Baxter

It's been so helpful to read your blog and the posts following your description of Tofu. I just rescued a Dachshund/beagle mix with mostly the Dachshund personality. I've always had easily trained Labs and this has thrown our lives upside down. Baxter, 18 months, is the most loving little guy, energetic and sweet. NEEDS to be with me all the time, touching me. The separation anxiety with crying is driving me crazy. I have a kong, but he's gained so much weight I've had to reduce its use. I do crate training because he's chewed three shoes in three months. We have bones for him everywhere now and that has really helped. In the middle of the night he makes scratches his neck so as to make his collar jingle so we'll wake up (we've taken it off).

He expects to be walked (20 minutes at a time) 3-4 times per day. He cries if it's one of those times (he has an internal clock) and he's not walked. He'll follow me around barking and crying at me. He expects to be walked every time I return, even if it was a 30 minute trip to the grocery store. I can't do anything without him being at my feet and if I need to do something with my hands at his level he will not let me accomplish the task. Did I mention that I have a 4 year old son who loves him and whom Baxter jumps on hurting him (he's a pretty strong and sturdy little guy). Tug of war all the time. He is such a nipper and I don't know how to break him of that. For instance, I can take a bone from him and he's fine with it but if my son does than Baxter will bite him (lightly but enough to hurt and scare). I take him to the dog park a couple of times per week because he is so social, but he always seems to need more in every category of dog ownership.

I have a gated upstairs and if I close the gate on him he'll pee on the stairs (I think just for revenge). I gated a backyard for him and he can't be out there without me (even if my husband and son are out there, he'll be crying for me).

I've just called a trainer because I think he had a rough beginning and I want to keep him but if I can't modify these behaviors I'm afraid I won't be able to. I've taken other dogs through training classes but none have had these issues to this degree.