dachshunds habits

Question
I am a landlord whose tenants are asking permission to own a dachshund. I have never owned a pet before, and really don't know much about their behavior.  I understand that,as with anything, it all depends on the training of the animal - but I would really like to know the REAL habits of this animal.  Is it practical, as a homeowner, to have this dog in a townhouse with wood flooring and carpet? I understand that they can be aggressive and "territorial", but does that make them a bad pet to have inside your house(from a concerned landlord's point of view)? For instance, I would'nt let them have a cocker spaniel, b/c I know that they pee when they get excited.  I DON'T want that in my home!  Please help me with any BRUTALLY HONEST advice.  Thanks so much for anything!

Answer
Dear LeAnne,

What a nice landlord you are to seek advice about this issue before shutting the door on it!  

Dogs -- cockers and all -- don't eliminate in the house if they are housetrained.  Dogs, and very often puppies, pee when excited or intimidated when the are submissive urinators, and often you'll see a pup who urinates submissively but grows out of it by the time they're 6 mos or a little older.

If I were in your shoes, I'd get references from previous landlords of the tenant regarding the dog.  Next, I'd get a decent "dog deposit" - I think I paid a one-time $500 for my dog at one point.  I'm pretty sure this is usually a non-refundable fee but you can call a few apartment complexes around your area to find out what they're charging for a pet deposit, whether the deposit is returned or not, and come up with your figure that way.  Most landlords stop here regarding dogs, as long as the landlord feels the tenant is a responsible dog owner (follow your gut instinct on this).

So, if the dog is housetrained and chew trained (meaning he doesn't chew inappropriate things such as baseboards and wall corners), you're on your way.  

If the dog is an incessant barker, will the sound travel to the next townhouse?  You're going to need to know what the owner's work/time away from home schedule is, and what they intend to do with the dog during the day if they're gone 40 hours a week ( ie., Is he going to a dog daycare a couple of times per week? Is a petsitter going to come and walk the dog at least once during the day?  If they have already used these services, get a letter from the daycare or petsitter saying how often they used the service and what they thought about the dog staying at home for long periods).

Some landlords want to meet the dog just to see how he reacts to strangers.  If the dog bites one of your tenant's visitors, I'm pretty sure the tenant is liable and not the landlord, but check with your insurance agent on this.  

I want you to understand that I'm giving you worst-case scenarios and if you have responsible, law-abiding, humane tenants chances are very high that they have a good little doggie who won't cause anyone any problem.  If the dachshund is over 1 year and under 14, he's probably not going to eliminate in your property, and I don't consider dachshunds to be big barkers.  

I have never had a landlord who did this, but you could easily put something into the contract that says that you have a 1 (or 3)month probationary period during which time you will call them to set up an apt. inspection and if you find stains or destruction the contract is null and void and they have X amount of days to vacate.  Take pictures of the place before they move in and take pictures during your inspection in case you have to go to court.  AGAIN, I AM GIVING YOU NIGHTMARE, WORST-CASE SCENARIO which can most likely be avoided if you check the PEOPLES' references carefully.  Also in the contract you could say it's null and void if
- The dog disturbs other tenants with incessant barking
- The owners don't pick up all poop on the property

My goal here is to convince you that a responsible tenant will have a problem-free dog.  Also don't discriminate against any breed, cocker or otherwise.  It's all about the owner.  I hope this helps.

Suzanne Harris, BSc, CPDT
http://www.dogdaysUSA.com