Perfectly Polite Dachshunds

01/11/2025

📢🕒FINAL CALL🕒📢

LAST STOP BARKING/STOP REACTIVITY COURSE OF 2025 😲🫢😱

⏳ Last chance to join! The Stop Barking/Reactvity Course kicks off 2 November—bookings close today!

Is your Dachshund’s barking or reactivity making walks or home life stressful? This 6-week live, virtual course is your chance to turn things around with expert guidance tailored specifically for Dachshunds. Starting 2 November, you'll get:

- 🐾 Weekly Group Zoom sessions (1.5–2 hours) with real-time support in between.
- 🧠 Step-by-step guides and videos to build confidence and calm
- 🐶 Positive reinforcement strategies that uncover the root causes- not just manage symptoms
- 🎓 Access to a graduate support group and discounts on Dynamic Dog assessments on completion.
- 📹 Session recordings so you never miss a moment
- 🤗Feedback on your training videos for bespoke guidance and progression.

Whether your dog barks at the door, on walks, or struggles with triggers, this course offers a systematic, compassionate approach to lasting change.

👉 Secure your spot now. Let’s help your Dachshund thrive and help you enjoy your relationship again.

30/10/2025

For anyone needing a giggle.

I was getting a bit hot under the dachshund blanket and carefully disentangled myself.

Lily continued to sleep deeply and found a new role for my croc!

Croc hats for dogs.....a new trend maybe?

27/10/2025

Remote vs in person......does it work?

Here's my take and how I do it.

Remote and In person services | Perfectly Polite Dac

For years I did in person visits and yes they are great.  With covid we were forced online. I really didn’t think it could be effective, and in some situations I can see how it isn’t. However I’ve adapted my approach so now doing it remotely is actually better.

26/10/2025

This will be the last stop barking/stop reactivity course of 2025.🫣🎄🧑‍🎄

The course is live each week but is recorded so you can catch up.

Each course varies depending on people's needs from attention seeking to on lead barking at dogs and people.

Working from the ground up to reframe their thinking and yours to enable you to enjoy calm and pleasant lives together.....and seeing the best side of your dachshunds.

Starts Sunday 2nd November at 3pm.

All information and booking on the link below:

🎨 🖼️ Your Dachshund is a living canvas, shaped by experience, environment, and understanding. Sometimes we need need to make a few tweaks! This course helps paint a clearer picture of their behaviour, uncovering the causes behind their challenges and guiding you toward balance, confidence, a...

19/10/2025

Many years ago, well, 5 actually, a lady reached out to me offering to make my little IVDD warrior, TRF rescue Chelly a coat.

She asked for nothing in return.

She then donated a coat for a raffle which raised a huge amount for little rescues like Chelly.

5 years on, it is amazing to see her take her personal experience of IVDD, her talent and huge heart and find a gap for those of us with wobbly walkers.

Chelly is 10 now. She still wears her made to measure coat.

I will admit I don't tend to use harnesses generally. But i do for wonkey donkeys. They offer a bit of stability whilst they relearn how to strut. I love how this lovely lady has really considered the need and had input from professionals.

Huge shout out to our communities own, from Frank.

Thank you for caring Love From Frank.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BTdnqtpix/

17/10/2025

Remember its that time of year where we close doors and prepare to hibernate.

We tend to focus on getting walks done as its cold, damp and dark.

This means the dogs see a dramatic loss of activity, stimulus and often quality time with us.

This works for some, but many see increased issues at home and when out.

If you are.....think about what you are not doing....or....what you have started doing.

What changed?

For Kami this means less time in the garden on her wheels (which she loves btw), and more time taking us out at speed indoors whilst truffling for grated cheese and generally rearranging the furniture!

11/10/2025

With Halloween and Guy Fawkes around the corner heres a blog I wrote a while ago to help you through it.

For fireworks, trying to desensitise at this point is a little late in the day so start now by setting up a safe environment for them to find calm in which helps to mask the outside unpredictable noises so when the day comes they can take themselves off there knowing its a safe space.

https://www.perfectlypolitedachshunds.com/post/knock-knock-who-s-there-bang-bang?fbclid=IwdGRjcANW6pxjbGNrA1bqlmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeU76PW8-9e6mx7ztUN8ArSR_F_LiJaN5H3U0FLGn-ubLXcFyMmSvXvH_yc3I_aem_v0bUdNf4AEWLYobZ1dCVgQ

Halloween and Guy Fawkes.....That time of year again!! The 2 scariest times of year for animals and many people. Hopefully this blog will help you with your dogs.Halloween is coming, I used to dread it, but whats so nice up in Norfolk is the pumpkin outside. A pumpkin says “yep, please knock,” o...

08/10/2025

Next Stop Barking course is now listed:

Starts 2nd November, 3pm (UK Time)

🐾This online, interactive and heavily supported Dachshund specific group course is designed to help you understand, manage, and overcome your dog's reactivity and barking both on walks and at home. Using positive reinforcement and confidence-building, we focus on finding the cause of the behaviour, rather than just managing the symptoms to create long term change.

