Carl, you are making progress in the correct direction! The key to assisting your dog in overcoming his anxiety around the bathing process is to help him form pleasant connections with the process. But even if someone attempted to stuff a freshly baked cookie made by Grandma down my throat while I was surrounded by cockroaches, I wouldn’t be hungry for that cookie even if they tried to force it down my throat.
Given that your dog bolts whenever he hears the sound of water running in the bathtub, we will need to take things slowly in order to win his trust. This is a kind of treatment known as exposure (for example, when I looked at an image of a cockroach). Start the water running in the bathtub during times of the day when your dog is engaged in activities that it finds pleasurable, such as getting ready for a walk, occupying itself with a toy, or eating supper. It might take up to a week or two, but ultimately he will become accustomed to the noise that the bathtub makes. When this occurs, you will be able to bring him into the bathroom with you while the water is running so that you may touch him and offer him goodies. When he seems to be at ease with that, lead him into the bathroom and give him a little drenching with some warm water.
It will be easier for him to feel in control and calm if you divide the process of giving him a bath into a number of manageable, little phases. It’s possible that you may have to put up with a dog who stinks for a short period of time, but it will be worth it when he finally gets his first anxiety-free bath. Check out this link for some more useful advice!
Have you ever pondered the reason for the short legs and long body of dachshunds? They were literally born to burrow since they were initially raised to hunt badgers inside of their caves. Even while digging is merely a pleasant sport for most dogs, it seems that your dog is going things quite a bit farther than is reasonable. Checking to see that her nails aren’t the cause of the problem demonstrates what a responsible dog parent you are. But if you want to know what’s actually going on, you’ll have to play a little bit of detective with me: If she is digging indoors, this indicates that she is most likely not doing it for a physical reward (such as chasing animals in the yard or constructing a nice hole in the soil to sleep in). Instead, she needs to take something positive away from the experience on a mental or emotional level.
When exactly does she do her digging? It’s possible that she has separation anxiety and uses digging as a coping mechanism, since she does it while you’re not in the room with her. What goes through your mind when she begins digging in front of you? It’s possible that she’s attempting to catch your attention by reacting quickly, even if all you do is tell her to stop doing whatever it is that she’s doing. It’s also possible that she’s simply bored and seeking for a way to get her energy out. Make sure that your dog has enough of mental and physical stimulation throughout the day in order to reduce the amount of digging that she does. Keeping her mind off of what she’s doing by diverting her energy into something constructive, such as lengthy walks, social trips to the dog park, and reward puzzles, can wear her out and distract her. You may also sit in the living room with her and play a game called “touch” with her, in which you feed her one piece of kibble at a time. This will provide her with a more rewarding approach to obtain your attention. In the event that she continues to engage in the obsessive digging habit after that, it may be appropriate to consult with an animal behavioral therapist and have your dog evaluated by one of them.
