Newmom

We have had our basset puppy Hudson since mid April. I was posting on here before but for the most part just been reading and gaining mountains of advice!! I now need some specific advice.

Hudson is 8 and half months old. He is wonderful for the most part, but has developed a little problem lately. When we have finished supper, had our walk and are settling down for the night the drama begins. I will be sitting on the couch trying to watch tv when he will start jumping on the couch and trying to rip apart the pillow. He knows this is not permitted and so being a basset it becomes a battle of wills. This is the main pillow in the couch so simply removing it is not an option. This will escalate to him jumping and biting me, barking and simply not leaving me alone. I have tried ignoring him and not reacting to the behavior, redirection, putting him outside for a few minutes to change his mind set. My husband wants to put him in his crate but I don't think that is the answer either as the crate is in another room and he would just get more riled up. He is not an aggressive dog, I can take anything from him with no fear of him biting. He is extremely attached to me, I don't know if that has something to do with it?

Sorry for the long post, but really hoping for some words of wisdom to make my evenings peaceful again.

dreamons

You didn't say how he spends the day leading up to this. When mine do this it usually means they want to play and burn off some energy. Playing tug with a rope toy works great for mine. Daisy will also play fetch once in awhile and Maggie loves to play tug a war with her rope. Also if he is use to doing something like a walk and hasn't gotten it yet that might be another reason. Mine do this for a car ride everyday but that's another story.

SophieB

Newmom, I have a feeling that Hudson is a bored boy and is looking for attention and maybe someone to play with him. As Dreamons said, what does he do all day? Does he get walked to burn off energy or is he left alone? What a shame that your husband wants to put Hudson in a crate!

If you don't mine me saying, does your husband really like having Hudson or is he jealous because Hudson is attached to you so he wants him out of the way in his crate. It might be an idea if your husband takes him for a walk to give him some attention and to burn up his energy.... or better still, play with him. Our Basset girls are over three years of age and both still often play like pups, as we have always played with them and they both love running up and down our passage and hall, chasing furry balls or teddies and fetching them back to my husband and myself.

Annie714

Yeah sounds to me like Hudson is screaming for attention. I know you have given him attention via a walk, but he must want some playtime as well. Fetch is easy enough to play and maybe some things for him to chew on to keep busy.

Annie is almost 7yrs old and she still plays and runs around like a puppy.

__________________
Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

Newmom

He is crated when alone during the day but the grandparents do come in about mid day and take the boys for a walk, we have greyhound as well. He is walked every night before we settle for the evening and there is lots of play time too like tug of war is a staple on the way back home from the walk with his rope toy. I would prefer to put hubby in the crate lol. The crate is not an option as far as I am concerned. I am not having as much time in the evening as I did before as I am in physio and have an hour worth of exercise I have to do that is not helping. I am going to have to try and come up with something to help. Hubby has not problem if he is tearing around the house or if we are playing fetch and making all kinds of chaos. He just does not like when he gets biting me and just obsessed with pillow. I have ordered a slipcover for the couch for the dogs that will completely take the pillow off limits so maybe that will help too. I will just have to tire him out more before TV time I guess.

henry'smum

Hen liked to worry the sofa cushions, we tied some socks together at the top so it looked kind of like an octopus and persuaded him to play with that, he can thrash it around, throw it beat it you name it and he cant hurt anything - well except for when he whips your legs with it! Now we encourage him to kill it as soon as he would have normally been at the sofa and we tell him how brilliant he is - lots of yays!!!- and touch wood no more biting / digging of us or the sofa.
1 question, is he neutered as we had an entire hound that would nip at you to display dominance. Testicals went, problem subsided [im still working on testing this theory on my husband but so far he isnt liking it!]

Newmom

Hudson has a thing for zippers, he has destroyed the zippers on both dog beds and is now working on the zippers of the couch cushions. He just wants to destuff anything that has a zipper. He is a clever little boy him. I am off to buy some velcro to try and fix the dog beds so our poor old boney greyhound has something soft to sleep on besides the couch. He is neutered and has been since he was six months. I am also going to buy some new toys today and see if I can find something that is more enticing than the couch. He is a sock monger as well so I may go through hubby's drawer and find some to donate to the cause.
Thanks so much everyone for your suggestions. I have to figure out how to add some pics of my handsome boy.

Orion

Ha!! Too funny!

Mikey T

Please explain how you know this.? especial considering he is doing it how is it not permitted.



1. a walk especial one at a basset sniffiang pace is not a big energy burner for the dog you need exercise that is an energy purner with pups/ My suggestion is tuq but any high energy game will work

2. so destroying the zipper on the dog bed is acceptable but not the couch?

3. That might be part of the problem What is happening is the dog is getting overly excited and when that happens the brain shuts off no training can occur. The crate or some other method of issolation for only a brief period of time ccan be a very effective way to calm the dog so ytou can then train a more appropriate behavior. also you need to start picking up the signes an ratchinging down the behavior before it gets to the point of no return. beside the time out other methods that work are disruptive stimuli that is something that makes the dog stop then you have the opurtunity in the lull to train a more appropriate behaviore. Shouting no, or a load band ie droping a book on the floor ets. a squirt bottle with water, a shker can filled with pennies. many call this punishment when using the behaviors deffinition of punishment they clearly are not they do not reduce the occurance of a behavior they simply stop the behavior for a moment.

So what you got is an adolecesent that gets too rambuction at 7:30 - 8:00 clock on a regular schedule because well he has been allowed to. You need to start working on teaching the dog self control. on qood way to start is the follow exercise It is not a matter of tiring the dog out a good hunting dog will tire out long after you do, you need to teach the dog to relax in highly stimulating environments as well


and for more on self control please read the follow articles
Overstimulation and the Hyperactive dog


Lowereing Arousal

Guidelines for Teaching Self Control



4.it is not quite that simple you need to teach him to be able to relax and amp up and calm withouth going over the top. Tug is a useful way to do this When the the dog start to get overly excited tuppign have him release the toy and waite patiently for you to start. it can be a powerful tool in teaching selfcontrol on the other hand when not played by rules it can send drive through the roof.

Mikey T

5. You might want to consider creating something acceptable to chew on and destroy that is simillar to the dog bed couch cushion etc and play a game of substitution ie give him the more appropriate toy. I would recommend one of the skinneeze water bottle toys with a velcor closure. remover the toy and stuff with batting Provided the dog does thot eat the stuffing trhe toy can be resuffed and used over and over again


Skinneeez Big Bite Water Bottle Toys