I have a 12 week old Beagle, named Sandler.......while he is incredibly cute and loveable.......it seems that he is IMPOSSIBLE to train.....I know he is only 12 weeks old......buut we should be getting SOMEWHERE with training......1) He still goes to the bathroom all over the house.......even if i take him out every hour on the hour......and 2) He refuses to go for walks. I will take him outside, put him down, and he just runs back to the house, no matter how far I take him away from the house, we could even be 2 blocks away...He will hide under cars.....It's like I torture him or something...It's incredebly frustrating because I work, and he is in his crate for 8 hours......Then he just jumps all over, and wont let me walk him........I've read on some of these threads that they are stubborn.....I know I may sound like a control freak here, but i've had a Boxer, and a Chihuahua, and they were CAKE!.......I refuse to let a dog control my EVERY moment. I know that I need to be patient, and not slap him on the butt so much........and I know they are a time investment.....and I'll put in a few more weeks......but how much longer is he going to be like this? I'm training him properly....and it's sad to say, but if he continues down this path, I think i'm going to have to find Sandler a new home........It is absolutely wearing me out!!! HELP!!!!!!
Almost at the end of my rope........
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You're slapping a 12 week old puppy? You're training him properly?
Please re-home this puppy. Your idea of proper training is way off the map. Stubborn? That's a human characteristic, not a dog's.
Still peeing in the house at 12 weeks??????? Of course he is. He's an infant. And you're not preventing accidents. Your fault, not his.
Jumps all over after being in a box all day long? Of course he is. How boring would that be?
Won't walk with you? You must not be making it worth his while. Any behavior you want your dog to do, you must make it fun and worthwhile. Motivate and reward your dog to reinforce behaviors you like. Slapping and getting angry makes you an untrustworthy, out of control non-leader.
When I hear someone is slapping a tiny puppy, I can't help but pray that the puppy gets a home where he can have a family who understands dogs.
Please re-home this puppy. Your idea of proper training is way off the map. Stubborn? That's a human characteristic, not a dog's.
Still peeing in the house at 12 weeks??????? Of course he is. He's an infant. And you're not preventing accidents. Your fault, not his.
Jumps all over after being in a box all day long? Of course he is. How boring would that be?
Won't walk with you? You must not be making it worth his while. Any behavior you want your dog to do, you must make it fun and worthwhile. Motivate and reward your dog to reinforce behaviors you like. Slapping and getting angry makes you an untrustworthy, out of control non-leader.
When I hear someone is slapping a tiny puppy, I can't help but pray that the puppy gets a home where he can have a family who understands dogs.
trust me peeing in the house and not wanting to go for a walk at 12 weeks is nothing to worry about,
hes not used to the outdoors, you have to play with him outside and familiarise him with different things so he gets used to it, instead to all this stuff you should be focusing more on basic commands and socialisation, thats whats gonna give you more hassle then these in the future.
it sounds like you puppy is just being a normal puppy and you cant handle that, maybe buy a crate to help train him, or maybe its in the best interest of you and the dog to rehome you puppy and look into adopting an already trained adult dog, of which there are many that need homes,
it may sound like i was being harsh but i really wasnt,, also constant supervision is essential in potty training, and when he isnt being supervised he is in his crate, thats the trick.
if red sees this post then she can give you lots of help on housetraining your pup cause her advice helped me,
good luck!
hes not used to the outdoors, you have to play with him outside and familiarise him with different things so he gets used to it, instead to all this stuff you should be focusing more on basic commands and socialisation, thats whats gonna give you more hassle then these in the future.
it sounds like you puppy is just being a normal puppy and you cant handle that, maybe buy a crate to help train him, or maybe its in the best interest of you and the dog to rehome you puppy and look into adopting an already trained adult dog, of which there are many that need homes,
it may sound like i was being harsh but i really wasnt,, also constant supervision is essential in potty training, and when he isnt being supervised he is in his crate, thats the trick.
if red sees this post then she can give you lots of help on housetraining your pup cause her advice helped me,
good luck!
