RextheOne BassetHound

So my family has had a basset hound for 5 years, they want to get rid of him . So when I heard that my dad was going to git rid of him, I said that I will train him. The thing is I have never trained a basset hound. His name is Rex. The major problem is that he pees on out kitchen floor at least once or twice a day. He also has a bad temperament. A couple times he has bitten people. But I am the only one in my family that really cares about him. He is a very sweet dog after he gets some love and affection. He is only 5 or 6 years old.

I would just like some advice on how I should train him to stop peeing on the floor, and how I could get him to not be so temperamental.
I would really appreciate it. And so would Rex.

henry'smum

Wow your in a tough situation. Im sure Mikey will help. Good Luck though

Callahan

While I certainly don't pretend to be an expert in dog training or dog psychology by any means, I will give some advice that worked for me.

First off, you will go far to make sure Rex gets a lot of exercise, discipline, and love. As the cliche goes, a tired dog is a happy dog.

Second, I think you might want to consult a professional dog trainer because of Rex's history with aggression. A dog that bites humans and other animals when not sick or injured is dangerous and requires the expertise of someone who knows dog psychology. I'm not saying Rex's bad habits cannot be corrected, but they should be taken very seriously with a history of biting. Private training is not cheap, but Callahan and I went a very long way with the guidance of a professional along with my research through reading training books and books specifically on basset hounds.

The part about consulting a professional being said, for Callahan, routine is everything: a 45 minutes fast walk in the morning and evening, meals at the same time once in the morning and once in the evening, complete and constant discipline, and plenty of love when he's behaving or lazing around. If Rex acts out, you must discipline him immediately and consistently. You are alpha, not Rex. When I say discipline, I don't mean abuse. I know there are many schools of thought for training dogs, but I don't believe in physical or harsh verbal punishment of any kind; I'm in the positive reinforcement camp. Callahan is very sensitive, and whacking him, yelling at him, or other abusive techniques would only scare him and make him fear me, not respect me. I'm very stern in my posture and voice when I discipline, showing him that I mean business and I'm not to be crossed. A commanding "No," "Hey," "Off," "Out," "Heel," etc. goes a long way, and physically putting him in submission is a must if he refuses to comply. Also, when I discipline him, I immediately show him what behavior he should be doing: if while playing in the house he begins trying to chew on a table leg, I tell him "Hey!" Once he stops I get his chew toy and place it near him. When he chews that, I tell him "Good Boy!" and give him rubs. If I don't like what he's doing, I replace that action for a preferred one.

Being consistent in discipline is key. If I asked Callahan to stay out of the kitchen while I was preparing his meal and he trotted into the kitchen, I told him "Out!" If he didn't comply, I physically used my legs (gently) to herd him out or took him by the collar and then told him to sit. If he wouldn't sit, I (gently) pushed his rear down to sit. Now he automatically sits outside the kitchen waiting for his meals until I say "Release," and if he dares to go into the kitchen, a stern "Out!" gets him turned around and sitting outside the kitchen. I didn't have to hit him or yell at him; I just had to control him with my stern voice, body language, body, and do it consistently every day for months. It's a slow and frustrating process at times, but it's the only way a dog learns because we cannot sit him down and have a logical discussion as we could an adult. Even then, some adults won't listen.

For house-training, I have less to say about a dog that's been peeing inside for years. I've never housebroke a dog before like you'll need to do with Rex, but I did have to deal with Callahan messing in the house for a couple months of our time together. I recommend getting a super belly band like this to help with accidents: Belly Band I've mentioned this before in another recent thread, so not to sound like a salesperson for the company, but it really helped me in getting Callahan to only go outside. I wouldn't punish Rex, yell at him, or rub his nose in his mess if he goes inside. Doing those things will only confuse him and scare him. Again, replace his bad behavior with good. Keep some tasty treats at the front door or on you that will just be used for potty accidents. You must catch Rex in the action or within seconds of the action. If ten minutes have passed, forget disciplining because you'll only confuse him. If you see him lift his leg or do whatever he does before peeing, make a verbal scene like saying "Oh My! Oh My! Oh My!" to stop him and show him there's something wrong, rush to him and leash him, and take him directly outside to where you want him to pee. Give him a command like "Do Your Business" or "Go Pee." Wait until he is totally finished and give him a treat, petting him saying "Good Boy!" Abusing him physically or verbally in this case will only hurt the situation, I think, while doing the above will teach him that peeing outside gets him love and treats and that dad/mom won't make a weird scene. Callahan loves peeing outside now, and he even lets off a joyful "Hey Pops Looky What I Did!" bark after doing so on occasion, and I stopped giving him treats for it months ago. Also, if he messes inside, don't let him watch you clean it up. He may mistake this to either be a type of play or connect it to when you use a bag outside to clean up his poo. Put him in another room and make the mess disappear. Also, take the same treats with you on all your walks with Rex, and reward him with treats and a "Good Boy!" every time he pees. Again, this will reinforce a positive association with peeing outside rather than inside.

