How to Potty Train a Basset Hound Puppy
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Introduction
If you have been looking for a dog breed that is incredibly loyal and loving, you can't go wrong with a Bassett Hound. They are great family dogs who love to play, vocalize frequently, and love a big yard to play in. That's the good news. The bad news is that despite being highly intelligent, they are also very, very stubborn and sensitive to the point of making potty training challenging.
The best way to potty train your pup or train him to do anything is to use a positive reward-based method. They also don't like to be pressured into doing anything, so patience during the training sessions is of the utmost importance.
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Defining Tasks
The premise is simple, to train your pup that the only place he is supposed to go potty is outside and not in your house. Not much to it, right? That depends on several things: how old your Basset is when you start training him, his personality and willingness to learn, and how much time you have to dedicate to the training.
Dogs under one year of age tend to learn faster than those over this age because their brains are developing, making it possible for them to absorb training more quickly. Keep in mind your Basset Hound is very sensitive, scolding him or punishing him is only likely to make him resistant to training.
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Getting Started
The most important part of potty training your pup is to develop the ability to pick up the signs that he needs to go potty. These signs can be squatting or lifting his leg, sudden sniffing at the floor, even scratching at your leg or the door. Along with this, you are going to need a few training supplies, including:
- Treats
- Leash
- Crate
- Cleaning supplies
Beyond this, you will need plenty of time and patience to see your pup safely through this training. In the end, he will learn to see the outdoor world as his own massive potty and you will no longer have to avoid those landmines he leaves you in the middle of the night.
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The No Big Deal Method
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On schedule
Create a schedule in which you take your pup outside to go potty every 20 minutes. If he goes, give him a treat. If not, no big deal. Take him back in the house, reset the clock to 20 minutes and try again. During this time, keep an eye on him and if he looks like he wants to go potty, take him straight outside.
Meals, naps, and drinks
Whenever your pup wakes up from a nap, eats a meal, or takes a nice long drink, you need to take him outside. Keep him out until he goes potty and then reward with a treat and lots of praise.
Pick your cue words
Start using your cue words such as "Go potty" and start using it every time you take your pup outside. This will help him build an association between the cue words and the desired behavior. You should soon be able to use the cue to ask him if he needs to go and then take him out.
Extend the time
Start working on extending the time between each potty break slowly over time.
Final stages
At this point, your pup should be responding to the cue words and heading for the door when you use them. He will want to go potty outside in order to please you and earn his reward.
The Just Say No Method
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Treats first
Grab some treats to use as rewards for when your pup does his business outside.
Watch him like a hawk
The minute you see your pup acting like he is going to pee or poop, tell him "No!" in a firm voice (not an angry one).
Take him out
As soon as you tell him 'no', pick him up and take him outside. While going to door say, "time to go outside." This lets him associate the command with the action.
Be patient
Your pup may not want to go at first, but be patient, in time he won't be able to hold it anymore. When he does finally go, praise him and give him a treat. Then take him back inside.
Keep it up
Keep repeating this training until your pup starts to come to you and let you know he needs to go outside. Don't worry, it will happen as long as you remain patient and keep working on it.
The One-Hour Method
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Gather your training supplies
Gather up a training crate, a standard leash and, of course, plenty of treats.
First two weeks
For the first couple of weeks, you need to take your pup outside every hour, even if he shows no signs of needing to go. You should also take him out after he has had a lot of water, after a meal, and after he wakes up from a nap. Be sure you give him a treat and praise him after he pees or poops.
Add more time
After the second week, try moving the time between potty breaks up to 90 minutes for the next two weeks and then up to 2 hours for the next couple of weeks. This helps teach him that he needs to hold himself until it is time for you to take him outside.
Take him in immediately
Be sure you take your pup straight back into the house right after he does his business. This will help him learn that he needs to go outside to go potty.
Keep up the good work
Keep working at it over and over again, making sure to clean up any messes your pup makes in the house along the way. With time, patience and lots of trips outside, your pup will soon learn where he is supposed to go potty and where he isn't.
Written by PB Getz
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 02/16/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
presley
Basset Hound
10 Months
Question
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0 found this helpful
dog door if i say peepee outside when wakes up after play he goes and he uses i/t to go poo all time on own and sometimes to pee on own but he can just be standing in house or walking and go pee he walked over to me and peed on my foot other day and pees in kitchen where dog door is and gates are
July 10, 2022
presley's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Pam, It sounds like pup's issue might be initiating needing to go potty on their own consistently. Potty training generally comes in stages. First, a dog needs to learn to hold their bladder between scheduled potty trips. This happens by strictly managing pup's freedom and schedule so that pup is only given freedom when their bladder is empty or they are directly beside you. The next stage is where pup will initiate needing to go potty on their own, and is self-motivated enough to keep your home clean to try on their own to do so - this often involves a dog alerting you when they need to go out - like barking at you or running to the door, or going out a doggie door to outside on their own consistently. A dog generally won't get to this point until they have been keeping your home completely clean for at least three months, sometimes six, so they form a long term habit of associating your home with cleanliness, and generalize their natural desire to keep a confined space clean to your whole house. When pup isn't alerting or taking themselves potty on their own with a doggie door, it's often because they skipped that step of keeping your home clean for an extended period of time. What pup probably needs, as inconvenient as it is, is for you to go back a step and take pup potty on a schedule again, confining pup to a crate while you are away, or in a pen small enough they don't want to soil the area, right by the doggie door, to motivate them to use the doggie door while you are away - limiting freedom in the rest of your home right now. You need to use confinement like a crate or pen, a potty schedule, and rewards for going potty outside - going with them or at least standing at the door ready to praise and reward, consistently enough that the potty accidents inside stop due to that schedule and limitation of freedom, for a few months, so pup will become motivated to keep things clean on their own - and then start self-initiating consistently - taking themselves potty on their own when they need to go. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
July 11, 2022