[monty2011]

hi, i havent been on here for a while-been v.busy. Just wanted to update on Monty-he's 6 months today, hes got so big and is really strong. i still love having him and he provides a lot of laughs

The toilet training is still an issue-he knows when i say 'widdles' outside to go but he still wee'd inside when he fancies but he doesnt poo as much inside. my house smeels of pee and hound...and so do i. But patience is a virtue and im going to just keep perservearing and praising him and giving him a treat when he goes outside.-does anyone elses basset though when u praise them- just look at you like they dont care and just want the food and arent interested what its for???

His big teeth are coming through, i really wanted to get a baby tooth but i think he just swallowed them. the puppy biting isnt as bad but he still gets hyped when playing sometimes but he's slowly learning not to bite hard, its more just mouthing now-but he is still putting holes in my clothes! and if he's in a really obnoxious mood he jumps about and when i try to walk he eats my shoes(he loves shoes, and he LOVES toes! Anyone entering my house with open-toes sandals is doomed!!!) He also tried to eat my trouser legs. Any tips for this-if i shout he just gets more excited and jumps about barking and chasing even more, if i push him away he loves it. I try to ignore him and he just attached himself to me. I have started doing time-out with him when he gets too rough-it takes persistence lol.

Does anyone also have any tips on what to do when they just sit and bark at you. Monty does this when im trying to watch TV, i put my back to him and ignore him but he continues and if i dont listen he comes up and tries to eat my feet or trousers again. one day he actually pushed me-yes-pushed me with his paws and grunted like'pay me attention!!!', he does get lots of attention sometimes he's just obnoxious. I also try to throw his toys for him to distract him when hes trying to eat me, he goes for it and then gets bored of it and comes back to my trousers.

Other than these issues he's doing very well. he can sit and stay(when i have food as a reward), he isnt a barker unless he is playing or on his lead in the garden and i go in to get something(although other times he just stares at the back door), he is very good on the lead and walks beside me, im still working on if people come over to him, he gets very excited and is still jumping up then and he has bif paws with big claws and i worry about kids coming over incase he would accidentally hurt one.

We go up to my parents where theres a massive garden(its in the country), he loves it and runs like a madman. He loves our golden retreiver and lab-although our lab is not as keen on him. hes very very freindly to everyone and everyone comes over to him when we go out and fusses over him.

There was however one bad incidetn last night. I took monty to the park with my freind and i have him on a big training lead( its 33ft long) so he can run about but not get away. There was a guy with 2 other people and they had 2 choc labs, a greyhound and 2 scottish deerhounds all off their lead. Monty is a bit overly freindly and is absoutley rubbish at social cues from other dogs. He was over saying hello to on of the deerhound, he wasnt jumping up or anything he was just all wiggly (the way little pups are), the other dog was standing sniffing him and then i heard a yelp from monty and he came running towards me. Neither my freind or i even thought anything was wrong as it was so quick and the other owner was standing in the way. Monty lifted his toy and ran about with it and i noticed something on his face. i thought something was stuck to him but when i looked closer he was bleeding! The dog has bit him! It was not a massive bite just a nip, but i was worried because altho it was only a centimatre long it was open slightly. I checked the rest of him and he was ok. I was annoyed because as we were checking monty over and slightly alarmed the other owner must have made a swift exit, we wonder ig because he was closer and he was infront of us if he maybe new his dog had bit and left quickly. To go and have so many dogs off the lead when one bites is a bit irresponsible i think. I felt guilty and responsible that monty got bit because he was on a long lead, but i want him to run about and he has to learn to socialise. I took him to the vet and he said hes ok it could have been much worse and he got an anti biotic. Monty doesnt seem to notice so hes still just charging about all happy as usual

Sorry this has been so long-just havent been on here in a while. here is some pics of monty. In the first pic he was only just home-pretending to look all innocent. after you can see his more boiserous side and him wreslting with my retreiver, and the sitting with my mum looking full of self importance lol

kers xox

 

[monty2011]

hi guys thanks for your reply. He definatley has a brat-like expression about him and when he is in one of his defiant moods even moreso. I will keep perservearing with the potty training, i have never had a basset before and am releived to here that it takes them a while to learn potty training and it isnt just Monty.

I agree with what you said jaleely, i think he does need more negative reinforcement. i do discipline him but he is one of the most stubborn beings i have ever come across and very persistent-to him everything seems to be one big game, but i have accepted that this will take consistency and persistence to deal with. I have tried spray bottles with him also which at first he didnt like but after a while he just started to open his mouth when i sprayed him and he actually liked it so that stopped working. I make sure he gets good excercise so he isnt hyper, we go to the park and he has a good run about and ive been taking him around the town for a while to get used to people. He is good around roads and all and i have him sitting at the traffic lights and stopping when i say stop. By some mircale he also comes back when i call him if were in the park and usually i have to actually throw something to get him running about away from me. Next week i am gong to attempt public transport. Were going to get the bus, im going to stay in my caravan for a weekend soon and i want to take monty with me which means he'll be on the train so id like him to be used to it-although he is great in the car-it seems to sedate him lol. He'd love it up there, theres loads of space and places to explore and its near the beach (i cant see him swimming with those short legs tho-maybe he'd be better suited to just walking on wet sand).

I think i will try the 'momma dog' thing you said, i was wondering how hard you have to do the 'bite'. I did actually try barking at him a few times but im a heavy smoker and wrecked my voice.

He is definatley getting big, the vet even said he will be a big boy. he's very strong so im thankful he doesnt pull on the lead! Esther- i laughed out loud at the bacon comment

Is there any other tips anyone has-any funny stories of 'puppyhood' and the 6 month stage?? Does anyone elses make funny noises when they know theyre not allowed to do something, Monty will roll about the floor sometimes making what i call' funny little man noises' when i tell him no and he still wants to do whatever it is-people have actually heard him in the background when im on the phone and thought i had someone else with me because it sounds like a person.ive heard it is a bit like 'the terrible twos' of toddlers.

thanks, kers

ps-there is a funny video on youtube-sorry i coulnt get it to link properly. But if you type into you tube 'stubborn basset hound', there is one video with the puppy called rosco,the pic that comes up is a pup lying over the threshold of a doorway. he's so cute and i laugh everytime i watch it because i can identify. The woman in the video is trying to get him to stay out of her room and he is being a little rebel and does not give a toss. I love when he puts his head to the floor like he's thinking about how to get around this problem lol-Monty does that and looks about like he's pretending he's not up to anything. Its worth a look.