Are Basset Hounds Hard To Potty Train?
Ah, the Basset Hound. Those big droopy eyes, the long ears…so adorable. Basset Hounds are wonderful dogs; they are smart, friendly, and great with kids. And a real pain in the butt to potty train.
Yes, the stubborn Basset Hound will be quite the challenge to potty train, but don’t let that get you down. As long as you have patience and consistency, you can potty train any dog.
This article will go over a short (no pun intended) history of the breed and just what makes them so difficult to potty train. I will also give you a few tried and true tricks for successful potty training.
A History of the Basset Hound
Ancestors of the Basset Hound go back to 6th century Belgium and found their way to Europe through the decades. They were first used in France during the 16th century to hunt foxes and badgers, and controlled breeding of the dogs started in 1870, and from there, they were imported to England.
Folks in Great Britain continued to breed the Basset Hound for what they do best; hunt. The short legs and superb nose are perfectly suited to hunting small game.
Why Are Basset Hounds So Hard to Potty Train?
As delightful and family-oriented as the Basset Hound is, he is incredibly stubborn. He is also a sensitive dog, and the mixture of these two personality traits makes him difficult to potty train. The Basset Hound is also very intelligent, contributing to the “I’m not budging” attitude.
Basset Hounds like to take things slow and won’t respond well to negativity and pressure when it comes to potty training.
But if you follow along and use these simple words of advice, you can succeed with potty training. And by succeeding, your bond with your dog will only get better.
Puppies Go to the Bathroom…A LOT
I’m currently potty training my own 8-week-old puppy, and the first thing I can tell you is that puppies need to go to the bathroom a lot. Your puppy will need to go as soon as he wakes up from a nap, like immediately. Put the leash on and take him outdoors for some exercise without letting him stop to sniff anywhere in the house.
Puppies need to eliminate energy after a good play session or walk (which is highly recommended with Basset Hounds as they tend to be obese) and after they eat.
My advice is to plan on taking your puppy outside to go to the bathroom every hour until you build up a routine. It took my puppy and me about a week before I got an idea of when he needed to go. If you never give your puppy the chance to have an accident in the house, then they won’t.
I say this cautiously, but if your puppy of any breed has an accident in the house, it’s your fault. You need to be on top of potty training with consistency.
When you take your dog outside, as soon as his bottom touches the ground to pee or poop, give praise! Let him associate going to the bathroom with positivity and praise. And you never want to scold a dog for going in the house. If you catch him in the act, a loud NO and then a redirect to going outside is all you need.
Do Not Let Your Puppy Be UnSupervised
If you let your puppy go unsupervised in the house, you increase his chance of having an accident and getting into something that could harm him.
Crate training is essential. Most dogs are unlikely to go to the bathroom in their crate if it is the right size. His crate should be big enough for him to sit, stand, and turn around, and no bigger. Puppies should be put in their crate if you cannot supervise them, at night or anytime you leave the house.
Another method I use for supervision is keeping my puppy leashed in the house at all times. I have a six-foot leash tethered to the TV stand in the living room. My puppy has enough room to play and move around just fine, but he cannot wander off and possibly get into things or soil in another room.
Conclusion
Potty training a Basset Hound may be harder than some breeds, but it comes down to you and the time and effort you put into it.
