When Should Your Basset Hound Begin Obedience Training?

All pet owners want their pet to behave and listen to commands. And in truth, obedience training is a must have for both dog owners and dogs. A properly trained dog will not only bring his owner happiness and enjoyment, but will also benefit from a close relationship with his master.

Not to be confused with socialization and house breaking, obedience training calls for much more than laying down the laws of the home. An obedient dog will willingly and unfailingly take cues and commands from his owner about where to sit, when to stay and when to lie down. Far from being something that is done sporadically, a well trained dog will execute these commands every time they are issued no matter what distractions are at hand.

An obedient dog can be likened to a well-mannered being that is in tune with your every wish and does them without thought or consideration for themselves. For example: An obedient dog would lay on the floor with a steak only inches in front of them, for hours if need be, until you gave them permission to eat the steak. They would do this in your presence or without your presence and would not move a muscle if a less obedient dog came and snatched it away from them.

The benefits of dog obedience training are quite evident when it comes to dealing with large breeds. Can you imagine having a 150 lb Rottweiler that bowls over guests as soon as they walk through the door? Even though, your Basset Hound is not near as big as a Rottweiler, he will still benefit from obedience training.

You can begin the basics of obedience training fairly early on. Commands such as sit and stay should be used when they are needed from about 3 months of age. But do not be discouraged if your puppy fails to respond quickly or does not obey the commands promptly and consistently. After all, your Basset Hound is still a puppy and will not possess all of the mental abilities to perform exceptionally at obedience training until a little later in life.

Hard core obedience training should not begin any earlier than 12 months in age. Many breeders and trainers even recommend holding off on official training until 18 months of age, the age where most breeds are considered adults. Before this time, though, you can begin to instill some training through play and games, especially in the case of a Basset Hound who likes to trek scents instinctively.

Once your Basset Hound is old enough and attentive enough to be trained, you might want to consider enrolling in an obedience training course. This is especially true if you would like to put your Basset Hound into competitions. Keep in mind, though, that it will be you in the end who trains your dog. Do not trust your dog to trainers who claim to be able to train your dog while you are away at work. Dogs respond to commands most readily given by those who taught them in the first place.