Oscar melts my heart! I have a special fondness for black and tan smooths. My last girl, and the love of my life was a black and tan named Libby.
You and I are experiencing similar difficulties with our dachshunds. My Annie Moon turned five this past June and on September 19 we will celebrate her first "Gottcha Day," because on September 19, 2018, she became mine. On the three day trip from her former home to mine, we totally bonded in the car and in motels at night. She is only happy when some part of her is touching me. She barks continuously at anyone coming near to me or to her, sometimes darting at the "intruder" with her face in a snarl and teeth showing and over time I have decided that she is guarding me and our house or the place we go to on vacation and is terribly afraid. If we visit other people, she ignores anyone coming into their home, no barking as long as she is in my lap or hiding behind me. I have tried everything I can think of or that I have been advised to do. There has been a little improvement, but still no one can approach her or me. Unless I have an appointment and must leave her at home, crated, we are together 24/7. She will not even allow my husband to pet her, or walk from his office through the kitchen to the family room without going through the barking- snarling routine. I am the only one who can pet her or pick her up. Fortunately she likes her crate and will settle down immediately when I have an appointment, but I am always aware of time passing with her being crated when I am away from home and except for grocery shopping, I am home with her. Potty reliability is spotty unless I keep her on a strict schedule, out the door immediately in the morning, feed her breakfast, take her out an hour later to do business, take her out four hours later, feed her dinner at five, out to do potty at six, and out again when I am going to bed. If I am diligent about this routine, no accidents, if I am involved in something else and don't take her out first thing in the morning, an hour after she eats and every four hours in between, I have a mess to clean up. I do not believe she was abused in her former home, there was no barking during my initial visit or when I went to pick her up. It started at a rest area dog comfort zone when an elderly couple approached Annie and me to chat about dachshunds during the second day of our drive home. I have had dachshunds for nearly 50 years and have never had these problems, but all of my past dogs were puppies when they came to live with me, so it may have something to do with puppy socialization, or she is just afraid of everyone but me. She tries to act tough, but gives herself away when she hides behind me and trembles and shakes.
I feel her love and of course I love her and most of all, she needs me. I tell you all this to let you know you are not the only one out there with a "problem child." I recently purchased a dog stroller and can now take her with me in a lot of non food selling stores. It has a zipper netting to keep people who try to pet her from touching her and she seems to love riding in it and seeing new sights besides the inside of my house and our yard. She doesn't even bark when I stop to chat with a sales person or see someone I know. I feel I have a lot more freedom since I bought the stroller, and hope that she will gain some long overdue socialization by finding out that no one we see is going to come at her or hurt her. Keep in touch and let me know if you find a miracle you can pass on. The photo is Annie in her new stroller.