monty2011

I am quite upset although it may seem rediculous. I had people over tonight and Monty was extremley badly behaved. Whats worse these people are cat people and wonder why you'd want a 'stupid dog'. I feel terrible because it is my fault as an owner for not being able to curb these behaviours and at the end of the day a dog only understands what you teach it. here is an overview of Monty:
He is six months old. He can sit, sit and stay for a treat, walks well on a lead beside me and doesnt pull and will stop imediatley if i say stop and he will sit at the traffic lights.he comes when i call(outside in the park not in the house really). I get him to sit and wait when feeding him until the bowl is on the floor. He isnt a barker, he only barks during play sometimes and in garden while im inside cleaning. He is very freindly to other people and dogs.

His problems are-mouthing, when i go to stroke him he just eats my hand, he has improved, he doesnt bite down but if he catches you the wrong way it hurts!, Jumping up-i have been trying for ages to solve this, when i approach him i say sit with my hand down flat, i dont pet him untl he sits and if he jumps i move away again. Eating out of the cat litter tray, trying to eat off counters/out of the bin. running over the sofa chasing the cat. he is hyper-i want to play with him but he is heavy, he jumps on me and has headbutted my in the face a few times-that hurts!

He gets at least an hour a day of excercise plus playtime. he sees people and other dogs when he is out as i live in a city. Last week he came on holiday with me and a freind-his first holiday and first time on a train-he was brilliant and you'd have thought he was a seasoned traveller!

Tonight was unfortunatley bad. People arrived and he jumped all over them. They tried to stroke him and he just mouthed them, their clothes and tried to eat their feet. he tried to eat food, he jumped all over people and sent a drink flying up my wall. to top it off he went over and pee'd on the carpet while just looking at everyone. These people have never owned a dog and are cat people. One was pushing him away when he was trying to jump up, monty then took this to mean wrestleing and began to mouth and bark. another kept waving their hands at him and he kept trying to catch their finger with his mouth. Another was screaming at him and he got more excited and someone also told him to F-Off. I felt sorry for him because it isnt his fault he doesnt understand and it isnt fair because he misses out then-when he even came near anyone people didnt want him anywhere near them-and he likes people. I felt people were going to really lose it at him because i was putting out food on a low coffee table and he'd eat it so i put him in the garden on his long leash and gave him his dinner. Then no one wanted him back in and i felt so sorry for him. Instead people fussed around my cat never mind that the hair flies out of her and people fed her off their plates!!! I looked outside and was actually heartbroken,there was Monty just sat in the dark and in the rain,silently staring at the back door not even moving with his little sad face waiting on someone to come and get him.Once we finished our food i refused to leave him sat out there for hours. I brouhgt him in and held him by the collor for a while until he calmed a bit. Then i got him a bone i got from the butchers and made him sit and take it gently from me-people were shocked he could do this. He was occupied then and was later ready to sleep.

I felt so awful after. I called him over and he wouldnt come over. Later he lay down beside me but after a minute got up and moved away and curled up on his own. I felt rejected and like id been cruel to him-is it possible for a dog to be annoyed at you like this??? Or is it that basset attitude just-were they can be aloof at times-i find monty is like this if he's interested in something else and i feel rejected sometimes

Please help, how do clam him down when people are over. It isnt fair on him, i want to be able to have people over and relax and for Monty to behave enough so that people like him and he can enjoy the attention. I am firm with him, he gets a firm no and a rap on the nose when he does something bad. But he stops and then later will do the same thing again. I understand that if you dont like dogs this would be hard to handle-but i hate the thought of people being nasty to him when really he is a very sweet dog.

I read on another site that someone runs with their 7month old basset pup, i heard it was good for running off their energy because theyre bred to hunt for hours. I was thinking of taking up running-is this a good idea or not because i worry about his bones still developing-mind you i really cannot run very far Also, i am going to get him neutered next month so hopefully this should help his hyperactivity.

Can anyone help with the mouthing espcially-i worry someone who doesnt know dogs will think he is biting out of aggression.

Monty is the best decision i made, i live on my own and am unwell and he has really added quality to my life and actually has improved my health. i love his energy even if it is annoying at times and giving him away is simply NOT an option-i hate even typing the idea!

