Your Basset hound is everything you hoped he would be. He’s affectionate, tenacious, devoted, and sweet-tempered, plus, he’s got a sense of smell you can hardly believe. You open some food in the kitchen and he will be at your feet in seconds. One thing you didn’t realize he’d be though, is noisy. When you’re preparing his meals he barks constantly in anticipation. When you’re getting ready to take him out for a walk, he again won’t stop barking. When someone approaches the front door, he’ll start barking. He’s slowly destroying the relatively peaceful household you once had. It needs to stop.
Training him to stop barking will make taking him out for a walk relaxing. It will also mean you’re not woken up early in the morning when he’s hungry for breakfast. Everyone in the house will appreciate the peace and quiet.
Training your Basset hound to stop barking is definitely achievable. Basset hounds are intelligent and switched on. You simply need to find the right incentive. Like most dogs, they have a soft spot for food. But because they’re the breed with the second most sensitive nose, some truly smelly food is guaranteed to catch their attention. You’ll then need to use obedience commands to silence him and look to some deterrence measures.
If he’s a puppy and the barking habit is new you could see results in just a week. If he’s older and more stubborn then you may need three weeks to fully stamp it out. Get this training right and you’ll have a well behaved and more importantly, quiet dog. You’ll also find this training makes it easier to stamp out other problematic habits.
Before you get to work you’ll need to gather a few bits.You’ll need a water bottle and a deterrence collar for one of the methods. You’ll also need a quiet room to practice in.
Some extra smelly treats or his favorite food broken into small chunks will play an important role. You’ll also need to set aside 10 minutes each day for training over the next couple of weeks.
Once you have all that you just need earplugs and a positive attitude, then the work can begin!