Do you really have to give up your Basset?

THE DOG WON'T LISTEN
That’s what obedience classes are for. Most of the “chain” pet stores and often the local SPCAs and Animal Welfare Leagues have obedience classes for a very nominal fee. There is no such thing as a dog that cannot be trained to be a well-behaved member of the household. Most canines thrive when given basic obedience training. Dogs have been bred for thousands of years to be a “help” to humans, therefore, it’s only a matter of a few hours of your time and a little money before your dog is the “good dog” you’ve always wished for. Please give your dog the benefit of the doubt and take them through a basic obedience class before you give up on them.

WE CAN'T HOUSETRAIN THE DOG
This is a poor excuse for giving up a dog. A dog can certainly be house trained. First, consider crate training. There are numerous books and articles on the subject. This is not “mean” to the dog, as they are den animals by nature. Then consider the dog. If you are having a problem with urination maybe you are giving your dog free access to water at the wrong times or too much water. Are you paying attention to the “timing” of accidents? If your dog drinks a cup of water, then urinates in the house 30 minutes later, begin taking the dog out after watering. Also remember, dogs have a much more acute sense of smell than we humans. Perhaps you haven’t gotten the doggie “scent” out of the floor or carpet. All pet stores sell special odor killers that, used properly, are both safe and effective. If you have questions about house training or crate training contact a trainer or rescue in your area. They will be happy to help you through.

THE DOG CHEWS ON EVERYTHING
All dogs chew. Whether they chew on the appropriate item is up to you. A puppy must chew (as any baby cutting teeth must). It is up to you to provide the appropriate item for that chewing. Your vet can recommend the best type of chew items for your pup. An older dog can be trained to chew on the proper items as well. Again, you must provide these items for your dog. Finally, crate train your dog. If you allow the dog “free reign” of your home without supervision you are asking for trouble. Most dogs are safer in a crate when you are not at home.

WE'RE MOVING AND CAN'T HAVE A DOG
There is housing in virtually every city and town in the United States that will allow dogs. Before you’re so sure you can’t find affordable housing that will accept pets please look in the local newspaper, or speak with an apartment broker in the area. When taking this dog into your life, you made a commitment that you would love and provide for it the rest of its life. Would you be so quick to move into housing that would not take your children? Then why are you so quick to move where you can not take your dog?

NO ONE TAKES CARE OF THE DOG
You have our sympathy. This often happens in households where all members are not committed to the upkeep of an animal. No one wants all of the responsibility. However, this is hardly the dog’s fault, and a very poor reason to have a dog destroyed. Make no mistake-if you take the dog to a shelter, it will probably be euthanized for the unpardonable sin of being a member of the wrong family. You will be killing the dog because you no longer want the responsibility. Make sure this is the kind of person you want to be and the example you want to set for the rest of your family.

THE DOG IS ALONE TOO MUCH
We all want to spend as much time with our animals as we can. Personally I’d like to spend all day with mine, but that’s not possible (somebody has to work to buy dog food). Many dog owners leave their animals for 8 to 10 hours while they’re working or at school. While this is not the best of all worlds, it certainly is better than destroying the dog and frankly, is that really the problem? Is it that you feel bad for the dog or you don’t want to spend your limited amount of “free” time taking care of it? As mentioned before, you made a commitment to this animal. Now you’re too busy for them? Please rethink what you are considering. Do you want the dog destroyed because you just “don’t have the time"?

THE DOG GROWLED/SNAPPED/BIT
This is a tough one. Whether the dog is actually aggressive or not is a judgment call that you, and only you, can make. Did the dog growl or snap without being provoked? Were you attempting to take something from the dog? Did this happen when food was involved? Was the dog protecting itself from unintended abuse by a child? Many dogs will "snap" to defend their space, or if they feel attacked or pressured. Bassets are dogs; dogs will react the only way they know how. If the growling and snapping is ongoing, then the dog should be taken to a behavioral therapist (trainer). The trainers will try to teach the dog to react differently to a variety of situations. Snapping is a control response. In most cases, you have to look at root cause. Ok - the dog snapped. Was it because I was playing to aggressively? Was I moving the food bowl during feeding? Many times, it is our fault, but we still want to blame the dog because we as humans do not like to be in the wrong. Bottom line is growling, snapping, and biting can all be corrected. The question is are you willing to take the amount of time needed for the correction. Make a good choice.

This is a time to do some cold, honest and candid soul-searching, not a time to be optimistic or to "look on the bright side"; there likely isn't one. Don't wind up in the dog house - Give your dog the chance it deserved before you chose to take him home.

RESCUES
Breed Rescue services are small, private, shelter-like groups run by volunteers dedicated to a particular breed. Most of them operate out of the volunteer’s homes. Rescues survive on donations from private individuals. Like no-kill shelters, demand for their services is high. They may not have room to take possession of a dog. A breed rescue can still help to place a dog by providing referrals to persons interested in adopting a dog, but you must give them the time. They are not large organizations! They don’t have full-time staffs. They don’t get paid to do this. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PROVERBIAL FARM WHERE THE DOG WILL SPEND ITS LIFE RUNNING FREE AND BEING CARED FOR. Rescue volunteers love these animals and try to do their best to save the animals. Just remember that you may have to keep your dog until an adoptive family is found. There is rarely an "adoptive family" waiting line in breed rescue.

