Housebreaking Your Basset Hound

You have a new basset hound puppy, and you have found the obvious need to housebreak him or her. Housebreaking a basset is similar to breaking any puppy. In fact, it might be a little easier since bassets are smart and able to focus well. Here are some ideas that you can use as a guide to housebreak your new little friend.

Start housebreaking your puppy as soon as you get him. Once bad habits set in, they will be impossible to get away from. One of the first things the puppy needs to have done is to be confined. This may sound mean, but bassets aren’t humans, and they need to learn discipline right away. Confine your puppy all the time, unless you are playing with him. This includes overnight. Never leave him out of your sight. Crate training is used for the first few weeks to a month. Dogs don’t want to go to the bathroom where they sleep, so they will learn to control while in the crate. You have to keep a constant watch on the puppy, though. Once he starts circling around, you have to get him out of there and outside so he can do his business.

Once outside, you again have to keep an eye on the basset to be sure he doesn’t wonder off (or RUN off). Use a leash. You may want to have a key phrase so that he knows it’s time to go, such as “it’s time for bathroom” or something similar. It just needs to be something he can recognize. Don’t try to hurry the puppy. Sometimes it can take twenty minutes or more for him to “go”. Give him the time he needs. The point isn’t how long he takes; it’s to get him used to the idea that he needs to go outside to relieve himself.

The basset puppy will also have somewhat of a schedule to going outside. He should be taken out ten minutes after he eats. He should also be taken out immediately after his playtime with you. You may also find that he has his own times that he needs to relieve himself, such as in the morning or before bedtime.

If there are going to be long periods of time when you will not be home (such as while you are at work), there are two options. Since you cannot be there to watch the puppy in his crate, you could have someone check in on him once or twice during the day.

When you do not have anyone to check on the pup, another option is to put him in a confined area of your home and put down newspapers. When he goes on the papers, remove and change all but the bottom layer, so he can recognize the smell as a place that he should be relieving himself. When you are home, remove the papers, because the point is to get him to go outside on the leash, and then simply follow the guidelines above.

Although there are other ways to housebreak your basset puppy, I think you will find these both reliable and easy.