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I feel your pain. I have a thread about confusion with crate and potty training. I have a similar problem. We both work and Scout has to stay home alone for atleast 7 hours. I am out of school right now but that is not forever. I don't want to start an expectation that i will always be home with her. She will freak in a few weeks which I am fearing will result in more set backs with training/house breaking.
My husband says he understands but travels a lot and wants to spend time with me when he is home. That is hard when constantly outdoors with the puppy. I know that he just needs to realize the pup is priority but it is hard.
Hang in there. It is good to know that others are experiencing the same challenges.
My husband says he understands but travels a lot and wants to spend time with me when he is home. That is hard when constantly outdoors with the puppy. I know that he just needs to realize the pup is priority but it is hard.
Hang in there. It is good to know that others are experiencing the same challenges.
Sorry if the previous replies haven't been entirely constructive, but I'll try to give you some helpful advice. However, the previous posters are right in that you should think seriously about rehoming this puppy if it is too much responsibility.
Potty training:
Keep a log book. Write down every time he goes #1, #2, eats anything, or takes a walk. You will quickly see that he will need to go out every 1/2 hour to 1 hour. Once you establish a schedule, any accidents that he has are completely your fault--meaning that if he pees in the house the only one that should get spanked is you.
Also, keep him confined to a smaller area. You should be able to supervise him at all times. We started out by confining our little guy to his crate (1 week), then the kitchen (3 weeks), and now he gets the kitchen and some of the family room. He sleeps anywhere (and everywhere) in that area during the day so he has no desire to eliminate in it.
We house trained our small-breed puppy in just over a month--and he is only 3 and 1/2 months old now. We kept a schedule and made sure that every 30 minutes we would say, "Herschel, do you have to go out?" and run towards the stairs. He would follow us and we would run down the stairs and let him out. He would usually get the point and go to the bathroom and receive tons of praise, chest rubbing, and treats. Yes--there were times when he acted like he didn't have to go, came back inside and peed, but we just cleaned up the mess and tried again 20 minutes later.
One thing that we were fairly determined about was treating our little guy like he is a big guy. We made a conscious effort to let him run down the stairs and outside on his own. We had him going up stairs by the second day of having him (8 weeks old) and down by the third. If you have stairs, make sure your puppy learns to go up and down them (tons of praise + treats), or if you're just opening up a door then make sure your puppy runs outside on his own to go to the bathroom.
Walking:
If your puppy isn't comfortable following you (while on a leash) then that is probably your fault. People would laugh at us for the first few weeks because we were the personal cheerleaders for our dog. We would scream, "Come on, Herschel. Come on! Good boy, Herschel. Herschel, come on!" and he would sit there and stare at us. Then we would wait, and repeat the cheering. Then he would happily run to us and we would give him a ton of love. Your goal is to make him WANT to walk with you, not scare him into submission.
Make sure he is on a leash (our guy would bite his short leash so we had to teach him on a retractable) and make sure you give lots of praise and treats. Oh--we also figured out that for the first couple of weeks we would have to carry him about 2 blocks away from the house before starting our walks. He did the same thing where he would just try to run home.
Potty training:
Keep a log book. Write down every time he goes #1, #2, eats anything, or takes a walk. You will quickly see that he will need to go out every 1/2 hour to 1 hour. Once you establish a schedule, any accidents that he has are completely your fault--meaning that if he pees in the house the only one that should get spanked is you.
Also, keep him confined to a smaller area. You should be able to supervise him at all times. We started out by confining our little guy to his crate (1 week), then the kitchen (3 weeks), and now he gets the kitchen and some of the family room. He sleeps anywhere (and everywhere) in that area during the day so he has no desire to eliminate in it.
