Need help with a basset hound / beagle puppy?

Question

My In-law gave us a male basset hound / beagle puppy in october. He very hyper. Constantly jump on people and doesnt listen. I have to told him no a lot when he jumps but he seen to jump more. Plus he not totally potty train yet. I need help with best way to train him. We do offer him rewards for good. He can sit but it doesnt last long. I heard beagle are him hard to train. Is that true?

Also he barks and whines alot. How should we get him to stop? I thought about a no bark collar but Im worry it might be to mean to do. Is there one that more humane and will not shock him.

Also can someone recommend a good shampoo for him. He gets real smelly with in a day or two after a bath. Or is there a spray or powder that can help between baths.

Answer 1

Be patient with him, he will learn from praise and diligence. The Beagle in him will make him a little hyper but he is also a puppy and they are all hyper. And the Basset in him can make him a little harder to housebreak, they are very smart and eager to please dogs but that extra sensitive nose can smell those old accidents and make him confused as to why he cant keep going there when he can smell it. Get a good carpet cleaner with enzymes in it to dissolve to pet odor and this will help. A Bassets nose can smell 30 percent better than all dogs except of course a Bloodhound. Try to take him out to pee right after he eats, wakes up, plays, or stiffs around and praise him a lot for going in the right place. It takes time but he will get it. And ignore him when he jumps up on you, any attention for this, even if its getting told no will make him see that this gets him attention which is what he craves. Praise him when he calms down and give him the treat only when he settles down and he will learn that the calmer action gets him the attention from you or the treat. I bet he is cute, I have several Bassets which took time to train but are wonderful dogs and part of our family.

Answer 2

A dog's trainability is directly related to it's breed's function. Hounds were not bred to follow orders, they were bred to follow their noses and call back to their human hunters when they found something interesting. Hounds are therefore difficult to obedience train. He needs consistency, firm but loving handling, and some professional structured training. For housebreaking, there is no better way than crate training. Look it up online or buy a book at a petstore, it is a simple yet very effective process.

I would be careful offering rewards for good behavior. He needs to learn to follow orders because you said so, not because you're holding out a chunk of food.

Here's some good websites to get you started:

http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm
http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html
http://www.dogpatch.org/obed/obpage2.cfm

EDIT: Petsmart does sell a bark collar that does not shock, but sprays citronella in the air in front of the dog's nose. Dogs hate the smell. It's very effective and humane. Also, try Desert Sudz Super Fresh shampoo, it has a clean smell that last for 2 weeks.

Answer 3

Your puppy is still a baby, a baby that hasn't been taught how to live with a human. Yelling "No!" at him when you are unhappy doesn't teach him what you would rather have him do. And dogs are not born understanding what "no" means.

Find a good Puppy Kindergarten class NOW. You and your puppy can learn together and form a much happier relationship. The answers to your behavior problems can be quite simple, but too complex to get into on the Answers forum.

Beagles and Bassets can be harder, but if your puppy likes treats, you can train him to work for the reward.

That silly nonsense about not using food, because our dogs should listen to us because are their leaders is human arrogance talking. Here is a website with free books by an expert on dogs and puppy raising. You can download this info for free. The author is a veterinarian and a Ph.D. behaviorist who has spent his life studying our pet dogs and learning how to alter behavior and have good dogs.

Answer 4

Beagles CAN be hardER to train...do yourself a favor...forget the books, tv shows, and friendly advice and enroll yourself in a class. Hounds are a bit of a challange. Ask your vet or animal shelter to recommend a trainer or kennel. The housebreaking thing can be a beagle problem. First try to get him to use piddle pads in the house. Once you've taught him to go in one place in the house, start taking him AND the piddle pad OUTSIDE to go to the bathroom. Then take away the piddle pad.

Crate training is also something really useful. It gives your dog a "bed room" of his own. A safe, personal space where he can go.

Depending on how old he is, though, you may just have to suffer through the puppy stages, until he's about 6 mo and then start training....aren't puppies fun?! (This is why some people don't get them!)

Answer 5

Beagles can be stubborn...but they can be trained like any other dog. Have you seen the well-behaved beagles in Westminster and other dog shows? Remember what the dog whisperer says, " there are no bad dogs, just bad owners."

With that, get some help with the issues. jumping, hyperactivity, and potty training can all be worked on successfully. Just make sure you invest the time early in his life to teach him what you want. Do not, ever, give him the wrong message by letting him get away with bad behavior. But also, never be rough on him....he's just a baby.

Good luck!!!

Answer 6

Aww, what a lovely pup! I think it is a beautiful title. Some others i like are Selena, Lacy, Mitzi, and Yuuki. Good good fortune! = ) Edit: Ooh, as a sidenote, where are you getting her from? A breeder? Safe haven?

Answer 7

hounds are intelligent and independent thinkers. they are stubborn but are good dogs.be patient and consistent and if one method isn't producing desired results try something else. try a training group that you both participate in.