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There’s nothing more heartwarming than having a loyal dachshund. They follow you around, will protect you (sometimes too protective) and love you with all their heart.
Is it normal for dachshunds to be so loyal? Or is the bond you have with your dachshund extraordinary.
Why Are Dachshunds Loyal:
Dachshunds are so loyal because of their instincts. While all dogs are pack animals and loyal by nature, dachshunds were bred to hunt which makes them even more loyal to their leader/alpha. The fact that you take care of their basic needs also increases their loyalty to you.
In this post you’ll discover 8 reasons why your dachshund is so loyal to you, as well as if dachshunds are only loyal to one person.
Reason #8 typically builds the strongest of bonds which leads to maximum loyalty.
Let’s jump right in!
Table of Contents
Are Dachshunds Only Loyal To One Person?
Dachshunds aren’t only loyal to one person.
When introduced to a family, they will absolutely be loyal to all members of the family.
Dogs are pack oriented animals. Which means they’re loyal to all members of their pack.
However, you may notice your dachshund choosing a favorite person.
This is because dachshunds were bred to be hunting dogs. So they have certain instincts that draw them closer to the person who they receive orders/commands from most of the time.
This doesn’t mean they won’t be loyal or listen to other people in their family.
It simply means they’ll likely hold one person a little closer in their heart than the rest.
Related Reading: 11 Ways Dogs Choose Their Favorite Person & Tips To Be Your Dogs
8 Reasons Why Dachshunds Are So Loyal
1) You Feed Them
One of the most basic needs that any animal requires is food.
Without food, they would simply wither away.
And since your dachshund was just a pup, you’ve been feeding them.
This makes them extremely loyal to you.
Everyday when their bowl is empty, you come over and fill it up so they have something to eat.
Not to mention you probably give them snacks and treats here and there as well.
Meat flavored treats or scraps from your dinner are great snacks in between their daily kibble.
And everytime you feed them, you’re increasing their loyalty to you.
They know that you are their source of food which is why they’ll poke and paw at you when they’re hungry.
2) You Walk Them
Most of the time, unless you live on a big lot of land, your dachshunds’ only experience of the outside world is when you’re on a walk with them.
And they LOVE this experience. This is why their little tail wags so much whenever you say the word walk or bring out their leash.
Walks are their most favorite experience and each day they get to experience it with you.
If you’re the person who takes them for their walks, they’ll be super loyal to you.
You’re the reason they get to smell all the different smells, get some much needed exercise as well as relieve themselves (and mark their territory of course).
When you care for their most basic needs, their loyalty for you will know no bounds.
Related Reading: Top 12 Best Harnesses For Dachshunds
3) You Play With Them
Playing with your dachshund increases their loyalty to you because it’s bonding time.
They enjoy the attention you’re giving them as well as being able to do an activity instead of simply lying around.
When your dachshund is able to associate being around you with fun, they’ll be more loyal to you and want to be around you more.
Something funny that many homes experience is when a doggo runs to the dad because he’s the fun one and mom’s the one who does the punishing.
This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more loyal to daddio, it just means he’s not stuck being the ‘bad guy’ when your pup misbehaves.
Related Reading: 10 Best Toys To Entertain Your Dog | Boredom Buster Toys
4) You Stood By Them
When you stick by someone who’s at their lowest of lows, once they get back on their feet, they’ll typically have a strong loyalty to you.
If your dachshund was badly injured and you took care of them until they were back to normal.
Or, they were depressed/emotionally scarred and you stuck with them and helped them get out of their rut.
Both of these are acts of love. And when you demonstrate your love for them by deeply caring about them, their loyalty to you only grows.
When they were at their most vulnerable you didn’t abandon them and instead kept them safe. Your doggo will greatly appreciate these acts of kindness which increases their love for you.
These types of situations likely have contributed to why your dachshund is so loyal to you.
5) You’ve Trained Them
Since your dachshund’s ancestors were bred to hunt, they’ll have a strong affinity with the person who trains them.
The relationship between a dachshund and the person giving them most of their commands is strong.
This is because instinctually it feels right to them to have a close bond with the person training them.
Now, you may not be hunting with your dachshund and giving more serious commands.
But the relationship will feel the same regardless of the less serious, light hearted commands that most domesticated dachshunds receive.
They respect their leader/alpha and since you’ve trained them they’re loyal to your leadership.
And where there’s love and respect, there’s loyalty.
6) Instincts
Instincts play a big role in why your dachshund is so loyal.
All dogs are naturally pack animals. Their ancestors survived in the wild by grouping together and taking care of one another.
Without their brothers and sisters, they wouldn’t have been able to survive on their own.
This makes them extremely loyal to members of their pack.
They understand that 2 (or a group of them) is better than 1 and will work with their pack members to care for one another.
Another instinct that is likely behind your dachshunds loyalty is that they were bred to hunt.
Naturally your dachshund will be closer to one person in your family than the rest.
They have a stronger relationship with the one person likely because they give them commands and there’s a high level of respect between the two.
Whenever a dog is bred to hunt, they develop a strong bond with their human hunting partner.
They’d do anything to protect them when they’re out in the wild hunting and this creates a level of loyalty that’s not common.
So dachshunds have two strong instincts behind why they’re so loyal.
7) Your Bond Makes Them Happy
The bond you have with your dachshund quite literally makes them ‘feel’ good.
Studies have shown that when a dog holds eye contact with their owner it releases oxytocin in their body.
Oxytocin is known as the happiness hormone. So when more of it is released in their body, it makes them feel better, happier and more loving.
Also, any physical contact with your dachshund releases oxytocin. Whenever you pet them, cuddle with them or play with them, they’re feeling happy.
People also release oxytocin when doing these things with their pup.
Because of the release of the happiness hormone they receive when interacting with you it makes them super loyal to you.
It’s almost like a drug.
This is why some pups are super needy and pawing or nudging at you constantly. It makes them feel much better than when you aren’t interacting with them.
So it makes sense that they would be so loyal toward you. They love how you make them feel and really want to continue getting that feeling.
It’s amazing what a good bond does for loyalty.
8) Were Previously Abandoned
If your dachshund experienced a traumatic event (or a series of traumatic events) when they were growing up it’ll be hard for them to trust a person again.
For instance, if they were abandoned by their owner when they were just a pup, this will likely cause them a lot of emotional pain.
And if you were able to show them love and affection while giving them the time and space they needed in order to trust you, they’ll be very loyal to you.
Because it was so hard for them to trust another human again, once you gained their trust, they became extremely loyal to you.
Sometimes their loyalty might even go too far where they become overly protective of you out of love.
But there’s no question that they’re loyal to you. And it’s likely because you’ve shown them how great of a person you are compared to their experiences in the past.
Other posts you might find interesting:
Top 8 Ways Dachshunds Show Affection (#7 Is Funny)
5 Reasons Why Dachshunds Are So Jealous + 6 Helpful Tips
12 Best Dog Beds for Dachshunds
Are Dachshunds Aggressive? The Truth + 11 Helpful Tips
Citations:
Oxytocin-Gaze Positive Loop and the Coevolution of Human-Dog Bonds