I hope what I've said is useful to you. All of my advice doesn't seem to apply to you, but it does. Rex needs discipline in every aspect of life if you want him to obey and turn around from his bad habits. Simply focusing on what you think are the worst habits won't solve the problems because the causes still exist. If he pulls on walks, try and correct him (good luck!), if he jumps on the couch and you don't want that, correct him, and if he jumps up on you, correct him, etc. The more he listens to you in all aspects of life, the more control you'll have with his aggression and potty training.

Overall, be very patient with the poor fellow and don't get mad at him. He is going to pick up on all of your emotions, so you need to act strong, calm, and in control all the time to let him know that you are alpha, he doesn't control you, and you love him and want him to do well. If you are out of sorts with frustration, go in the bedroom and calm down before working with Rex anymore. At one point, my mother was raising three children by herself, all about one year apart. After working with Callahan, I totally understand where she is coming from when she told me she sometimes had to have my grandmother watch us so she could go in the car and scream at the top of her lungs before going to a movie to calm down. Just like she didn't scream at us, don't let Rex see your frustration; show him your dedication, sternness, and love. He'll get better and love you to death for it. It's a struggle in front of you, but it's a noble cause and I wish you the best.

__________________
-An eager, vocal, crook-kneed Spartan sweeping away the morning dew.

barneysmom2510

I think the aggression issue should be top of the list. What were the situations where he is biting? Fear biting is different than aggressive biting. You are definitely going to have to enlist the help of your family because everyone has to be on the same page as far as training. A call to the vet to explain the aggression issues may help they may have some resources they can recommend to you. It may be because if he wa not properly socialized he has fear aggression and there are ways to work through that.I wish you luck.

__________________
-LISA


Mini daschunds Sadie Lou & Daisy dukes
Chihuahua Lola
Bassett Hound Barney

Lucy&Millie

MikeyT will be along soon to give some fantastic advice too!

Lucy bit people for a short period of time, and I went through all of kinds of trainers and therapists, but it was my Vet that figured it out. Lucy's stomach was very very tender because she was having trouble digesting her food. So whenever someone would try to pet her near her stomach, she would bite. Poor girl was in so much pain, and I didn't even realize it!

So, before you start training, check with your Vet. Let them know all of your concerns. They can do a full physical to make sure nothing is wrong, and then point you in the right directions.

I will say this, all of these "problems" generally have a solution. It will take hard work, consistency, and lots of effort, but it can be overcome! :-)

__________________
Lucy - Age 6?
Millie - Age 2

Soundtrack

Unfortunately, dogs with a bite history are usually NOT adopted out, they are euthanized. You cannot in good conscience pass an aggressive dog on to an unsuspecting family.

You need to work with a professional behaviorist to see what, if anything, can be done to help the situation.

It's sad when a dog loses his home (and possibly his life) because the humans can't be bothered to train and socialize him.

__________________
Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT
Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT
Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT
Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life
Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass
Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN
Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion
Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise
Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye
Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound
Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance

bubbad

I agree with Soundtrack.It isn't impossible to work this out but you need help.To have allowed him to become this way is usually the humans fault and to allow it for this long makes the situation that much harder to fix. For myself ,personally,I would not allow a dog of mine who would bite to be someone else's problem and I would have it put down myself. I'm not saying you should do that, just that I would if I could not fix the situation.

Soundtrack

As far as the housebreaking goes, it's done the same as if he were a puppy. He must be supervised at all times when loose in the house, TAKEN OUTSIDE (not put out) when he shows signs of needing to go and rewarded for relieving himself outside, and crated or otherwise confined when he can't be watched.

__________________
Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT
Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT
Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT
Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life
Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass
Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN
Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion
Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise
Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye
Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound
Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance