[Dailydrool] House Breaking

[Pam Farris]

Hi Karlene,

You are fortunate that you have really answered your own question.  You just have to go out with your Lillie to get her to do her business outside.  Like all slave training, it's about finding out what your basset wants and doing it.  

Here at basset headquarters, we have a doggie door that leads to a large tree covered back yard where the hounds love to lie about.  Within a week of being here, all of the new hounds have learned to potty outside by following the lead of the bassets that have been here a while.  For the first week a new basset is here, I "lead the pack" for potty time.  The first thing in the morning (before I even have my first cup of coffee) we go outside and it's "POTTY TIME - OUTSIDE - CHOP CHOP" (said in a happy, sing song kind of way) then I come in, have my coffee, and then it's breakfast time.  Everyone is crated at meal times (except me).  Then the moment I let them out of their crates I repeat the "POTTY TIME - OUTSIDE - CHOP CHOP".  I lead the way again.  Then I get ready for work and make one last trip outside.  The trick is usually once I get them outside and away from the porch, they'll do their business even if I go inside.  There is something
 about their feet hitting that grass that reminds  them of what they are supposed to be doing. Most of them respond very well if you make a silly fool of yourself while praising them, jumping up and down and clapping saying "Yeah ________, good potty! (Repeat several times).  My neighbors think I'm nuts if you haven't guessed.  This same routine is done the minute I get home, right after their dinner and just before bed.  So far it's worked like a charm for probably 75 or so bassets.  The longest it has taken has been 10 days for a bonded pair that had always been outside dogs and very neglected.  Once they got into the house, they acted like they never wanted to step foot out again.  Guess they enjoy the air conditioning too much!  With them I had to put a leash on one of them and take them to the far corner of the yard before I released them.  The other one would follow us out the door and by the time they got from the far corner of the yard to
 the door to the house, they had done their business.  After they have the idea, I'm able to not lead them out so often and gradually they're going on their own every time....Now when it rains, it's a different story for all the bassets here - only one of the bassets will go outside in the rain...and for that I just had my back patio covered so they wouldn't have to get their widdle pawsies wet for potty time....

Good luck!

Pam Farris
Basset Rescue of Florida, Inc.
www.BassetRescueFlorida.com