🦴 What Makes This Course Different
✔️ Live and interactive with real-time support
✔️ Confidence-building for you and your Dachshund
✔️ Bespoke guidance based on your personal journey on the course
✔️ Systematic approach for lasting behavioural change

🎾 What We Cover
🐾 Understanding why they bark
🐾 Building their confidence
🐾 Developing tolerance to triggers
🐾 Strengthening training foundations
🐾 Working together toward calmness

📋 What’s Included:
📹 Weekly group Zoom sessions (1.5 -2 hours on average)
🤝 Ongoing interactive support from me as you progress
📝 Step by step guides on individual activities to support your understanding and training
🎓 Access to the graduates' group after completion
🎯 Discount on Dynamic Dog Standalone Assessment to assess underlying health issues that may be contributing to their behaviour once you finish the course.

05/10/2025

Whilst the linked post was targeted at our medical dogs, similar principles apply to the "norms."

Sometimes we get complacent or impatient and without meaning to we remove our dogs abilities to choose.

This can lead to increased frustration and cause conflict between you and your dogs.

Maybe we need to take a minute to consider whether we need to give them a bit more choice in their lives? A bit more control? Afterall we control when and where they eat, walk, play, sleep, interact with, and, well everything really.

I know I find it frustrating when I am told to do something without understanding the reasoning or being given a choice. And sometimes I lose my temper when I do not feel my needs are being met, my ability to choose is being limited. Do they have the same response in dog form?

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17tDoknPm4/

01/10/2025

Proof that dachshunds:

A) can walk without announcing themselves
B) they can go off lead and not b**ger off
C) they do swim
D) there is life after grade 5 IVDD
E) rescue dachshunds can overcome their challenges.

Lovely walk on the weekend with 2 The Red Foundation trustees and their families, co TRF behaviourist, awesome foster champion always taking on the tricky ones, and, my Lovely son.

There are 7 rescues here living their best lives! 3 grade 5 warriors including little Chelly celebrating her 5th year with us and her 10th birthday.

Not added any music so you can hear the beautiful calm.

Enjoy and believe. They're lovely really.

27/09/2025

🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨

Wanna bag £500 of epic dog gear for FREE?

Of course you do 🎉

5 awesome brands have teamed up to offer a prize bundle bursting create the ultimate prize bundle packed with training + adventure must-haves:
🎉Travall Boot/Trunk Liner (mud-free car, happy life)
🎯 A Blue-9 Klimb Place Board (for training wins + confidence boosts)
🧡 A Tug-E-Nuff Toy Bundle (BOB, Clam, Chaser + TWO PowerBall tuggies = recall + bonding sorted)
🐕‍🦺 A £50 Gift Voucher from The Muzzle Movement (safety, style + freedom combined)

👉 Enter now for your chance to win: giveaway.tug-e-nuff.com?utm_brand=tugenuff&ref=PERFECTLY

This haul will make adventures cleaner, training easier, and playtime way more fun.

Tag a dog-loving friend who’d be buzzing to win too and share the happy vibes

We’ve teamed up with some of our favourite pet brands to bring you The Ultimate Doggy Bundle Giveaway 🧡

25/09/2025

Routines

Its been on my mind for a while…..I’m not a fan of strict process and protocol. I go with the flow……or do I?

There are still things I do every single day without a second thought. So, whilst I claim to be a bit of a wild one…..am I?

Are they helpful, or can they quietly trip us up?
The more I learn and keep learning, the more I realise routines are stitched into everything we do.
Coming home from work.
Making dinner.
Settling down for TV.
Heading to bed.

We do them without thinking. That’s the beauty of routines. They lighten the cognitive load. They’re familiar, automatic, safe.

And our dogs?
They’re watching.
They’re learning.
They’re living by them.

Dachshunds are masters of routine. They know when the kettle goes on, it’s nearly walk time. They know the sound of your slippers means sofa snuggles. They know when the lights dim, it’s time to burrow under the blanket.

But here’s the tricky bit.
When routines change, even slightly, it can throw them.
The missed walk.
The late dinner.
The visitor who sits in their spot.
Sometimes they get aggy in anticipation of what always happens at 7pm when you sit down to relax. Sometimes they even tell you its bedtime like an overkeen alarm clock.

So yes, routines are powerful. But they’re also fragile.
We need to build routines we actually want, so the behaviours we want become habit.

And here’s the kicker. Building new routines takes effort.
Why? Because it’s not our routine yet. It’s unfamiliar. It’s work. It takes time., consistency, patience and determination!!
But once you consistently do something well with your dog, and they consistently respond with the behaviour you want, it becomes second nature.

They learn the skill.

You reinforce it.

They repeat it.

And it sticks, because it’s just the way you’ve always done it.

Take barking, for instance.
If your dachshund always charges out the front door barking, then that’s the done thing.
If they always pull on lead, done thing.
If they always bark at the flea farting down the road, yep, done thing.

So instead of your daily ritual of chasing them back inside for barking at said flea, take the time to teach them to do something else.

Something calm.
Something quiet.
Something you want to become the done thing.

Because routines aren’t just habits.
They’re blueprints.

Let’s build ones that work for us and our master manipulators!

Why don’t you think of something small and easy that you can build into your routine that has massive impact on your lives.

Something simple just like:
Taking a pause before you open the door, wait or ask for a moment of stillness a sit, a look, a breath - before the door opens, so they go out calmly and quietly instead of a screaming banshee?

Forget new years, make that small change today, and keep on doing it over and over again until you forget you are doing it.