We house trained our small-breed puppy in just over a month--and he is only 3 and 1/2 months old now. We kept a schedule and made sure that every 30 minutes we would say, "Herschel, do you have to go out?" and run towards the stairs. He would follow us and we would run down the stairs and let him out. He would usually get the point and go to the bathroom and receive tons of praise, chest rubbing, and treats. Yes--there were times when he acted like he didn't have to go, came back inside and peed, but we just cleaned up the mess and tried again 20 minutes later.
One thing that we were fairly determined about was treating our little guy like he is a big guy. We made a conscious effort to let him run down the stairs and outside on his own. We had him going up stairs by the second day of having him (8 weeks old) and down by the third. If you have stairs, make sure your puppy learns to go up and down them (tons of praise + treats), or if you're just opening up a door then make sure your puppy runs outside on his own to go to the bathroom.
Walking:
If your puppy isn't comfortable following you (while on a leash) then that is probably your fault. People would laugh at us for the first few weeks because we were the personal cheerleaders for our dog. We would scream, "Come on, Herschel. Come on! Good boy, Herschel. Herschel, come on!" and he would sit there and stare at us. Then we would wait, and repeat the cheering. Then he would happily run to us and we would give him a ton of love. Your goal is to make him WANT to walk with you, not scare him into submission.
Make sure he is on a leash (our guy would bite his short leash so we had to teach him on a retractable) and make sure you give lots of praise and treats. Oh--we also figured out that for the first couple of weeks we would have to carry him about 2 blocks away from the house before starting our walks. He did the same thing where he would just try to run home.
You have been given some great advice here, and if you follow it, it will take a lot of time and patience on your part. If you don't want to put in the time, then I agree with the rehome idea.
I will say that beagles are not the easiest dogs to train. I wouldn't say stubborn but they definitely are independent. Wait til he likes the outside so much that he runs away for 3 days at a time because his nose is leading him all over the place.
I will say that beagles are not the easiest dogs to train. I wouldn't say stubborn but they definitely are independent. Wait til he likes the outside so much that he runs away for 3 days at a time because his nose is leading him all over the place.
Obedience classes.
Hounds are netoriously stuborn. Emma routenly flips me the bird and she is 15 months old and ready (almost) to compete in agility.
He should NEVER EVER EVER be off a leash. They are a scent hound and no matter how well trained he is (up to a UD title)he gets on a good smell and he will be gone. Im sorry but thats the breed.
He will not be fully hous trained untill 6months old.
Hounds are netoriously stuborn. Emma routenly flips me the bird and she is 15 months old and ready (almost) to compete in agility.
He should NEVER EVER EVER be off a leash. They are a scent hound and no matter how well trained he is (up to a UD title)he gets on a good smell and he will be gone. Im sorry but thats the breed.
He will not be fully hous trained untill 6months old.
While I don't agree with slapping a puppy I can understand why you did. A lot of uneducated people think that is how you reprimand a puppy, it is not an uncommon thought.
Although, now you know that it's not considered to be humane nor a good training tactic you should stop.
All of the information above is good. I just thought I'd let you know that your probably not the only one who made the mistake of slapping your puppy, but don't do it anymore!
Although, now you know that it's not considered to be humane nor a good training tactic you should stop.
All of the information above is good. I just thought I'd let you know that your probably not the only one who made the mistake of slapping your puppy, but don't do it anymore!
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Beagles are hounds ,and most hounds are very hard to train. The reason being because they are stubborn, but they are stubborn for a reason. It was bred into them so they would be more persistant in tracking game. Which is also the reason why you have to keep them in a fenced area or on a leash when they are outside. They will follow a sent and most likely won't pay any attention to you calling them back. They are extreamly affectionate dogs, and usually have a very gentle temperment. Like with alot of breeds, females are usually easier to train then males ( in my experience with hounds). They really are great dogs, but you just have to be consistant with your training. It might also take a while for him to realize that when you are praising him for going potty outside that you are praising him for where he went and not because he went. I'm sure there may be some out there, but I haven't heard of many puppies that are completely potty trained at 12 weeks, especially not a hound. I may be wrong because I know every dog is different, but 6 months is the adverage age of a puppy to be potty trained. As for hounds, it could take alot longer. This is why it is best to research a breed before you buy one so you know what breed would match best with what you are looking for.
