Welcome to the family, Gracie!

taught our lab "quiet" but, it only took a few days. Gracie doesnt seem to be picking it up as quickly. I'm not giving up by any means. But I was just curious...do you your bassets know a "quiet" command?

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when teaching the basset quite, what is in it for the dog to be quite? So called easier to train dogs like labs and boarder collies get peasure out of doing stuff for you, the term is bidable. Bassets hounds are just the opposite call it selfish if you want but they don't care about making you happy the only care about themselves. If you want a basset to listen to you etc you need to convince the dog it is in its best interest to do so. When you do that you will be amazed at what quick learners they are.

see Hard to Train?
A look at "difficult-to-train" breeds and the reality of what shapes these canine minds.

One also need to consider the reasdon the dog is whining in the first place. I find for basset nound most of the time whining is an atttention seeking behavior, The standard advice ie convential wisdom for attention seeking is to ignore it. Any behavior that is not rewarded will self extinguish. The problem is conveintional wisdom misses a few points tht make this approach almost always ineffective . ! the reason the dog uses the behavior to get attion is because it was impossible to ignore in the first place, so say ignore something you can't ignore is not real helpfull. 2. Even if you must all your will power and begin ignoring the behavior the dog is not simply going to stop. If you get on an elevator and push the button for the floor you want and nothing happen do you suddenly take the stairs. No you push the button again harder, fater slower longer etc before giving up. But what happens the next time do you take the stairs or try the elevator again. When ignoring a behavior that has been previously reinforce to create an extinction does not go smoothy the is virtually allways what is called an "extinction burst" in which the behavior gets worse much worse before it oges way. So if you had a hard time ignoring the behavior in the first place how the heck are you ever going to ignore it when it gets 2, 3 ten times as bad. Lets say you manage to survive the extinction burst as unlikely as that is and the unwanted behavior ends. Has the dogs need for attention ended? So what do you think the dog will do? give-up or find and even more obnoxious behavior to get attention that you can't ignore.

You could train a less obnoxious behavior for the dog to use to get attinion like sitting quitely. The problem with that is the human element. The reason dogs use obnoxious behaviors to get attion is because they work Us human find it way to convient to ignore the dog when its not being obnoxious, So when the non-obnoxious behavior does not work it becomes extinct..

There is a much better way for dealing with attention seeking behavior it is called harmonny program and the premise is quite simple and easy to follow

The Cure For Attention Seeking Behaviour Disorders


It is so simple – following the “crying baby” model for filling the need as soon as it arises, ASBDs can be entirely avoided as well as cured by giving focussed attention immediately and as soon as the request has been received.

This does not mean one has to put one’s entire life on hold or “run rings around the creature” – it is literally a simple little flash of attention at the right time and when first asked for it; the classic “a stitch in time saves nine” principle.

Rather than “rewarding” attention seeking behaviour, it never gets to escalate, the creature’s energy system remains balanced and the disturbed behaviours never need take place at all.

As the babies who are fed when they are hungry cry markedly less or not at all, creatures who receive attention energy (or love or recognition energy) when they ask for it, their attention seeking behaviours become markedly less frequent, markedly less dramatic and may cease altogether once the system has been in operation for a while and the creature has understood that not only can it get what it needs just the for the asking, but also it’s energy system has become more robust, more healthy, more resilient and won’t collapse when there is a time when attention is in short supply.

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Gracie's ears get dipped into the water almost everytime she gets a drink. It makes her cold and shiver

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ask for a "spaniel bowl" at any pet store. It is round with tappered sides keeps the ears dry and clean,

Thanks Mikey. I'm really glad I found this site. I'm getting lots of great info. The problem with the whining is not the need based whining. She's hungry, tired, thirsty, wants to play. It's more the wants that get us. Because we want her to sleep in her crate at night. And she does not. She wants to sleep with us. And once she finally does fall asleep she wakes me us up in the middle of the night to potty. Then its back in the crate for bed and more whining. Or she wants our dinner. Or she wants the trash(we keep it in the pantry) and she sniffs and the door and cries for it. Or she wants one of the kids toys and they took it away. She's not even been here a week yet, though. So hopefully she eventually settles in. I was just curious if she ever would settle in. Since we've never had a basset before I didnt know if they all act like this or what. For the most part I dont mind the whining. I like that she tells us what she needs and wants. It's just I miss sleeping at night. I think she has trouble falling asleep. She will whine and cry when she gets sleepy. Just like a little baby would. So we try and make her comfy and "put her to bed". Maybe because she misses her brothers and sisters laying in a puppy pile with her?