SHELTERS
Shelters and humane societies were created to care for stray and abused animals. They weren’t meant to be a drop-off for people who don’t want to be bothered with their pets anymore. Shelters, on average, take in 100 new animals or more each day. Let’s face it – there won’t be enough good homes for all of them. Even the best shelters can’t boast much more than a 50% adoption rate. Only the youngest, friendliest, cutest and best-behaved dogs are going to be adopted.

By law, stray pets must be kept several days for their owners to reclaim them. They may not be destroyed until that period is up. These laws don’t protect dogs given up by their owners. They may be destroyed at any time. Shelters don’t want to kill animals but they don’t have a choice. There just isn’t enough room for all of them. Shelters today are so overcrowded that a dog could be killed the same day it arrives.

Being a purebred won’t help a dog’s chances of adoption either – almost half of the dogs in most shelters are purebreds. A dog may be as good as dead when it walks in the door. If your dog is old, has health problems or poor attitudes towards strangers, its chances of adoption are slim to none.

Sending a dog to a shelter in hopes that she/he will find a good home is wishful thinking. It’s more likely that you’ll be signing the dog’s death warrant. A shelter is a last resort only after all best effort has failed.

True “no-kill” shelters are few and far between. Obviously, no one wants to see their pet killed so the demand for no-kill shelter services is high. So high that they’re forced to turn away many pets because they don’t have room for them all. Sometimes they have to choose only the most adaptable dogs to work with. Be realistic: your dog will be euthanized. Has she/he done something that terrible?

Separation Anxiety: The fear of being left alone.

Separation anxiety is the inability of your Basset to cope when left by itself.

Many of the Bassets you have seen in shelters of rescues have been abandoned by their owner – a person whom they trusted completely. Confused and emotionally distraught, they may suffer from this condition when you bring them into your new home. You may very well see some troubling behaviors resulting from separation anxiety in your Basset. Chewing, digging, barking, whining, accidents, pacing (and in severe cases self-mutilation) are examples. However, do not panic! It may take some time but there are some simple, yet important, steps that you can take to help your Basset become more confident and relaxed. It is very important to remember that your Basset is not trying to punish you or get even with you for leaving it alone! Rather your Basset is acting up because of an extreme fear of being abandoned once again. It is most important NOT to punish your Basset. This will perpetuate the problem. The main thing your Basset needs at this time is love and reassurance. Your Basset’s confidence has been severely damaged, and your job is to reestablish this with consistency and constant praise. Plan to take a few days (weekend or vacation) and practice coming and going. The first time you leave your Basset, should be for one minute. Do not make a big deal about coming home or leaving. Your Basset will probably be excited upon your return. Speak to your pet calmly with praise and immediately start a task. After a few minutes, reward your Basset and spend some time in play. Resume your task, then throughout the day leave and return varying the amount of time that you are away. It is important to not make the time consistent, such as 1 minute then 2, then 3, etc…. vary the times slowly increasing, until your Basset is able to be left alone for up to thirty minutes without acting out a negative behavior. Your Basset must come to realize that when you leave, it is not forever, and you will return. If your pet relapses, start the process over. Building confidence is the key!

The following will also help:

Have someone visit your Basset while you are away. Another pet (Basset preferred) to keep it company helps.
Leave 1-2 special toys, and rotate toys for variety to alleviate boredom.
Leave TV or radio on at a low level.
Leave an article with your scent on it.
Obedience train your Basset. Practice the commands with your Basset which reassures him/her that he/she is pleasing you.
Provide a ‘safe spot’ (what was once 'your' bed) for your Basset and confine it if needed.

Consult a pet behaviorist. There are SOLUTIONS! Please don’t give up on your friend.

Excessive Barking: How to wins friends and silence your Barking Basset.

Tips to training your dog not to bark excessively.

The following is provided for your convenience should you have a problem with a dog that barks excessively:

Why do dogs bark excessively?

A dog’s bark is its way of communicating with the outside world. While there are many good reasons to bark, excessive barking my be caused by:

A feeling of detachment from the family.
Boredom, through owners lack of attention. More attention will relieve a dog’s boredom and will reinforce good behavior while giving the dog a sense of belonging to the family.
Outside noises that cause a dog’s barking to gain the owners attention.

Methods to eliminate the barking dog problem.

As with people, some dogs talk more than others do. This problem can often be corrected through various training methods.

Obedience School - This is, of course, preferable, but if you can’t take your dog to school, you can find many books in your local library or bookstore that are designed to teach you to train your dog.
Smaller, or hypersensitive dogs, can also be trained and sometimes a simple, loud “no” whenever the dog barks, proves successful.
Larger dogs (sometimes) need strict direction through harsher commands or training with a leash and collar. Always follow correction with praise and love when the dog has responded to your request.
Watch your own behavior.

i. Do not praise the dog when the barking is unwarranted, this reinforces the dog’s belief that the barking is desirable.

ii. Correct needless barking immediately, not ten minutes after the dog stops barking, the dog will not understand correction after the undesirable act has been completed.

Where should I keep my barking dog?

If your dog is an outside dog, buy or build him a doghouse. This not only blocks off outside noise that may cause him to bark needlessly, but also provides protection and security for the dog.
If you don’t mind your dog inside the house, allow him to be with the family (inside) more often. This will give the dog the security of being a part of the family.

Please remember that no one likes to listen to a dog’s barking hour after hour, and with a little time and patience, your dog need not bark excessively.