Have you ever heard of an agressive basset hound?

Question

I have a four year old basset hound whom I have spoiled relentlessly! He has never been neglected, abused, or mistreated in any way. I have 3 children; 11, 8, and 9 who adore him. he is very fond of my 11 year old. However, over the last 3 months, he is becoming agressive towards everyone in the house. Last night, he bit my 11 year old for NO REASON (I saw it)! This morning, he actually growled at me and showed his teeth when all I was doing was going to pet him. I have no idea what to do or if this is normal-- Ever heard of another basset being this way?

Answer 1

I would take your dog to the vet to rule out any underlying issues such as pain or blindness. If nothing pans up at the vet, see a behaviorist! Something is wrong!!!

Answer 2

Have the vet check the dog thoroughly. Also ask to check the Thyroid. Sometimes a Thyroid imbalance can cause aggression.

If it is not physical, I would say it is because the dog is so spoiled. The dog thinks he is in charge. Google the Nothing In Life is Free program. Make the dog work for food, affection or priviledges. It may sound mean, but it's better than having to put the dog to sleep or having to give him up.

You love him, so you should be more willing to work to save him.
Another home might not be willing to do any work at all.

I'd also recommend Cesar Millan's book. And the Dog Whisperer show on Nat. Geo. channel. He has some excellent ideas about why some dogs go wrong. He sounds new agey sometimes, but I've gotten some good ideas from watching his show and reading his book.

Any dog may become aggressive. Esp. if they do not view you as the one in charge (pack leader).

Professional help is a good thing as well. Educate yourself so you can rehab your dog to be the pet you love.

AND if you haven't already, neuter him. Intact males may be more aggressive and have more pent up energy.

Lastly if he's ok physically make sure he's getting lots of exercise...not just in the back yard. Walk him, with him in Heel position, not dragging you around. Work up to a good workout 45min. to an 1hour is ideal.

He's a Hound and even though Bassets are pictured as LAZY, they aren't. They are a hard working hunting dog. They get BORED if they don't have anything to do.

I know of Bassets that compete in Obedience, Rally Obedience, Tracking, etc....

Answer 3

I'm so sorry that you're experiencing this difficult time with your beloved Basset. I understand how shocking and frustrating this can be -- it's almost like he's been unfaithful to you!

Yes, I have worked with several families whose Basset Hounds were aggressive. It's not common, but it can happen.

I totally agree that you need to consult with your veterinarian. S/he will need to do a complete physical to make sure that there isn't any physical reason for the aggression. Pain-related aggression is not unusual, although it is more frequent in older dogs.

Joint problems are one cause of pain-related aggression, and I'd also want to rule out ear infections, which are very common in long-eared dogs like Bassets.

Then, sit down with a Companion Animal Behavior Consultant to discuss the incidents and design a treatment plan.

t will be very helpful if you make good, detailed notes about each of the incidents. The Consultant will be looking for patterns and trends. So, document the time of day, the situation, who was there, what happened before the incident, each step in the dog's reaction, and what happened afterwards. Were there any toys, bones, or food present? What was each person doing? The more information you can give the Consultant, the better.

Ask your Behavior Consultant about the safety issues involved, as well as safe handling techniques.

At this point, your most important priority is preventing further aggressive incidents and keeping the children safe. The best way to do this is to avoid all situations where the dog has previously shown aggressive behavior. If petting him makes him growl, don't allow anyone to pet him. Crate him or confine him to a dog run when you have visitors.

I hope this is helpful to you and that your team of expert professionals are able to help you cope with this difficult, painful situation. Good luck!

Answer 4

Actually, I've known quite a few of them, it's fairly common of them to be troublesome I'm afraid. I spent a very long time once helping a lady rehome her aggressive basset because she had a baby and felt she had no choice - and I agreed, for once.

Get him checked by a vet to be sure it's not a health problem - a vet will also talk to you about behavioural remedies. I'm afraid pretty much the only hope for correcting behavioural problems is getting him to a behaviourist - and they don't come cheap. You need to address this problem with some industrial strength training, as I'm sure you're aware it's very serious when there are children around.

Chalice

Answer 5

I havn't heard of a Basset being that way but I know that dog's can get distemperment in older age that can make them be aggressive. No matter what the breed is, I know a few people whose dogs were fine until a few years up the road they became aggressive and started bitting the owner. I don't know what to tell you maybe call the vet to ask about that.

Answer 6

No, I haven't, and since your basset is starting to age and is showing aggressive behavior, I would think he may be in pain (my basset developed arthritis at the age of 3), so I suggest taking him to the vet. The sooner the better, we don't want anyone else getting bitten. Also, the way bassets are shaped leaves them prone to knee and back pain, so I would definitely get your sweetie checked out asap. Good Luck!

Answer 7

there could actualy be something wrong with him, the only thing i can think of is maybe he's in pain and doesnt want to be bothered. or maybe he's fine and just getting annoyed. monitor his behavior and see if things get worse, just talk sweet when you notice something's wrong and if you want to pet him dont make sudden moves, move slowly and pet his back. petting the head may make him more aggrivated.