Hi guys,

My fiancee and I got our first dog together a little under a week ago. She is a lovely 11 month old Basset Hound girl. We have called her Betsy. She is so friendly and affectionate, and we giving her plenty of attention. Its my first dog ever so I don't really know what to expect in terms of behaviour. I don't know if her behaviour is normal for her age and if she will grow (or be trained) out of it, so if anyone with a dog (or even a Basset Hound themselves) could have a read and let me know I would be very appreciative.

She was being kept outside by her previous owner during the days and brought in at nights. She wasn't/isn't house trained (we've been working on that), and we didn't get a toy from her previous owner, which we found a little strange. We had bought a little one for her and she didn't seem to know what to do with it, which made us think that she didn't get much if any attention (a week and four toys later, I think she's got the hang of them).

So, Betsy is very clingy at the minute. She is full of energy (which I am attributing to her still being a puppy) and is always jumping up (we are training her out of this) and wanting to play or cuddle. If either my fiancee or I leave the room she will follow no matter what. If either of us go to the bathroom, Betsy will sit at the bathroom door and whimper and scratch, even though one of us is still accessible in the other room. Is this normal behaviour for a dog in her situation?

At night, we keep her in our kitchen, on a big dog cushion with a bunch of blankets and her toys. However, when we try to close the door she bolts for it and tries to get out. When she is in there, she whimpers and cries a lot, but eventually settles down. I know that this is normal for a re-homed pup, but should she get used to it in time? It breaks our hearts to hear her, so is there anything we can do to make it less stressful for her? We try to keep a small light on for her during the night. Up until bedtime, she is always cuddled up with us on the sofa.

We began house training and obedience training pretty much from the start. She can't quite sit on command, but we are definitely seeing progress. Any tips anyone can offer would be great!

Apologies for the huge post, I hope some of you can help!

Thanks,
Paul

She sounds absolutely gorgeous. I love Basset Hounds. I've never owned one because I seem to "inherit" unwanted dogs so I'm totally ignorant of the breed.

I have had a few dogs that you might call "private rescue". My current GSDx was the much loved pet of a good friend until he murdered some rams and needed a new home. I'm in the suburbs (no sheep) so I was lucky enough to get him. My previous dog was thrown out of a moving car, picked up by the boyfriend of a friend, kept for a few months and then handed on to me because they couldn't manage. So, one - current- dog rehomed at about 2 years old and an earlier dog rehomed at about the same age as your girl.

Earlier dog, Rock, had never been in a house by his reactions. Scared to come in, scared of ordinary sounds (fridge starting, light switches, vacuum etc etc). Took about six months of jumping and cowering before he was comfortable with all the noises. We just ignored it, went about our business and let him deal with it. Vacuum was a special fear overcome by treating him for being in the room with it; looking at it; touching it; being in the house when it made a noise; being in the room; well you get the picture. That was the bit that took six months. He bonded to me like he was glued. No recall problems with him. He followed me like a shadow for about a year before he relaxed enough to let me move without following me. I just ignored him.

Current dog, Rex, much easier. Already knew houses and happy to be inside. Took about two months before he stopped following me. Again, I neither encouraged him nor discouraged him, just ignored him. Now, he follows me to the kitchen (I might drop food) or if he feels sociable and doesn't bother if he has something better to do.

Rex arrived housetrained. Housetraining Rock was a pain and seemed to take AGES. Again it was just standard stuff, take him outside, lavish praise yah-de-yah, just like a pup. Problem was he had the idea that humans would be annoyed if he "went" anywhere and an older pup/dog can hold on for ever. I used to go outside with a book...

Well done for taking her on. She's a lucky girl.

well done for taking her on, it sounds like she's going to make a lovely companion for you

Well done for giving her a lovely home! Bassetts are really cute dogs!

I don't know enough about dogs to give you any specific advice, as the dogs I have now are my first too - but I would say that maybe you should think about joining a training class, if you go to a good one you get tons of help and advice with any problems and for me as a first time dog owner it gave me ideas of what to focus on in training - we follow to Kennel Club Good Citizen Award scheme and I'm really enjoying it, as are the dogs and we've all made some lovely friends.

I also found that clicker training and playing games like finding things (I imagine bassett hounds are great at this sort of thing cos of their fantastic noses) has really helped me to learn more about my dogs and how to get the best out of them and helped me bond with them too, and they are becoming well behaved It's also good for the dogs to get to make new doggy friends too. It sort of feels like the more we do together the more they are able to do what I'd like them to and behave in the way that I want them to behave because I'm getting better as an owner/handler, they're able to become better dogs.

