TEACHING BASSETS

My husband has decided that all the dogs should sit politely when they get treats.
He actually has had great success at this. I am both pleased and skeptical. It is my feeling that in order to score a Basset can be convinced to do almost anything. I have never met such a food-motivated breed of dog, altho I once had a hungry kitten scale my leg in a none-too-gentle manner to grab her plate.

Today as the dogs, for the 400th time, charged around the yard ballyhooing at each other at a time of the day that was not appropriate, I managed to get them all in by waving a little stick with leaves on it and calling TREATS TREATS. Fooled (I think) in the dim light, they came pouring across the deck sounding like a small herd of ponies. I got them all inside before they discovered the error. Sometimes they will get all the way to the door and then spin about and take off again.

While it is usually Conley they chase, it is also Conley who ends up on the bottom, rolling over and over as Nigel and Llewis "attack". I don't belong to the dog park altho there is one well within walking distance, because I am not sure what these Cowboys would do if another dog interfered, and am reluctant to experiment. They are a close-knit pack. It is entirely possible, in my mind, that an "outside" dog attempting to play would be seen as an intruder, and we would leave the park in disgrace. (Tails waving gallantly.)

Here is what I would like to teach the Bassets:

Not to scale the furniture as if it were a small mountain. In this photo there is no one in the chair but it rarely matters whether there is or not. Conley is an irrepresible jumper. He not only jumps up on us but he jumps at our faces, sometimes nipping. He has never hurt anyone, but it is a very annoying habit I would dearly love to break. I can say that yelling, pushing and kneeing him does not work at all. And if I am forceful enough, he is crushed. Why don't I love him anymore?

This evening I was escorting all three into the house when Conley began to leap at me from behind. I said

"AH!" very sharply and he stopped. I was pleased until I turned around and saw  Conley, frozen in place, staring at me with the most hurt look on his face...and of course I melted... He had leaped on me (nearly knocking me over since he usually hits me right behind the knees) in a fervor of love (so he would have me believe) and I had said AH! at him instead of "How is my best beloved"?  How do you train that? Is it real? Is he that smooshy? (I have evidence that he is, actually, that soft)

How could I not love everything he does when it is done out of love? (Or boredom.)
And meanwhile here is Nigel, flopped on his back directly underfoot, tail pounding the floor hopefully with Llewis woo-wooing at the top of his lungs.

No wonder Cooper hides.

In the course of our "training": the dogs will sit for John.
I am teaching Conley to sit "up" which he is very good at doing
And I have taught them "No, go all the way into the kitchen."

Conley is teaching ME that the word "crate" is a dirty word. This is new. Today I picked him up and threw him in, yelling CRATE I SAID CRATE GET IN YOUR CRATE

Which I doubt is in any of the training manuals, probably frowned upon by Cesar M who has no Bassets and equally by the Monks of New Skete who also do not have Bassets.

            But how do you stay mad at something as cute as a Basset?