Id really appreciate help, im already feel terrible so please can people be nice and not shout at me.

thank you

bassetmom26003

If he would be quiet I would probably crate him when you have guests, especially if they are not fond of dogs. Try a kong loaded with filling and that should help keep him happy. If you want to introduce Monty to guests when they come, you could leash lead him around for greetings. He is still a pup I love dogs but even I get annoyed if they are behaving badly, and if I am at a party I worry they may get into something they shouldn't, lol

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"A basset is an asset" Kathy, Miss Annie Gotcha Day 4/27/11, and Angel Bentley ATB 3/1/11 gone but forever in my heart

Annie714

I agree with Kathy on the crate thing, because in reality...you have a house full of guests and can't tend to him. He is young so his behavior doesn't surprise me. And none of it makes you a bad owner. He is a puppy! Puppies mouth and tug and play, you can't and shouldn't want to change that.

If you have a group over again just keep him occupied in his crate, take him out to potty and eat and then if you want to keep him among the group maybe keep his leash attached to you so he can't run off and counter surf and try to play with people who don't want to play.

I am also one of those people who feels bad when my dog can't be involved. I feel like I'm hurting her feelings. But I don't think she ever holds a grudge against me for time not spent with her and I don't think Monty will hold a grudge against you either.

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MollyMcFrecklesMom

Poor Monty. He's at that same stage Winston is at. Hyper, teething, and still learning manners. Quite frankly, it's no wonder Monty got progressively excited, as the guests' reactions looked like invitations to play from Monty's perspective. You did the right thing as far as giving him a bone from the butcher. I often save special treats for my two when I need them to be quiet. My last dog Zoey was an incessant barker when guests came over. I had my guests throw her ball or play with one of her toys with her. This calmed her a bit and she got her "oh look, it's a new person to play with" excitement out of her system. The mouthing will get better. Monty is getting his big dog teeth and mouthing helps sooth his sore gums. It's also how puppies play. As long as he has good bite inhibition, this is all normal.

Have patience with Monty and ask your guests to do the same. As far as him holding a grudge, well, things happen and dogs are very forgiving. Don't beat yourself up.

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Michelle - proudly owned by Molly (21 mos) and Winston (14 months).

Molly McFreckles' World:
The adventures of a Basset Hound living with Addison's Disease and a baby brother named Winston

CatherineM

Mine is just a bit older than yours, and he is very rambunctious right now. He needs to be "snipped" but the vet wants to wait a few more months to help with his bone development. He started nibbling on my hand a bit hard, and I took my hands and held his mouth closed, stared at him and showed him my teeth. He backed right down.

When I have company, I just fill his treat ball.

Princess Buttercup

Oh so sorry I think we've all had our dogs embarrass us once & awhile. I'd take it as a sign to have more dinner parties with just a few that are definite dog people using the suggestions above. This way he can get used to his party manners with people who will appreciate what he has learned & laugh at his puppy faux pas (err paws). However, no matter how bad Princess Buttercup could behave if anyone ever told her to f-off, I'd have to remind them she lives here & they don't! Grrr... & hang in there.

Wworm

Monteeee.....!!

well, u r a smart boy! at six months, i didn't know most of the things u know like commands and stuff. i didn't start school until 7 months. and even now, at almost a year, i don't know loose-leash walking, my person says. definitely not like u. all that to say, that it takes some time to work on these things. that u know a lot of the other things is a good sign! u can learn and work for treats, for example!

sorry u had a hard night of partying. i agree w/bassetmom and annie that a crate is very useful, but dunno if u usually use a crate?

when i was 5 months old, we had a holiday party w/30 people. wow! my person kept me in the crate the last hour before the party because they were so busy preparing. then when the guests started coming, they kept me in the crate another 20-30 min, when i couldn't stand it anymore and started whining/barking in my crate. all these people were looking in at me, like i was in a cage at the zoo-- hey, i wanna join the parteee too! let me out!

so they did. my person had to trade off w/my other roommate auntie M. and her Dad. at least one person was watching me the whole time, while another person took care of food, drinks, guests, etc. my grandpoppie took me out to piddle/poo every hour or 2. my bladder was small at the time. all that to say, it would be good to be able to trade of watching Montee when u r hosting a partee. and if u can't, then tie him outside or put into the crate.

i did ok at the partee and i even retired earlie. i slunk into the bedroom climbed up the doggie stairs, laid on the bed and slept. a very astute infectious diseases expert at the party said to my person, "is he sick?" "he seems tired." she was right and couple days later is when they found i was full of worms, worms, worms still. yeck. all that to say perhaps i woulda been a bigger pain at the partee if i wasn't sick w/worms. hence the name. but i digress. sorry it is late.

a coupla ideas fer ya. when i was in puppy school, my teacher addressed jumping on people and what to do. unfortunately, this wasn't one of my main issues, so we didn't pay that much attention. but yeah, methinks it has something to do with ignoring him when he jumps. i'm sure Mikey T can give u more info on that. But then, the key is, that u then practice with a friend of your person's. Like a friend who understands puppies and dogs. Ya gotta practice having them ring the doorbell and coming inside and not jumpin' on them. And practice havin' them play w/u and u not jumpin' on them or being too mouthy. PRACTICE = lotsa treats! yeah, and can also use clicker training to help Montee understand even more clearly what u want him to do and what not to do. Practice one week w/a friend, then next week w/a different friend. Then practice w/2 friends together, etc. Methinks Montee will soon get the hang of it... then u can have company over again w/out all the headache.