Like I said they are really great dogs, and are so sweet, but they just need a little more time and understanding in the training department.
Crate training is almost a must when house training them. When you are home, you could try putting him on a leash when you have him out so he is never out of your sight. Even though he is 12 weeks take him out to potty like every 30 min or as often as possible. Use the same command when you take him out like "go potty". When he is doing good and seems to understand the command start increasing the time little by little. You will know when he is understanding because when you say the command he will start sniffing out a place to go. Make sure you make a huge deal about him going. He will not only know he done good, but eventually it will make him go faster when you take him out and use the command. Do not hit him if he makes a mistake inside. It will only make him shy and may reverse any potty training you have already done. It could make even him afraid to even potty outside thinking he might get smacked for that too. Just give him a firm no and take him straight outside. If he goes outside, praise him, then take him to his kennel while you clean up and until you can keep a close eye on him. If he does not go potty at first when you are taking him out, don't get mad at him, just take him inside and put him in his kennel. Wait another 30 mins or so and try again. Don't let him out to play until he has gone potty outside for you. Try giving him food and water at certian times so you have a better idea of when he might have to go.
Having the leash on him when he is out of his kennel with you will not only let you keep a close eye on him it will also get him use to the leash for when you go on walks. He will eventually love to go on walks, but he's just a baby right now. The more you take him on walks, the more he will realize how fun they are for him.
Sorry, I'm sure you probably know all about potty training, but I just wanted to stress that with hound you have to be consistant and patient. If you don't think you can be, then finding another home might be best, but I hope that this might give you some ideas of ways to work on training him.
Not with potty training, but some of the other times when they are being stubborn it can be very funny. I don't know how many times I have got so mad and frustrated (especially with Lawson), but thinking about it now makes me laugh. I can't believe some of the things he's done, but that's what makes him, him, and that's what I love.
Good luck. I hope everything works out for you both.
Like I said they are really great dogs, and are so sweet, but they just need a little more time and understanding in the training department.
Crate training is almost a must when house training them. When you are home, you could try putting him on a leash when you have him out so he is never out of your sight. Even though he is 12 weeks take him out to potty like every 30 min or as often as possible. Use the same command when you take him out like "go potty". When he is doing good and seems to understand the command start increasing the time little by little. You will know when he is understanding because when you say the command he will start sniffing out a place to go. Make sure you make a huge deal about him going. He will not only know he done good, but eventually it will make him go faster when you take him out and use the command. Do not hit him if he makes a mistake inside. It will only make him shy and may reverse any potty training you have already done. It could make even him afraid to even potty outside thinking he might get smacked for that too. Just give him a firm no and take him straight outside. If he goes outside, praise him, then take him to his kennel while you clean up and until you can keep a close eye on him. If he does not go potty at first when you are taking him out, don't get mad at him, just take him inside and put him in his kennel. Wait another 30 mins or so and try again. Don't let him out to play until he has gone potty outside for you. Try giving him food and water at certian times so you have a better idea of when he might have to go.
Having the leash on him when he is out of his kennel with you will not only let you keep a close eye on him it will also get him use to the leash for when you go on walks. He will eventually love to go on walks, but he's just a baby right now. The more you take him on walks, the more he will realize how fun they are for him.
Sorry, I'm sure you probably know all about potty training, but I just wanted to stress that with hound you have to be consistant and patient. If you don't think you can be, then finding another home might be best, but I hope that this might give you some ideas of ways to work on training him.
Not with potty training, but some of the other times when they are being stubborn it can be very funny. I don't know how many times I have got so mad and frustrated (especially with Lawson), but thinking about it now makes me laugh. I can't believe some of the things he's done, but that's what makes him, him, and that's what I love.
