dodolah

I walked my puppy (16 weeks old) for the first time.. and this is my first basset btw..
I realized very shortly how different walking a basset is in comparison to other dogs.

One is the fact that he walk with his nose at all time.
He is on the trail at all times, as it seems..
He follows his trail more so than following me..

This brings up a question:
1. talk about the leash... What type of a leash is more appropriate in my case?
2. do i need a harness? If so, what type is the best for a basset puppy?
3. Is there a link recommended on how you train your basset to walk on a leash properly?

Thanks.

Mikey T

1. A simple six foot training lead, I abhor the use of retractable leases for training.

2. A traditional harness actual encourages the dog to pull. A dogs natural reaction is to resist pressure, so pressure across the sternum is resisted by pulling even harder. So if the dog is pulling it is not a good choice. I do not like choke chains, martingales, prong collars or any other device that constricts around the neck or throat of young pups because I think it is too easiy to create premenant physical damage to young pups with these. For older pups and adults the danger is far less. I personally use a sporn harness for dogs this age. Another choise is the sensi-ble harness. A head halter can also be used if you are familiar with the potential risk for neck injuries with these, It also gives you better control of the head.

3, Teaching a basset to "walk on leash" is no different than any other breed. the most important thing however is the define exactly what the criteria is for you that constitutes "proper leash walking" their is no single criteria If for example "proper Leash walking" is simply "never a thight leash" then things like head down and sniffing are immaterial. If however you expect something more like formal healing then head position becomes important as well.

I am going to answer with the most heard least usefull idiom in dog training. You need to be more interesting than dirt!. Now to the more useful. Only be concerned with sniffing if it effects your criteria for proper leash walking other wise simply ignore it. There are a number of simple ways to get and keep the head up while walking if it is important. I find that speed is often a determining factor, that is a dog is more likely to sniff at a slower pace. Pick up the pace and the head often follows. Using a tool such as a touvh stick cand get the head up as well as delivering food reward at proper dog head level while walking,

Sporn Halter

Sensi-ble Halter

Target Stick Basics

Specific Behaviors - loose leash walking
list a number of articles and methodologies

FloppyToby

that's too funny i was gonna ask this question today. toby pulls so bad and if he gets on a scent i might as well forget trying to get him to focus on me.

__________________
A basset is an asset!

bubbad

If you want the puppy/dog to pay attention to you keep small tidbits of treats in your pockets and use them to get his nose off the ground and look at you, when he/she looks at you give the treat. Let him drag the leash around the house a bit, to get use to something being on the collar, but don't allow chewing on the leash. If you are walking and the pup wants to go in another direction just stand and wait when he figures out the only way he can go is the way you are going he will go the direction you want. Don't pull or yank ,just wait,he will get the idea.

SophieB

Bassets are scenting hounds and always walk with their nose on the ground... we once adopted a blind Basset and he could still walk at a fair pace along the lanes, even though he was blind from having suffered Glaucoma and was abandoned by his previous owner. He broke my heart but he had a good life with us and our other Bassets looked after him!

If I were you I would only walk a pup of that age for short walks because long walks can cause joint problems as bassets have 'plates' in their legs that take up to a year to knit together properly and my vet and breeder friends say not to walk them very far until they are 10 -12 mnths of age or their joints can get damaged and cause them to limp.


Edit: Keep Bassets off stairs too

dodolah

I know that I should walk him daily.. but for how long? is an hour a day will be too much or too less?

And as far as the stair thing, it is absolutely no problem.. I have no stairs in the house..

SophieB

Good breeders give their puppy owners good advice and from what my breeder, other breeder friends and my vet have always told me, it's best to take young puppies out for two or three short walks each day (preferable on grass, sand or a soft surface, or it's too much for their legs (due mostly to the joints/growing plates that don't fuse together until they are approaching a year) I remember my vet telling me when I got my pups that I have now, no more than five minutes walk per month in age from about 5-6 months.

An hour's walk is far too long for your 16-week old Basset puppy. Due to the terrific growth rate of young basset hounds there is a huge pressure on the puppies' ligaments, muscles and bone development, so it is recommended to avoid too much walking with a young dog up to 6 months of age and the maximum at six months is no more than 30 minutes in total at one time.

Before they start walking any distance, Basset pup owners can carry out collar and lead training in the garden or a restricted place where the puppy isn't tempted to walk too far. Remember, once the damage is done, it's done, and they have funny little legs and huge joints that are growing. I was always told to let a puppy go for a couple of very short walks and exercise through playing or walking on soft ground, or on a beach or on grass and definitely not walking pavements as it's the hard ground that contributes to the joint damage.

It's good if you live near a beach because walking in sand is excellent and helps young Bassets build muscle without causing 'structural' damage. Too much walking before 10 months or so can cause hip and joint problems in the future.

Mikey T

Growth plates are not exclusive to bassets there is nothing unique about basst that woulds cause them be more prone to growth plate injuries then other breeds.

When it comes to exercise it is alway best to ramp up on endurace you would not want to take a pup with no prior experience on a 1 hour walk. Also keep in mind that time is a inaccurae measurment actual,y measuring distance would be a more uniform measure of effort, energy and work involved.

dodolah

ok.. so, I will take him for a very short walk daily, and the rest will be playing to keep him occupied and burn his energy.
The breeder told me about the pavement thing.. So, I am taking him to the park nearby my house to play and walk a bit. We have quite a big backyard.. so, perhaps for a while, we'll train him walking around our backyard first.

and gradually increase the length and duration of walking overtime..

gsally

Good information here about leads, leashes, harnesses..........What about collars? A basset neck is difficult to fit with a collar!