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to CyberHound So, it is time to pick your new obedience prospect! Whether you have decided to take the plunge into the world of obedience for the first time, or you just want a new challenge, your choice of training partner is pivotal to your training methods, goal expectations, and your future mental and emotional well being.
First of all, make sure that you have plenty of aspirin, a supportive spouse or friend, and a good sense of humor. Nest, you will need to find yourself a dog. Since you are reading this column in the National Breed Club Newsletter, we can assume that you are planning to train a Basset Hound. But what kind of Basset? Should you start with an older dog? A puppy? Should it me male or female?
Of course, there are many factors that will influence your decision; How many dogs you currently own, their age and temperament; if you purchase a puppy, what goals do you want your new dog to accomplish; how much you want to work at training; and most important, how strong is your will and determination.
If you are limited in the number of dogs that you can own, you will no doubt want to do as much as you can with a few dogs. That is really no problem. Basset Hounds are a very versatile breed. I have seen people take dogs that have been bred for generations for the show ring and make them Duel Champions. With the basset’s acute sense of smell, the ability to track or hunt comes naturally. Obedience and Agility titles are also attainable for the average basset. Anyone who have ever owned an escape artist, or accept that they are wrapped around their favorite basset’s paw, realize that bassets are deceptively intelligent. One just needs to keep them motivated and interested to train them. I have never met a basset that could not be trained!
"He’s a 20 watt bulb in a 100 watt socket . . ." "Dumb as dirt . . .", "The world just moves too fast for him . . ." These are some of my all time favorite descriptions of the average male basset. Does this mean that the male is less intelligent then the female (I can get in real trouble with this one)? Of course not. Male bassets just tend to conserve their brain power. They much prefer to sit back and watch the world go by. They act and react based more on instinct, hormones, and motivation rather than by problem solving and higher thinking. You may get the impression that I am "male bashing", but I’m not. My "heart" dog was a male basset. Toby was both a champion and an obedience title holder. I have trained several male dogs and have found them to be more dependable in their performance (under normal situations) then their female counterparts. They also tend to be much more emotionally dependent on their handlers, especially if they have women handlers. Bitches, on the other hand, are often too "quick" for their own handler’s good. They consistently tend to pick up new behaviors faster. They also tend to try to out-think you. More than once, by the time I think that I have trained one of my girls a new exercise, she has already figured out three or four ways to get around doing it. Females also tend to be more intuitive and aware of their handler’s mood. In my experiences, they tend to read my anxieties more accurately and it tends to affect their performances, often for the bad. Mother nature has a lot to say about how you dog will perform whether they are male or female. Bitches react differently at different times of the year due to their heat cycle. Being "in season" not only bars her from the competitive ring, it can also cause your girl to be pre-occupied and uninterested in training sessions. False pregnancies can change your bitches personality. A happy-go-lucky girl can become insecure and overly worried overnight.
Anyone who has ever owned a basset stud knows what happens when he gets a whiff of an "attractive" girl. This is also a concern for your future obedience prospect. It is true that bitches in season can not be exhibited, but unless you train in a bubble, and only attend obedience specialties, it is very likely that, at some point, your male will be ‘thinking’ with something other then his brain.
Of course, there are ways to get around these problems. Neutering or spaying is the easiest solution. If this is not an option, it just means that you will need to be aware of these pit-falls, and train both you and your dog to cope with them.
This decision is totally dependent on your own taste. Age is irrelevant as far as ease of training. Motivation is the key! If your goal is only to receive a "Canine Good Citizen Certificate" or a "Companion Dog" degree, age alone should not be a concern. But be warned, especially if this will be your first obedience dog, you may enjoy this so much that you will be hooked forever and want to continue in training. Obviously, you do not want to start out training a seven year old dog and then realize that he has the mental ability to eventually get his UD (OK, I did, but hindsight is 20/20). If you plan to do advance training with your dog, make sure that you give yourself enough time for training, and that your dog will still be physically able to accomplish your goals.
Physical soundness is a major concern, especially if you plan to do advance training. Fiddle fronts, knuckling over, and weak rears are just some of the problems that can affect a dog’s performance. Some people try to compensate fro an unsound animal and tend to keep their dogs on a light side weight wise to minimize the stress and trauma caused by jumping. Although you should never jump an overweight basset, there is a big difference between good weight and under weight. your dog has to be able to keep its mind on what you want him to do rather than just his constant hunger.
Mental soundness is also very important. Personality and temperament is a major influence on your choice of training partner. Although the "I’m top or else", the "Up-yours", and the Scared of my shadow" types can be trained, life will be much easier if you try to avoid these personality traits. Adults tend to be easier to peg than a puppy in respect to what temperament they have, but extreme personalities are visible at any age. Remember, you want to also be able to live with your basset. You want a dog that will be a buddy as well as a competitor.
Recently, our breed has been getting some bad press regarding their assumed lack of intelligence. I think that the majority of basset owners will disagree with this conclusion. Of course, there will always be a range of intellectual ability within the breed; just as with people. I have trained basset "Einstein’s" as well as the "walking unconscious". In my personal opinion, ‘less’ is ‘more’ when training a hound.
Motivation is the key in training a hound. Keeping your basset’s attention on you and what you want him to do is imperative. The greatest aid to motivation is the basset’s stomach. The best obedience workers are the hounds that have that invisible sign hanging around their necks that states: "Will Work For Food!" Obviously, a basset with a picky appetite will be more of a challenge. But luckily, these individuals are few and far between.
OK, it’s time to choose. If I have not scared you off yet by my column, you now have some new insights to help you find your next obedience dog. So go out there and find your next happy heeler. Remember this motto: What is life without challenges!