Good luck. I hope everything works out for you both.
I have to disagree that dogs are *stubborn.* That is a human trait. That's like saying that they "know" better, know right from wrong, but are consciously choosing to disobey.
The fact is that dogs are amoral. They don't look at things as right and wrong like we do. They do what works to survive. Period. They're hard wired to do whatever it takes to get them what they need and want. They're not being "naughty" as humans would be if they disobeyed because dogs do not have our value system. When they don't do what we want, it's because they're undertrained and because there is a competing motivator somewhere else and not a strong enough motivator and reinforcement provided by the owner.
If it works for a Beagle to follow his nose after a scent of a rabbit....if anything in the environment is more fun, more potentially rewarding to his way of thinking then he'll go for it if the owner hasn't given him a better reason not to. The owner needs to have a reinforcement which out does whatever is going on in the environment. And the dog needs a lot of repitition of reinforcers to become trained...some need more than others and some need different types of reward.
This is just how they are and no amount of projecting our ways and thought processing is going to change that. They're animals.
http://www.chazhound.com/forums/sho...thropomorphizing+dogs+dog+human+relationships
The fact is that dogs are amoral. They don't look at things as right and wrong like we do. They do what works to survive. Period. They're hard wired to do whatever it takes to get them what they need and want. They're not being "naughty" as humans would be if they disobeyed because dogs do not have our value system. When they don't do what we want, it's because they're undertrained and because there is a competing motivator somewhere else and not a strong enough motivator and reinforcement provided by the owner.
If it works for a Beagle to follow his nose after a scent of a rabbit....if anything in the environment is more fun, more potentially rewarding to his way of thinking then he'll go for it if the owner hasn't given him a better reason not to. The owner needs to have a reinforcement which out does whatever is going on in the environment. And the dog needs a lot of repitition of reinforcers to become trained...some need more than others and some need different types of reward.
This is just how they are and no amount of projecting our ways and thought processing is going to change that. They're animals.
http://www.chazhound.com/forums/sho...thropomorphizing+dogs+dog+human+relationships
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Dogs are stubborn. Dogs do make choices, they CHOOSE to eat, right? My dogs used to "ignore" me when I gave them a command and they got corrected for it. I dont understand how someone cannot see the fact that dogs do CHOOSE to ignore their owner. And guess what? I want my dogs to work for me, thats their motivation. Yes I use treats to teach my dog, but once they know the command 100% and can follow through each time for a treat then they will get corrected if they CHOOSE to disobey me.
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Have you had a hound before? Hounds are STUBBORN. Most of the time they do know better. I know my dog knows his name and how to come when called, but alot of the time he will look at me like he is deciding weather or not to come. The he will turn an walk away. He is 4 years old he knows what he is suppose to do. He chooses not to which is stubborn.
I didn't say all dogs are stubborn, but hounds are. No matter how much training. I'm sure there are hounds that are less stubborn like my female, but she still is stubborn too. Alot of hounds have a "What's in it for me" attitude. Some people (like me) love, and even get a kick out of this, and some can't handle a dog they can't always trust will obey. They are very smart, but they do what they feel.
Also, lawson has ran out of the house when I was trying to leave before. I ran inside and got treats and even got lunch meat to try to get him to come to me. He didn't even look my way. I had to chase him for 30 mins. and when I finally caught him I had to carry all 65 pounds of him back home. I wasn't too happy then, but now I can look back and laugh. If you have to be in control and don't have a sense of humor about this kind of thing then a hounc is not the best choice.
I didn't say all dogs are stubborn, but hounds are. No matter how much training. I'm sure there are hounds that are less stubborn like my female, but she still is stubborn too. Alot of hounds have a "What's in it for me" attitude. Some people (like me) love, and even get a kick out of this, and some can't handle a dog they can't always trust will obey. They are very smart, but they do what they feel.