Also, i been meaning to post this, but haven't had time (the house is going crazy preparing for the bday party... we r running around like dogs without tails ).

I think it could work w/the mouthing problem. And also the recent posts on aggression & food and toys. I believe one of the Flash's mom's has a current issue on this. And Mikey T posted something good on how to do exchanges w/dogs.

Well, i wanted to pipe in that i used to have lotsa problems picking up stix and chewing them and eating them, and my person didn't know what to do. i'm better now, but will still sneak a stix when i can every now and then. anyways, my teacher Mrs. C taught this very simple exercise:

1. Pick a phrase, any phrase that works for ur situation. We used "drop it" for the stix. Later did the same thing w/"here, boy!" for long-range recall, but essentially the same exercise. u can use "stop it" or "leave it" or really, whatever u want.

2. 10 times/day (but ya gotta do it 10x every day! but Montee will love u for it), out of the blue, say the phrase, and as soon as u say it, have treats nearby and grab them and put them in the same place every time (my person puts her hand next to her knee). VERY soon, doggie learns to come to u expecting a treat. in the midst of doing so, it stops whatever it is doing (ie. Worm drops the stick, perhaps Montee would stop mouthing, perhpas Flash would drop the toy-- now i don't know about the piece of butcher meat, that is harder, etc.)

3. it requires u to have treats handy where u can reach them. do it whenever he is next to u, or when he is in the other room. but it is amazing and the dog will often drop whatever it is doing to come to u.

4. When u r first training, ALWAYS give a treat. the dog learns that it is super-reliable to come to u when u say that phrase, that he will get a reward. if ur dog hesitates to do this exercise, u can use higher value treats, like boiled chicken, beef, sausage, hot dogs. esp if he hesitates, use this type of treat ONLY for this exercise. it becomes even more effective if he NEVER gets that type of food, EXCEPT during this exercise. this is what i do for Worm-- he gets chicken hot dogs only for long-range recall when he is playing off-leash. because he loooves hot dogs, he comes every time.

anyways, when we first did "drop it" he would do it even without special treats. he actually did it for plain kibble, so that is what i use. he probably would also come long-distance for plain kibble, but because it is a bit risky when he is off-leash (and far away from me), i decided to use hotdogs which guarantee that he comes back. i actually haven't really tried other things for the long-range recall.

yeah, so the exercise is good and works, and doesn't necessarily involve exchanging anything. just diverts dog's attention to u, so it stops doing the thing u don't want it to do (ie. mouthing...)

anyways... all that to say, Montee, u r very young and u r still learning. u did good w/learning so far, and i bet u will learn more and more as u get older, and then make ur person proud...!! ur person loves u a lot and u r very good for them. please keep us posted, esp if it gets better.

--your pal, Worm

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Soundtrack

Instead of locking him away, why not use having guests over as a training opportunity to show him what behavior is expected from him when there is company. Be prepared with him on leash. He can't be jumping and mouthing if he is required to sit quietly or lie down. Obnoxious behavior can be stopped and redirected immediately if you have the leash.

Real friends will understand that you are training a *puppy* and he can't be expected to be perfect at this age.
Some of your guests sound pretty rude, TBH.

The peeing was probably a stress reaction.

And seriously, putting food out within reach of a basset? Forget about that, it's just an invitation. It is the extremely rare basset who can be trained no to take food that's sitting within reach.

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Mr. Woofus

Ummm, we are talking about a basset right Nothing to see here.

bubbad

Exactly, Mr Woofus ! He is a puppy.PUPPY.Puppies get overly excited at company-THEN- the people wave their hands and shout at him. I think your guests were out of control,he thought they were playing with him. You are exactly right when you say you need to teach the puppy.Some people don't get that,you do,you're ahead of the game. Ask people to stay calm around him and ignore him,no matter what he does,or if things get out of hand put him in a crate in a quiet room for a break.Take him out when a few of the people leave but keep him on a leash in case he tries to jump up,then you have control.He wants to be good he just doesn't know how to control his impulses yet.Some of that will come with age,keep working with him,you haven't lost the battle. Puppies grow up so quickly,hard to beleive my 8 are almost 10 weeks old.