How Do You Dachshund Proof Your Home?

Dachshund proof your house

Do you have a new Dachshund and want to puppy-proof your home? Are you wondering what you need to change or move? Here’s everything you need to know about how to Dachshund proof your home!

How Do You Dachshund Proof Your House?

  • Put baby gates on the stairs
  • Get a ramp for your sofa
  • Keep room doors closed
  • Put anything chewable up high
  • Protect furniture
  • Lock away toxic items
  • Regularly scan your floors
  • Get a secure bin
  • Always put your bag away
  • Don’t leave washing on the floor
  • Store food up high
  • Check your houseplants are safe
  • Think about room fresheners
  • Be aware of electrical items
  • Tidy cables away
  • Put remotes and controllers away

But, before you start moving all your things up high, there’s more you need to know. Find out exactly what you need to think about and how to Dachshund proof your home.


This article is based on research and personal experience as a Dachshund owner of 10+ years. I’m not a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist.


This is how to Dachshund proof your home:

Put baby gates on the stairs

One of the most important things to remember about your Dachshund is that he has a very fragile back and is prone to IVDD.

So, it’s definitely not a good idea for him to be jumping up and down from furniture or using the stairs every day. It’s much better to to pick your Dachshund up and carry him where possible.

To stop your Dachshund using the stairs when you’re not around, pop a baby gate at the bottom of them. Do this for all the stairs in your home and think about upstairs too.

If you live in an apartment, you’ll either need to carry your Dachshund up and down the communal staircase or use the lift if your building has one.

Get a ramp for your sofa

Your Dachshund will probably want to be able to hop up onto the sofa for the odd snuggle or snooze.

Obviously, this is a big jump for a small Dachshund, and the impact could seriously hurt his fragile back.

So it may be an idea to get a ramp for your Dachshund so he can get on and off the sofa safely. You could also lift him or not allow him up at all.

Whatever you decide, it’s good to make the decision early on about what you will and will not allow your Dachshund to do – and then stick to it!

Keep room doors closed

Your Dachshund may also try to sneak off to your big cosy bed for a nap during the day. Like the sofa, this is a huge jump for a Dachshund and could cause him harm.

You could put a ramp up to your bed, or you could simply shut the doors so your Dachshund can’t get in any of the bedrooms when you’re not around to lift him on or off.

You might have other rooms in your house that you don’t want your Dachshund to go in too. So just get into the habit of keeping the doors shut so you keep him contained when you’re not there to watch.

Put anything chewable up high

Dachshund puppies are curious little creatures that’ll chew everything while they’re learning about their new environment. They’ll also chew a lot while they’re teething.

Some Dachshunds may continue to chew things as adults if they’re bored, frustrated or anxious.

So if there’s anything you don’t want your Dachshund to destroy, pop it away where he can’t reach it. Store things in cupboards, wardrobes or high up on shelves.

Unless you want chew marks in your lovely possessions, you’ll have to get into the habit of putting things away and shutting doors.

This’ll also keep your Dachshund safe by removing any dangerous items or potential choking hazards from his reach!

Protect furniture

For items that you can’t put away, such as furniture, you could try a non-toxic bitter apple spray to stop your Dachshund chewing.

This is said to be harmless and has a bitter aftertaste that stops a Dachshund chewing cupboards and furniture. 

Obviously, you need to check it’s safe to use on your furniture items first. You don’t want it to stain or mark so read the instructions carefully.

Dachshund puppy in their new home
Dachshund puppy in their new home

Lock away any toxic items

Do a thorough sweep of your home and make sure you’ve locked away anything that could be harmful or toxic to your Dachshund.

Look for items like cleaning supplies, medicines, pest poisons, dishwasher tablets, antifreeze and glue. Anything that isn’t suitable for a dog needs to be shut away or up high.

If ingested, these items could cause your Dachshund serious harm and potentially put his life at risk. You might think your Dachshund would know not to eat toxic things, but that’s simply not the case!