Also, lawson has ran out of the house when I was trying to leave before. I ran inside and got treats and even got lunch meat to try to get him to come to me. He didn't even look my way. I had to chase him for 30 mins. and when I finally caught him I had to carry all 65 pounds of him back home. I wasn't too happy then, but now I can look back and laugh. If you have to be in control and don't have a sense of humor about this kind of thing then a hounc is not the best choice.
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They make choices. But making choices isn't being stubborn. When they don't make a correct response to a cue, even if they've responded correctly before, they're not thinking like we might..."Well, I know he wants me to do this, but I just don't want to and I'm not going to." (That's stubborn) It has been researched, observed, experimented on, studied and applied by PHDs in applied animal behavior that dogs don't process things that way. Instead, they are being reinforced by something in their environment which is more of a motivator than what the owner or trainer is providing. They have not been given a better reason to respond correctly. It's all about creating a strong history of reiforcers for a response to be consistantly and reliably correct. If a dog doesn't give a correct response, he is undertrained in that situation. Maybe he is good at coming when called when there is nothing better going on. But if he sees a rabbit, that is a stronger motivator than what the owner may have in store.....like going in the house, ending all the fun outside.
Dogs are opportunists, scavenger/hunters and they do what works. They don't have a sense of right and wrong as in morals the way we do. They're innocently selfish. It's how they are.
Another falacy is that they do things to please their owner. They do things to please themselves. If there's something in it for them by pleasing their owners, they will. If you think they are concerned with your internal emotional state of mind, then you're humanizing them. They're descended from wild animals. They do not have the ability to think with the complexity that a human does.
This is what gets dogs all the aversive treatment dumped on them. "He knows. He's just being stubborn." No, he is doing what dogs are hard wired to do. He's choosing a behavior which gets him the best payoff. Period. He's not going through a moral dilema, going through our system of values and experiences which create those values, experiences processed through our more complex intellectual minds.
Dogs are opportunists, scavenger/hunters and they do what works. They don't have a sense of right and wrong as in morals the way we do. They're innocently selfish. It's how they are.
Another falacy is that they do things to please their owner. They do things to please themselves. If there's something in it for them by pleasing their owners, they will. If you think they are concerned with your internal emotional state of mind, then you're humanizing them. They're descended from wild animals. They do not have the ability to think with the complexity that a human does.
This is what gets dogs all the aversive treatment dumped on them. "He knows. He's just being stubborn." No, he is doing what dogs are hard wired to do. He's choosing a behavior which gets him the best payoff. Period. He's not going through a moral dilema, going through our system of values and experiences which create those values, experiences processed through our more complex intellectual minds.
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Hounds are bred to be stubborn. At times it is called "Cussed stubborness". It makes them an untiring, persistent dog in the hunting field, but at the same time it makes them more difficult to train. That is why consistancy and patience is key. Call it stubborn or call it what you want, but even if they know a command they will not always choose to do it unless something is in it for them. They are very responsive to training with treats, but this doesn't always work if they are outside fixed on a sent. In that case it is very hard if not impossible to get their attention.
They Do Not make an overwhelming effort to please their owners. They are happy when they do something that pleases you, but they don't make an effort to do it. I call it stubborn and so do most people that own hounds and work with them, but you can call it what ever you wish.
I love hounds no matter what. They please me with their unconditional love, clown like personalities, and gentle temperment with kids and everyone else they come into contact with. Training may take longer then others, but they are worth it.
They Do Not make an overwhelming effort to please their owners. They are happy when they do something that pleases you, but they don't make an effort to do it. I call it stubborn and so do most people that own hounds and work with them, but you can call it what ever you wish.
I love hounds no matter what. They please me with their unconditional love, clown like personalities, and gentle temperment with kids and everyone else they come into contact with. Training may take longer then others, but they are worth it.
