Cassidy

Hi! I'm new to this forum. We have a 14 week old basset named Fergus. Fergus is our first dog and my first basset. He's usually sweet as a lamb, but lately is reaching an obstinate phase. I'm looking for suggestions for the barking. We play with him, walk him and give him toys, but sometimes he'll just 'go nuts' and bark at us endlessly.

Any suggestions for distracting him and getting him to stop faster? A simple No isn't working. I tried a loud noise, but that seems to only stop it for a minute.

Mikey T

a loud No! can work the same way. That is exactly they way they were designed to work. They give you a momment to train a more appropriate behavior. Without training a new more appropriate behavior it does not work.

see Citronella Collar which works the same way for the vast majority of dogs

Note that the distruptive stimulus is more effect long term than punishmentwhen it is coupled with training a more appropriate behavior.

For most dogs barking is an attention seeking behavior. For dealing effectively with Attention seeking behavior see Harmony Programme

Kirska

I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but if he were my dog, something I would try is when he starts getting into a barking fit, turn away from him and refuse to look at him or pay him any attention, and as soon as he stops and is silent for a few seconds praise and treat.

Every basset I've ever met is very food driven so incorporating treats for rewarding good behavior should help. When our basset first came home we had a bag of treats in just about every room so we could quickly praise her for something good, though be aware that if the treats add up you have to feed less. Most of the experts I have come across including the trainer that taught our basset basic obedience agree that rewarding good behavior is more effective and beneficial in the long run than scolding bad behavior.

__________________
Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

Cassidy

Thanks so much for the advice. Sounds like we're mostly on the right track. I guess I wasn't sure how to reward the right behavior. Thanks for the help! We'll just work on a loud noise to stop it and praise with treats when he's quiet. Thanks again! So glad I joined up here. They're sweet dogs and I'm so happy we have him.

Mikey T

There is one drawback that is the dog learn it must first bark in order to be rewarded for being quite. It pays at time to place the dog in situation in which it normally barks and to reward it for being quite before it has a chance. When and if it barks the reward goes away until quite again. This set the president to not use barking as a mechanism to get a treat.

dogbite-expert

Sounds like your Basset as so many do is demanding your attention with
barking. You have tried no, noise etc but you have always responded and
he gets you to do something.

The key is to wait him out. Like a baby that cries knowing that his parents
can't stand it for too long and come and give him the attention he desires,
your dog has got you on the hook.

I know Bassets have a really intense bark but you must "ignore" him
for as long as you can. Hounds are meant to chase until they practically
drop. Most humans, especially after a tough day don't have that kind of
staying power. He wins, you lose.

Hang in there, wear ear plugs, headphones or whatever but don't react or respond till he stops, then quickly praise him. If he starts again, ignore him
again.

Think about this...Are you giving your beloved pet "too much love" and is
he somewhat addicted to it and are you addicted to petting him.

Ron Ron Berman - Dog Expert, Bite Expert, D.A.B.F.E., Expert Witness and Consultant for Litigation

Cassidy

Thanks for the advice. Even though I know we're supposed to ignore him, it's hard. I will try harder. Thanks!

Welshtyke

Bassets are pack animals, they really need to be in pairs. Get another hound

Mikey T

The problem is those that advocate ignoring the barking so it is not reinforced and there by the behavior becomes extinct over time. Forget to tell you of the consequences of such an approach The first being a phenonenom known as an extinction burst in which when a previously reinforced behavior is no longer rewarded the behavior gets worse (i.e. louder, more frantic, longer in duration) before it ends making it exponential harder to simply ignore. As with behavior like barking there are usually neighbor and the like that need to be considered as well. Not all of them are to keen on the ignore it approach when it result in some distrubence to themselves.

2. attention seeking behavior because of a percieved need by the dog that is not being met. While it may be possible to extinct a behavior by ignoring it. It does not fundamentally change the dogs need. That leaves the dog to find an even more obnoxious behavior that can't be ignored to use instead. Instead one must then teach the dog a less obnoxious/aceptable behavior to use to seek attention i.e. sitting quitely. see
Stopping Negative Behavior Positively
3. Not meeting the needs of the dog fundementally changes the relationship between the dog and owner and not for the better.

Interesting analogy. The thing is studies show that a crying baby that gets attention immeadiately is less need over time than those that let to cry. There are also studies that suggest possible long term harm from letting a baby cry for prolonged period of time.

Cry It Out: The Potential Dangers of Leaving Your Baby to Cry
Excessive Crying Could Be Harmful to Babies
The harmony Program I linked to above takes these finding into account. It is bases on giving the attnetion seeking dog the attention it seeks immeadately which over time reduces the neediness of the dog, Also being proactive and giving the dog attention before it has to ask as well. It avoids the problems most have with ignoring the behavior because quite simple the dog has learned a behavior that quite simply the owner is not capable of ignoring so such advice is basically useless.

While simply ignoring an attention seeking behavior can work for most it never does because the advice simply can not be followed. It is also not without potential longterm problems which those that offer the advice fail to mention. It is why a general offer an alternative method that also can work and in general has few adverse consequences associated with it.

This might be appropriate advice if the barking behavior was occuring when no one is home, which is not what has been presented, which is clearly an attention seeking behavior. Adding another dog could make the behavior worse not better as the owners attention becomes further devided. While most basset are social and like the company of other dogs there are certainly the exceptions as well that would be better of in a single dog household.

SophieB

You're so right.... that's why we have always kept two or three Bassets together, always a variety of ages apart from when we decided to get two litter sisters two years ago.... and it must be very boring for a single Basset as they adore a Basset pal to play, sleep and get into mischief with and they have each other for company if we go out for two or three hours as well as our much older Cocker Spaniel.

My two sister hounds go around like a little gang and they also always rest at the same time and if one's in their bed, so is the other, if one's outside so is the other, they do everything together. They love to play around the garden together, chasing each other in and out of the house, chasing through the shrubs, running over the sun beds and generally having a fun time! They even steal the runner beans together... several Bassets together have always been a total joy to be owned by.