So think as if you have a small child in the house. If you’d lock something away from them, lock it away from your Dachshund too. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Regularly scan your floors

Be sure to give your floors a regular once-over to check for any small items that could be left lying around.

Tidy away anything small that your Dachshund could swallow or choke on, such as children’s toys, rubbers, pencils, jewellery, door stops, hair bands, hair clips and any bits of rubbish like string or plastic twist ties.

These types of things can be dangerous for a Dachshund so need to be picked up right away.

Get a secure bin

Rubbish smells very enticing to a Dachshund! But there are many risks to dogs going through bins, so you want to keep him out.

The bin may contain food scraps that are poisonous to your Dachshund (such as onions, avocado, grapes, garlic, coffee or foods that have xylitol in them).

Or he may snaffle something that he could choke on, such as a bone or some plastic.

Your Dachshund could also get his head caught in a plastic bag, putting him at risk of suffocation.

Most bins are actually fairly easy for dogs to get into, so try to buy one he can’t open. You want something secure that your Dachshund can’t just knock over!

Remember to put the rubbish bag out as soon as you remove it from the bin too. Otherwise your Dachshund could tear into it and eat something he shouldn’t.

Always put your bag away

You might be used to putting your bag on the floor or sofa when you get home, but this’ll need to change when you get your new Dachshund puppy.

If there’s anything in there like chewing gum, mints or hand cream, your Dachshund may find them and eat them and get seriously unwell.

As well as destroying your purse, he could also swallow a small object that he could choke on.

So find a new place to put your bag that’s shut away or out of reach, and ask guests to do the same whenever they come over to see you.

Don’t leave washing on the floor

Make sure you and the rest of your family don’t leave washing or clothing on the floor. Dachshunds like stealing things, especially underwear and socks!

So make it clear to your Dachshund from day one what things are his and what things are not.

If you give him socks or slippers as a joke, he may get confused and think it’s OK to chew on all of your clothes and shoes from now on!

When your Dachshund does run off with something, swap it out for one of his own toys. He’ll soon get the message that your things aren’t his!

Store food up high

You may need to reshuffle your kitchen cupboards so any food items or baking ingredients are up high and can’t be reached.

Lots of foods that are fine for us are toxic to Dachshunds, or come in plastic packaging that’s not safe to swallow.

Dachshund puppy chewing things in the home
Dachshund puppy chewing things in the home

Check your houseplants are safe

Many houseplants are actually poisonous to dogs, so check that yours are OK before bringing puppy home.

While some only cause mild irritation, others can be fatal if eaten.

Think about room fresheners

Make sure any air fresheners, sprays, plug-ins or scented candles aren’t toxic to dogs

If you like having smellies around the home, do your research to find out if they’re safe for Dachshunds.

Some air fresheners and essential oils are thought to be toxic to dogs.

Be aware of electrical items

Protect your Dachshund by keeping electrical items out of reach!

If your Dachshund chews any electrical items, he could get an electric shock or seriously hurt himself.

Tidy cables away

Tidying cables is an important way to Dachshund proof your home. You’ll need to go round all your electrical items like lamps, TVs, computers etc, to make them safe your puppy.

You can do this by getting a cord containment system or just by making sure the cables are flush against the wall.

Put covers on electrical outlets too. Just as you’d cover electrical outlets for toddlers, it’s a good idea to do this for your Dachshund too.

Put remotes and controllers away

Get into the habit of putting the TV remote or games controller away when you’re finished with it. Either pop it in a drawer or on a high shelf out of reach.

If your Dachshund chews it, he could swallow a piece of plastic or even chew on a battery, which could seriously burn him.

There’s a lot to think about at first but, in time, these things will become a natural part of your everyday routine!


So, there you have it! You can’t expect Dachshunds to know what to do right away. It’s up to you to re-organise and make your home safe for your new puppy! So lock away your things or put them out of reach, block off the stairs, close the doors, secure the cables, and put a ramp next to the sofa so he can get on and off without straining his back. Once you’ve done all this, there’s only one thing left to do – grow eyes in the back of your head! 👀

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How To Dachshund Proof Your Home
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