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to CyberHound Although each dog brings a new set of challenges, the method I present below is the one that I have found to be the most successful. Of course, I do not consider myself an expert; but I have trained half a dozen dogs to retrieve (four of them bassets), and I have helped many others, quite a few of them children in 4-H programs, to teach their dogs to become reliable retrievers.
Although there are always exceptions to every rule, the universal unwritten law when it comes to basset hounds and retrieving is that they would much rather watch you do the fetching then participate themselves. This could well be genetic code in the dog itself. Many professional dog trainers agree that, overall, hounds and terriers are the most difficult type of dogs to train to retrieve.
Accepting this knowledge as a foundation, it is our task as trainers to overcome this obstacle and create a dog that is enthusiastic and reliable when it comes to retrieving. We can fall back on the two cardinal rules when it comes to a basset’s mind set:
1. I can be bribed (with the right type and quantity of food) to do just about anything!
2. I bore easily!
In the beginning, you can expect a period of clashing wills (and will nots) between you and your dog. You do not want to start right off with a dumbbell, as there may be seeds of resentment planted against this first training object in your dog’s mind. Start with a piece of dowel, approximately 12" in length and the dimension of a nickel. Let your dog hate the dowel rather than the object that you will need him to love. You must also decide on what commands you want to use. "Take It" or "Fetch" are the two most common for the actual retrieve. You will also be using a "Hold" command to teach the dog to keep the object in his mouth, and an "Out" or "Give" command to release the object. Whatever words you decide to use, you must stick to them so there will be as little confusion with your dog as possible. Start with you sitting down on the ground, and your dog sitting on your left. Holding the end of the dowel with your right hand, place it in front of your dog’s mouth and give the command "Take It" (or whatever word you have decided to use). With the thumb and middle finger of your left hand, reach over his muzzle and apply pressure just behind his canines. The pressure of his teeth against his lips should make him open his mouth. At that point, slip the dowel past the dog’s front teeth to rest behind his canines in the well area of his mouth. Release the pressure on his lips, but keep your left hand over the dog’s muzzle, and stroke the dog’s under jaw with your right hand while alternating words of praise with the command "Hold" or Hold it". In one fluid movement, reach with both hands to take each side of the dowel, and tell your dog "Out" or "Give". Make sure the dowel does not move, and the dog is the one that back his mouth off of it. If your dog does not release the dowel (it could happen), use your two index fingers as hooks, push them behind the dowel into your dog’s mouth. Roll the dowel clockwise. Your finger should be pressing against the inside of your dog’s bottom jaw, and opening his mouth. Again, it is important the dog backs away from the dowel rather than the dowel being removed from his mouth.
Now that your basset is sitting their with a shocked look on his face, give him lots of and tell him how much fun that was. Repeat this action five to six times and call it good for this session. You do not want your dog to become bored or resentful with this. Ideally, you should repeat several sessions daily until your dog will open his mouth at the command "Take It" with no pressure on his lips.
You may be saying that "Gee, this sounds easy, there must be a catch". You're right! Most bassets will be less than motivated to stick something in their mouth at their handler’s direction that is not digestible. A stronger form of persuasion is often necessary. The method that I use is ear pinch.
If your dog refuses to open his mouth to take the dowel (the ones that clinch their teeth are real fun); with your thumbnail, press into the inside of your dog’s ear. As he opens his mouth to yelp, release the ear and slide the dowel into your dogs mouth. Continue with the "Hold" and "Out" portion of the lesson.
You may think that pinching your dog’s ear is cruel, but read these cardinal rules before you decide:
An alternate method of compliance would be a collar twist high on your dog’s neck. I don’t like this method as well as I believe the dog is to concerned about breathing to make a connection with opening his mouth to take a object.
Make sure that your dog understands the concept of "Take It", "Hold" and "Out" before you proceed to this level. This time, you should be on your feet, though bent down to your dog’s level. Hold the dowel approximately 6 inches away from your dog’s face. Tell him to take it. Ideally, he should reach out for it. You may have to encourage your dog to move by giving him a tug or two with the lead. After your dog takes the dowel in his mouth, tell him to "Hold it", and back away, giving him alternating "Hold" and "Come" commands. Have the dog completely turn around and face you, and sit in front, in a regular "Come" position. If he drops the dowel, replace it in his mouth and continue with the exercise. With him sitting in front of you, reach down and take hold of both sides of the dowel. Give him the release command, and again, make sure that the dog backs his head away from the dowel. Release him and give him tons of praise and goodies. Don’t be surprised if at first your basset can’t walk and hold the dumbbell at the same time. Just have patience. Again, you only want to do four or five retrieves per session, but you can work several sessions per day to help your dog understand what you are asking him to do.
Once he will reach out for the dowel, begin to lower it towards the ground. You should get to the point that you can take a step out with your right foot, and hold the dowel with your right hand with the other end touching the ground. Send the dog. After he takes the dowel, take several steps back so the dog returns to you in proper position.
Now that your dog will take the dowel with one end touching the ground, move onto the dumbbell. Start back at the beginning with the dumbbell right in front of his mouth and review to the point of holding one end of the dumbbell in your hand with the other end on the ground. When your dog reliably retrieves at this level, with the dog on lead, give the dumbbell a small toss about three feet away. Send your dog, and pray. If he returns to you with the dumbbell in his mouth, give him lots of praise and pat yourself on the back. If that does not happen, you went too far too fast, back up to the last level that your dog was reliable, and do a bit more review.
Although these steps sound easy, don’t be disappointed if your dog does not pick this up quickly. The time span to teach one of my dogs to retrieve has ranged from four to eighteen months. This is one of those exercises where you will have to be more stubborn than your hound.