Good luck with your dog - she sounds lovely.
Naomi x

I'll go through your paragraphs one by one to make it easier and you can apply the experience or advice to the specific point you ahve raised if you think it will work or be right for you.

Hi Paul, and welcome.

Best advice is to reward the behaviour you want and ignore or re-focus the behaviour you don't want.

Sit down with your fianceé if you haven't already and write down "The Rules of the House" together. Print out a few copies and stick them on the fridge door, bedroom door, back of the bathroom door, the lounge door etc. You have to ensure you are both on the same page in order to keep the dog from getting confused. This can happen when one of you lets the dog on the sofa and the other doesn't, when one allows the dog upstairs and the other doesn't. You see what I am getting at. Try and keep to under ten rules because although you can read them on the paper the dog will learn to understand them through your team work with her. It's better to list what she can do too so you both allow her to be herself so put in a few "Betsy can..... chew bones in the front lounge" Betsy can.... only have interaction if we start it and end it".
Dogs are smart and can learn at any age if the training is consistant so if you are going to go to training classes (always a binus if you are first time owners) then make sure you go to the classes as a team, you, fianceé and Betsy, that way you can both see what methods are being used, both learn how to use those methods and both get the timing right. This will allow you to take the dog seperately and knowe that the trainign will be consistant. Write another lisdt in a progress diary stating what you are going to work on in order so right now you are working on Sit. After Betsy knows Sit you might choose Stay or whatver you learn in the classes. But again she won;t be learning a million things at once badly but will be learning one or two thing thoroughly.

She is still trying to fit into your home, still trying to fathom out what she is allowed to do and how to read your body language so be clear in how you communicate with her such as pointing to where you want her to be - saying "Here" is just a noise, pointing to here the dog will most likely come to see what is at the end of your finger so you can reward them when they get there and start putting the "Here" command to it.

House training is simple if you follow a few sentences: "Not allowed to toilet in the hosue. If an accident occurs it OUR fault not the dog. We do not allow the opportunity to toilet in the house"

Take the dog out after sleep, play and food. Take the dog out every hour or so and keep her on a lead, wait in the spot you want her to go and reward her and praise her as soon as her bum comes OFF the ground. Don't wait at the door as she wanders in the garden and reward when she comes in the hosue as you are rewarding her for coming in the house not what she did 10seconds ago.

A toy is an ornament unless it is made to be exciting and that generally involves you doing something with it with the dog. A dog with a ball may invent it's own game and play for a bit but after a while it's not that exciting again where as you can make a ball bounce high, go far away, you want the ball, the dog wants the ball so a game of who has the ball starts, you can hide the ball for her to find (excellent game for a Bassett with a powerful nose) and you can also take the ball away thus controlling where Betsy can play Can Betsy play in the house? Can she play int he lounge? Get it written down).


Betsy is having the time of her life more like!!!
She has human companionship and interaction that she was starved of when in kennels so she will be a bit bouncy and excited.
Ignore the jumping up, not even eye contact and when she is not jumping up, wait a few seconds and then reward. Make sure there us a clear gap of jumping up to not jumping up before interacting so she can tell the difference to what gets her the attention she wants. If she starts jumping up when you interact with her then you stop, ignore, wait and then interact again and this goes for when playign games too - remember consistancy is your greatest weapon? If she gets excited when playign games and you reward that jumping up by continuing the game or interacting with her then she learns that jumping up DOES get you attention and reward so ignore it again even if you are in the middle of a game - rememebr you control when the game starts and when it finishes

When one of you goes to the bathroom it is up to the other to distract Betsy away from what is happening so work as a team with her.

Get you and your Fianceé to wear a t-shirt tonight and continue wearing it as much as you can all weekend so sleep in it, walk her in it, play with her in it, watch TV in it sleep in it again etc but don't wash it. Instead, when you go to put her to bed on Sunday night take your t-shirts off and leave them on her bed with her. That way she still has the comforting scent fo you both with her which may help to ease the seperation.
If she howls and carries then ignore it, don't shout down to her, bang on the floor or go see her. She has to learn that all that racket will get her nothing (a quick tip I have used with every dog is to sleep in the room with the dog for a night or two so grab a sleeping bag and camp out in the kitchen with her. I have no real reason as to why it is so effective I just think it shows the dog that during those hours you're dead to the world so they aren't missing anything - not had so much as whimper yet).

