation
If your dachshund isn’t mentally challenged, they may seemingly never calm down.
Some dogs are much smarter than others, just like people, they were simply born with it.
And without adequate challenge, they may not know what to do with their lack of mental stimulation.
Which causes them to always be bugging you or running all over the place.
There are great puzzle toys that help mentally stimulate a dog and give them something to focus on.
And while they’re focusing on their challenging toy, they won’t be running, jumping or barking all throughout the day.
9) Improper Training
Typically, a dachshund that won’t calm down around unfamiliar dogs or people is a sign of improper training.
They either didn’t get any training at all or it wasn’t enough to equip them with how to handle new situations.
A dachshund that’s trained well will trust you as their leader which will help them calm down.
Oftentimes a dog is rambunctious because they’re unsure who should be leading/protecting who.
Proper training can help your dachshund know that you’re the alpha and they don’t need to react with so much energy when around new people, places, dogs.
Training should definitely help your pup calm down in many situations.
Related Reading: 9 Simple Steps To Create The Obedient Dog Of Your Dreams
10) Not Enough Attention
A dachshund that wants attention will do just about whatever it takes to get that attention.
Whether it’s running around the house, jumping up and down off things, destroying things, or barking.
They’ll demonstrate many high energy behaviors in an attempt to get your attention.
Similarly to not getting enough exercise, you can calm your dachshund down in this situation by giving them more physical activity.
Not only will this give them some more attention, which is what they want, but it’ll also tire them out.
And when they’re tired from running around or playing, they won’t have the energy to be a pain in the butt; so they’ll calm down.
11) You Get Them Riled Up
Dog’s will typically match their owners energy.
So if you find yourself yelling or shouting at them “No!” over and over.
Rather than giving them a nudge and saying “no” in a calm voice.
Your dachshund will react very differently to these situations.
And if you find yourself in the first situation, you could be contributing to their inability to calm down.
If you act calm, and your dachshund sees you as their leader/alpha, they’ll be calm as well.
Other posts you might find interesting:
5 Reasons Why Dachshunds Are So Jealous + 6 Helpful Tips
12 Best Dog Beds for Dachshunds
How To Cut Dachshund Nails (10 Simple Steps)
Dachshunds & Running: 3 Facts, 3 Dangers & 4 Tips
Citations:
Puppy to Dog: Your Pet’s Life Stages
Signs Your Dog is Stressed and How to Relieve It
Canine separation anxiety: strategies for treatment and management
7 Dangers of Not Socializing Your Dog