Hello - I have a 4 month old Basset Hound puppy who barks like crazy when you leave the room and don't pay attention to her. She has 3 other dogs in the house, and when you leave her for a second she barks whether she is in her crate or in a room alone. The bark is louder than all other 3 dogs combined.

How can I break her of this habit before it gets worse. She is making me crazy, please help. Keep in mind that she is fine when someone is with her or another dog is with her. Even if you are standing right in front of her but not in the room she will bark at you like crazy. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE advise.

Thanks in advance!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Torissa

Hello - I have a 4 month old Basset Hound puppy who barks like crazy when you leave the room and don't pay attention to her. She has 3 other dogs in the house, and when you leave her for a second she barks wether she is in her crate or in a room alone. The bark is louder than all other 3 dogs combined.

How can I break her of this habit before it gets worse. She is making me crazy, please help. Keep in mind that she is fine when someone is with her or another dog is with her. Even if you are standing right in front of her but not in the room she will bark at you like crazy. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE advise.

Thanks in advance!

---

You can give to mutch attention to a puppy,then when you leave it on its own they go crazy ,answer It s hard but stop giving it to mutch attention,start by leaving it for short periods and then make it longer and so on but stop fussing over it there just like kids you can spoil them. Good luck ,BILL

The demand for attention shows she doesn't understand who is top dog. The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete Here are some gentle ways to make the point:

''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.

Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.

Once firmly established as top dog, you can give her a quiet ''enough'', distract her with a treat, and let her have it after she quiets down. Never yell at a barking dog. Barkingis a social thing, and all the more funif you join in.

It is also a breed characteristic as with all the hound breeds to brak more than most of us are used to (bred into them as part of dignalling that they are on a trail).

You will have to be very diligent to nip this in the bud or he's going to be a loud dog his whole life.

-Beth