{"id":23,"date":"2026-04-21T10:16:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T10:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maddiespurpose.com\/blog\/?p=23"},"modified":"2026-04-30T14:33:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:33:07","slug":"5-of-the-most-stubborn-breeds-to-house-train-and-why-theyre-worth-it-anyway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/5-of-the-most-stubborn-breeds-to-house-train-and-why-theyre-worth-it-anyway\/","title":{"rendered":"5 of the Most Stubborn Breeds to House Train (And Why They\u2019re Worth It Anyway)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let\u2019s just say it upfront \u2014 some dogs make house training feel like a polite, structured process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others?
Absolute chaos gremlins with opinions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve got a Dachshund or Chihuahua, you already know this isn\u2019t a lack of intelligence situation\u2026 it\u2019s a \u201cI hear you, but I simply won\u2019t be participating\u201d<\/em> situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here are five breeds that are famously a bit\u2026 selective<\/em> about house training \u2014 and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

1. Dachshund (aka: The CEO of \u201cNo Thanks\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re starting with the obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dachshunds are iconic for a reason \u2014 long body, short legs, massive personality\u2026 and an absolute refusal to cooperate if conditions are not ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why they\u2019re hard to house train:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Bred to work independently (they hunted badgers \u2014 not exactly team players)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Stubborn streak a mile long<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Tiny bladder = frequent accidents<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Strong dislike of cold and wet weather<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Translation:
    If it\u2019s raining, your sausage dog is very likely to look at you like you\u2019ve personally betrayed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Real talk:<\/strong> They\u2019re not slow learners \u2014 they just have terms and conditions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    2. Chihuahua (tiny body, huge attitude)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Ah yes, Maddie\u2019s people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chihuahuas get a bad reputation, but honestly \u2014 they\u2019re just very clear about what they will and will not tolerate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why they struggle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Very small bladder (you\u2019re working on a tight schedule)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Sensitive to cold (again\u2026 weather drama)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Can be nervous or hesitant outside<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      So what happens?
      They decide your warm, cosy house is the superior option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Can you blame them? Slightly.
      Will they still do it anyway? Absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      3. Beagle (the easily distracted toddler)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Beagles are lovely. Sweet. Friendly. Chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Trying to house train a Beagle is like trying to explain taxes to someone who just spotted a squirrel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Why they\u2019re tricky:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Short attention span<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Easily distracted by smells (everything is interesting)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Slower to link actions with outcomes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        You take them outside to pee.
        They sniff.
        They wander.
        They forget why they\u2019re there.
        They come back inside\u2026 and immediately pee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Classic Beagle behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        4. Jack Russell Terrier (espresso-powered chaos)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        If Dachshunds are stubborn, Jack Russells are\u2026 chaotic stubborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        They\u2019re actually very intelligent \u2014 which somehow makes it worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Why they\u2019re difficult:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Extremely high energy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Get distracted mid-task<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Think everything is more fun than toileting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          You\u2019ll take them outside and instead of going\u2026
          They\u2019ll start zooming, chasing shadows, or inventing a new sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          House training them isn\u2019t about teaching \u2014 it\u2019s about outlasting<\/em> them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          5. English Bulldog (lovely\u2026 but not in a hurry)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Bulldogs are the complete opposite of Jack Russells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          They\u2019re not distracted\u2026 they\u2019re just not particularly motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Why they\u2019re slower:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Lower energy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Can be stubborn and slow to respond<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Tend to learn at their own pace<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            You\u2019ll ask them to go outside and they\u2019ll basically say:
            \u201cOr\u2026 we could not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            It\u2019s less chaos, more gentle resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            So why are these breeds harder?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            It\u2019s not random \u2014 there are a few common threads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            1. Independence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Breeds like Dachshunds were literally bred to work alone.
            They don\u2019t feel the need to check in with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            2. Small size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Tiny dogs = tiny bladders = more chances to get it wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            3. Weather sensitivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Cold, wet grass?
            Absolutely not. They will hold out for better conditions (or your rug).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            4. Distraction or low motivation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Some are too busy.
            Some can\u2019t be bothered.
            Neither is helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            The bit no one tells you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            Here\u2019s the honest truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            These breeds are not \u201cbad\u201d at house training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            They just require:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • More consistency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • More patience<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Slightly lower expectations of immediate perfection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              And once it clicks?
              They\u2019re fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n\n\n\n

              Final Maddie-approved verdict<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              If Maddie had a say in this blog, she\u2019d like it noted that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • She is perfect<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • She has never had an accident<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Any incidents are clearly Esame-related<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                And honestly?
                That sounds about right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Here are five breeds that are famously a bit\u2026 selective about house training \u2014 and why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[22,17,19,23],"class_list":["post-23","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dog-knowledge","tag-dog-breeds","tag-dog-training","tag-toilet-training","tag-what-breeds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64,"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23\/revisions\/64"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madsmuse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}