Australian Shepherd/ long haired Dachshund mix

Question
We just bought an Australian Shepherd/ long haired Dachshund mix female puppy.  She is six weeks old.  I didn't do any research on these breeds before we bought her.  It was a spur of the moment decision. I would like to know what we might expect from her as far as disposition and her biting tendency.  Any information on this mix would be helpful to us.  Right now she is a very attached (doesn't want to be separated from us)and loves to play and bite/chew.  
Thank you,
Melinda

Answer
I'm glad you admitted your lack of research;-) Aside from just the breed issues, a pup of six weeks of age is too young to have been separated from her dam and littermates.  She will miss two weeks of valuable learning.  That said, all is not lost.  When she is eight weeks old, sign her up for puppy class.  Try to find a good positive reinforcement trainer.  You can find one at one of these sites: www.clickerteachers.net or www.trulydogfriendly.com, or www.apdt.com (This last one, you need to ask - don't attend the class if they use choke chains or leash corrections. Aussies are smart and so are hounds - no reason that you can't use dog-friendly methods.)
She is mouthy because she hasn't continued her association with other puppies, which is another reason to find a positive class early.  Pups learn to be less mouthy if they get a lot of play time with other dogs, plus you need to withdraw all your attention from her if she nibbles on you.  Substitute a chew toy for your arm LOL and if she persists, yelp and walk away (even if you need to enter the bathroom and close the door behind you for a second.)  She will learn that her "playmate" doesn't want to hang with her if she's obnoxious:-))
The Aussie is a breed with "strong herding and guarding instincts", so sometimes they aren't everyone's friend - reserved with strangers.  All the more reason to begin extensively socializing her to new people and dogs (so long as they have all their shots, and you don't allow her to walk where they eliminate).  Dachshunds are "clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above- and below-ground work, with all the senses well-developed".  They can be bossy if they don't get early training.
Aussies house train really fast, doxies not so.  But, neither dog will take well to punishment for that or any other training.  Learn to house train by always supervising the pup, crate her when you can't watch her, go outdoors with her and praise her for doing her biz outside, and don't expect her to hold her bladder very long while she's awake, even once she can hold it all night.
Here are some links on responsible breeding that you (and the lurkers here) may want to check out before getting another dog:
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Fair/1901/chart.html
http://www.caps-web.org/factsheet_online_puppies.php
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_adoption_information/buying_a_puppy/index.html
House training:
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/pup-housetrain.pdf
Don't feel too badly about the lack of "homework" you did - you'll know better next time.  But, now that you have your dog, please do all you can to supervise, manage, use prevention, and train her to be the best dog she can be so that she can have a great "forever" home with you!