Dogs can see extremely well in the dark so turn the light off. Having the light on is soemthign you do when you are there but you are not there so turn it off and she will learn not to expect you or wonder where you are as it seems like the same conditions as when you are there.


Get to some training classes to get the training consistant with both of you

Any questions let me know.

I can't add to that expert advice! but she is one very lucky little girl - so well done you. There is one at our training class here and she's lovely.

If its under a week still it is early days. Although it is hard you do need to discourage her following you around all the time. Its best to start to get her used to short times alone whilst you are in. Its better to do this after she has had some activity, after her walk a play session with you, this way she will have gor rid of excess energy and likely will be more ready to settle. You could even have a play session or take her for a later night walk before bed (perhaps not at the moment owing to the dam fireworks)

When you leave her for the short periods, I would put a radio down low on a talking station, background voices can soothe them so they dont feel so isolated. A T-shirt or jumper you have worn put on her bed is also comforting and helps with security, as she has your smell to reassure her. I know you said she wasnt toy orientated but is getting better. Goods ones to leave her with are Kongs, solid hard rubber but hollow you stuff with wet dog food and a few extra goodies, or you can put allsorts in them, See the link especially the section How to kong
Dog & Cat Toys & Dog Treats - Pet Toys, Dog Chew Toys | KONG Company
another good toy is a treat ball or toy that you fill will kibble and set to distribute a piece here and there as they nose it around and play, for one type see the link
Buster Cube - FAQ
Other things that can help are DAP Dog appeasing pheromone plus ins or spray, they are an artificial version of the pheromone mum emits to calm and soothe pups
very useful for some dogs who are nervous anxios or stressed. They are now called Adaptil. Available from pets and home and vets I get mine on line Vet-Medic - the same medicines as your vet at consistently low prices. they are usually cheaper.
I would always leave her with a goodie, Long, Treatball, chew even a couple of biscuits, this will ensure she makes a good association with being left. When you leave her leave with no fuss, in and her goodie and leave. Always return and just let her out, dont say anything at first ignore her for a minute or two then call her and lots of attention.

For usseful information about living with Bassets
Welcome to Basset Hound Welfare
The Basset Hound Breed
Breed History - South East Branch of the Basset Hound Club
Index

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What a lovely post.

Your new little girl sounds adorable and she seems to have fell on her feet.

Good luck with your training.

Congrats on your new dog Paul and welcome to the forum. Some great advice so far for Betsy so good luck with that

Get crate training her so she has a spot that becomes a conditioned relaxer; more on that here: Crate for Calm | Pet Central's Pawsitive Dawgs Blog!

Some tips on alone training: Home Alone – calming for separation | Pet Central's Pawsitive Dawgs Blog!

Its most common in rehomed dogs that they are worried when separated from the new love/s of their life so its important to implement crate training and alone training protocols from day 1 - as mentioned above have these as part of the new house rules.

I would also encourage you to enroll yourself, your fiance and Betsy in an APDT UK training class (presuming you are in the UK!) and engage in some remedial socialisation for Betsy as it sounds like she didn't have a great previous life I am seeing an increasing number of scent hounds for reactivity and fear related issues in the last year or so so socialisation and continued socialisation exercises are important.

Also here is a link to a month long daily training plan to really kick start your new lives together: TYD Month | Pet Central's Pawsitive Dawgs Blog!

Best of luck

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Anne, owned by Rufus & Tripod

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"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

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Welcome to the world of Bassets.

If you need any help, i'll try and offer you best possible advise.

What everyone has said so far is pretty much correct.

Dont over exercise your Basset. Bassets are big heavy boned dogs that can be damaged if over walked. The rule via exercise is a 5 minute walk per month of age. So your one would require a 45 minute walk per day.

Also another golden rule with bassets is specislist feeding! DONT EXERCISE 1 HOUR BEFORE OR 1 HOUR AFTER FEEDING!!! Bassets are deep chested dogs that can suffer from life threatening bloat (swelling & twisting of the stomach). Bassets should be fed at least twice a day to prevent this. Also dont use the food bowl that make it higher as this is another cause of bloat.

If you need any more help, just give me a shout

Also, if your UK based, theres a great website for real Basset Owners.....www.fidanzabassets.co/forum/index.php you have to join first before you can view and post

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Assured Breeders of the Basset Hound- ABS

Scarlet, 6 year old Basset Hound

Dinky, 2 year old Basset Hound

Minnie, 1 year old Basset Hound

Agnes,10 month old Basset Hound

and Joey, the green cheeked conure