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Yes, they have a very strong prey drive and the thing they're after is a very strong motivator. It's hard to compete with that and treats may not be "better" than the thing they're interested in. But they're not deliberately "disobeying" you, as in "I know what I *should* be doing. I know what is the *right* thing to do, but I don't want to." They're just thinking, "a rabbit! Gotta get it, gotta get it." And they're sooooo focused on that, that they don't even hear you. So, when people get angry and punish the dog for "disobeying," this is where I have a problem. (I'm guilty of that too sometimes. It's a primate thing.) We need to learn to understand where a dog is coming from and not interject our way of reasoning onto theirs. It's just not the same thing. It's better if we can find a way to train them until it's habit to override some of those drives and direct them in more constructive ways. They need an outlet for their drives, a job to do where they can utilize their drives. And at other times we should try to teach them that by not chasing after something when we call them to come, it pays off much, much better than chasing after the thing. How to train in this way is explained in great detail in the books, Culture Clash and Don't Shoot the Dog. It is done and well known and successful dog trainers as well as exotic animal trainers train animals to produce correct responses by use of these methods.
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I totally agree with what you are saying with punishment, and I don't agree with how the OP punished her puppy. Hitting will only cause more problems, not solve them.
I do know that when my dog ran out he could hear me calling because he looked up right at me, but it wasn't in his intrest to come to me. It would be nearly impossible to override their drive to track game. This is what they were bred to do for hundreds of years. Most of the time they are not chasing something they see, they are following the sent of something that was there and is already gone. So you can imagine that this could lead them very far away. I know with Bassets when they put their nose to the ground they can't see where they are going because of all the skin and wrinkles that cover their eyes. (This also being something desired in the breed because the ears help push up a sent and the wrinkles trap it.)This makes it even more dangerous when the run off because they can't see if a car is comming. Plus they don't have a good sense of direction and can't always find thier way home. If you try to override this drive, then you are trying to override the very thing they were bred to do. That's why it is best to know what you are getting into before you go out and get a hound like the OP did. I have learned from my experience that if I am going somewhere then to put up my child gate, or put the dogs in the other room so they can't get to the front door.
I agree with most of what you said, but I do think my dogs know what I am asking them to do. They just don't always choose to do it. I would never punish them for it. I just work harder with them on it, but I also have an understanding of hounds and understand why they do what they do. I don't think it would be right to override their drive to sniff out game because that is what the breed was bred to do. In fact I encourage it because it is what they love, but I know when they are out I have to keep them on a long lead. That way they can do what they love, but I can make sure they are safe and always with me. I know at least with Bassets that there is nothing more interesting then a good sent, and there is nothing that can distract them form one. Even food.
I do know that when my dog ran out he could hear me calling because he looked up right at me, but it wasn't in his intrest to come to me. It would be nearly impossible to override their drive to track game. This is what they were bred to do for hundreds of years. Most of the time they are not chasing something they see, they are following the sent of something that was there and is already gone. So you can imagine that this could lead them very far away. I know with Bassets when they put their nose to the ground they can't see where they are going because of all the skin and wrinkles that cover their eyes. (This also being something desired in the breed because the ears help push up a sent and the wrinkles trap it.)This makes it even more dangerous when the run off because they can't see if a car is comming. Plus they don't have a good sense of direction and can't always find thier way home. If you try to override this drive, then you are trying to override the very thing they were bred to do. That's why it is best to know what you are getting into before you go out and get a hound like the OP did. I have learned from my experience that if I am going somewhere then to put up my child gate, or put the dogs in the other room so they can't get to the front door.
I agree with most of what you said, but I do think my dogs know what I am asking them to do. They just don't always choose to do it. I would never punish them for it. I just work harder with them on it, but I also have an understanding of hounds and understand why they do what they do. I don't think it would be right to override their drive to sniff out game because that is what the breed was bred to do. In fact I encourage it because it is what they love, but I know when they are out I have to keep them on a long lead. That way they can do what they love, but I can make sure they are safe and always with me. I know at least with Bassets that there is nothing more interesting then a good sent, and there is nothing that can distract them form one. Even food.