FrankiePanks

Frankie joined our family when he was 8 wks old. 90 % of the time he is perfect (for a puppy, ) but he has been showing alarming signs of aggression when he does not want to be moved. Sometimes when we want to pick him up from his bed to go pee, take him inside after play, take him of the couch or out of his crate - he growls and if we continue to remove him, he bites. Today it was pretty bad as he bit down to my finger bone. It is not a problem with his territory as alot of the time my 2 young children are laying in his bed with him and he is happy with company. Same with feeding time...we can put our hands nears his bowl when he eats and he is fine. Just seems to be isolated to moving him when he is content. We briefly tried putting him on his back but this just feeds his aggression and escalates the situation. Our reputable breeder suggested grabbing his snout and squeezing tightly but this he continues to gnarl and bite when certain situations presents itself. We have been gentler in our approach when it is time for him to move but do not want (or cant with 2 small children) to tiptoe around him forever. I would love some advice....feeling like I am the only one with a biting basset.

dreamons

Is he asleep when this happens?

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Maggie Mae- Basset
Daisy Wiggles- Basset
Yogi Titus- Puggle (He thinks he's a Basset)
Carly Ann - Toy Poodle
Copper -(Speed-bump) Basset Foster

Lisa and joey

Hello. I don't think it would be to cool to grab him because it may make him more angry. I'm sure there will be a solution to your question and one of the Profesionals will help you. My pup is 4 months and if we need to move him while he's asleep or take him for a pee then we will call his name quietly just enough to wake his so he is aware of what we are doing and he has always been fine with it xx


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Jnfr

My 13 yo basset does that if we wake him from a dead sleep. Generally, we just call his name and give him a pat on the butt to wake him and get him moving, use the "key" words.... Come on Jake, lets go outside...

This works pretty well with us

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Jnfr

Sophie (ATB (1996-2010)
Abby (ATB 2010 - 2012)
Jake (2001 - )
Ellie (2012 - )

FranksMum

Much as this shouldn't get to biting, this isn't rare for the Basset, especially the males. You have to approach the getting off things from a different angle. Built into this breed, which is a pack hound, is the need to defend what he sees as 'his'. And no this isn't right in a family situation, but to help you understand what's going on. And this is where applied psychology comes into it.

1. Don't let him get anywhere that may need for him to be removed
2. When/if he does, BRIBE HIM off. I know the purists will be screaming at me, but fact is if you back a hound into a corner, or perceived corner, then this is often what will happen. It makes for far easier living if you avoid - even if it means offering him something he wants so he moves.

Sorry, but a 'reputable breeder' would never encourage you to grab and hold hard, his 'snout'. This is only going to escalate the already tense situation. Of course you need to make him aware that you are in charge, but not like this. If you need for him to go out to pee and he's on his bed, use a slip lead to get him out. I only have to show mine his lead and he gets up!!! Mind you there's not a nasty bone in his body - he'd not dare!!

I am concerned that you have two smalls in the middle of this behaviour and I wish I could be there to see exactly how he's behaving because if you DO have an aggressive 11 week old Basset, you have a big problem. I just think you've not figure out what makes him tick yet. Go easy on him - Bassets are also gentle creatures, but if faced with something they can't deal with (or don't want to!!) then they may well react like this. Try lightening up - back off when how you are treating him isn't working. Make what you want 'fun'. This applied psychology thing means making him think what you want, was his idea all along.

Some inherently shy individuals, can go to 'fear biting' when confronted. But most Basset problems are just down to incorrect handling of a given situation, especially if he did come from somebody reputable!!

Wioleta

Molly zonks out on the couch a couple of hours before I go to bed at night. I have to wake her up for one last potty break if I don't want her waking me up at 3 am for the first potty break of the next day.

All I have to do is go out to the kitchen and open up her treat bag. No matter how soundly she appears to be sleeping, she can hear and smell that I've opened the treats and suddenly she's wide awake and ready to go. She'll follow me outside and I do give her a treat then to reward her for that. Then I usually give her one more after she's done her business.

I do not have to forcefully wake her or remove her from the couch.

I think you should try something like that. Wake him up gently if you need to and use treats to entice him to go where you want.

Emma's mum

You are not alone! Our 12 week old Bassett does the same growling even if she is not sleeping. I carried her a few times from her bed to potty before bedtime and she just refused to nudge. She looked at me with those droopy eyes and in the beginning when she growled, I would give her a firm NO. She responds great with NO even on biting/chewing furniture, Xmas tree, anything. And she never quite does it with me anymore. She does it to the children sometimes so I have to teach them to be firm with her. Treats are a great idea too! I used that sometimes because she is getting too heavy to carry actually.


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CatherineM

Gandy is a complete grouch when woken up or comfy in his favorite chair (which is any chair he's in). I can get away with a growl but he will snap at my husband.

I suspect they were talking about bassets when they coined the phrase about letting sleeping dogs lie.


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Lisa and joey

God I wish my boy would respond to "no". When I say no he thinks I'm playing x


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mydawgz

My Benson did not like to be moved. The toughest for me was moving him out of the way if he was standing at the door and trying to get outside. If I nudged him aside, he growled. If he was on a chair and I wanted to move him from the chair he would growl....I never figured out how to stop that behavior. I can't help but I can identify.


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