How To Stop A Basset Hound Growling
There are many things that you need to prepare for and understand when you take ownership of a dog. Even your cute little Basset Hound will need to be trained and taught who is the leader of the pack. Remember, dogs are pack animals and if your dog is led to believe that he is above you and your family in terms of ranking order, then you will be in for a world of trouble.
If your dog is growling at you or other dogs, it is important to make sure that you are putting a stop to this behavior right away. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to correct the problem. To help make sure that your dog views you and your family as members of the pack that are above him, you will want to make sure that certain obedience and training techniques are put into practice for your Basset Hound. This should ensure that he will no longer growl at you, since he will realize where his place is.
Start by doing little things such as making sure that you never allow your dog to walk ahead of you through the door. Allowing your Basset Hound to walk through first will make him think that he is your leader. You cannot allow that to happen. You also want to make sure that you or your family is sitting down to eat first and then you can feed your dog. Allowing the dog to eat first, even if it is nothing more than a convenience for you, will allow the dog to think that he is something tuff and this may in fact encourage his growling behavior.
If your Basset Hound simply has a problem with growling other people and dogs outside of your family circle than you need to socialize him more. Take him to the park or even for a ride to the pet store. Allow him to meet and greet other dogs. Taking an obedience or training class is also a great way to get your dog to socialize. The more he understands that other people and dogs can be friendly, the less likely he is to growl every time a stranger or dog comes near him.
Of course, if you find that you simply cannot get your Basset Hound to stop growling, you are going to have to seek out some professional help. The vet should see your dog in case he is suffering medically which is causing all of the growling. If everything checks out health wise, your dog could just end up needing extra attention from an obedience trainer. Even if it costs a little bit of money, it is money that will be well spent.
Basically, the sooner you take action against all of that growling coming out of your little Basset Hound, the better off everyone will be. Start teaching your dog that you are the leader of the pack and that every other dog out there is a threat and you should have no problem getting everything under control.