Training A Basset Off Lead Is Possible – But, You Have To Train Yourself First!

Note: If this article interests you and you’d like to see more, please leave me a comment below. You can even add what you’d like to have addressed in future articles about the Basset breed.

By way of introduction, I’ve had a basset grace my life for over 55 years now. Wrinkles, Patches, Flapps, one-eyed Blinker, Barley, and Dash. All fantastic bassets and much beloved.

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Owning a basset hound is not the same as owning a Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd or about any other breed. Sure, they’re all dogs and have the same basic needs of food, shelter and love, but, Bassets are a breed apart, in my humble opinion.

‘Why are they so different?’ you might ask.

Basset hounds by their very nature were originally bred as hunting dogs.

But, they’re not hunting dogs like retrievers who collect the shot bird or dead prey; instead, they are hound dogs who were designed to trail live prey – through the bushes, reeds, over a highway (therein lies the problem) etc. You name it and, if your basset is off lead, he will chase it.

A Basset Is Not Built For Speed – He Or She Lives For The Scent Of Game

Basset Hounds are right behind Bloodhounds in the ability to trail game. The ears were designed to be long enough to lie on the ground in order to stir up the scent of the prey. The ears also had to be long enough to hold the scent close to the dog’s nose. Which they do.

Supplemented by a long muzzle holding 220 million scent receptors (versus a paltry 5 million for us humans) a Basset was designed for hunting. Additionally, the part of a basset’s brain that can detect and follow scent is 40 times the size of a humans.

If you understand that paragraph just above, you might more easily understand why a trail scent for a basset is life itself. It’s almost impossible to pull a basset off a scent. That long nose in front of them means that they can follow a trail for many miles. This is the exact reason bassets should never be off lead without a lot of training and reinforcement.

basset hound off lead training — At first, Dash didn’t want to hear about training.

A lot of inexperienced basset owners don’t understand the nature of the beast. They let their new pup off lead in an unfenced area and, well, you can now guess the outcome most of the time. Also, don’t let those short legs fool you – the suckers can run FAST and FAR! It might take them a few days to recover from a few mile romp, but, trust me on this one – a basset will get to where he wants to go.

Because a basset off lead doesn’t respond necessarily to yelling his name, a lot of Basset Hound owners believe their dogs are stupid but in fact they’re not the least bit stupid. They are simply tied to the scent they’re picking up in that big nose.

This means that when Dash’s nose is on the ground on a trail, his ears stop working. Before I had him fully trained, I could yell and yell and yell his name (his middle name is ‘Dammit’) and off he would go anyway – headed at full speed to wherever his nost dictated.

So, we are faulting the dog for the natural qualities that breeders have instilled inside the breed. I don’t believe that is fair.

As an experienced Bassett owner I understand this behavior and have worked to enhance it for our benefit.

A Small Primer To Training A Basset Off Leash – There’s SO Much More To It

One of the things that I’ve done to accustom Dash to being off lead was to teach him a very strong recall command in our fenced backyard. I used a very long leash that I could easily step on if he took off the wrong direction.

It took about 2 weeks but, with the aid of enthusiasm and treats, he came willingly.

Next, I taught him that the house holds a delicious, unbelievably smelly and wonderful treat! Now, he knows that, when I issue the command, he runs to the house – with gusto, I might add.

He will now forgo chasing a squirrel in the front yard to run directly to the front door as he knows what’s in store.

Dash’s treat for choosing the right path is a treat he never, ever, ever gets unless he comes in the door. This is an ‘A’ type of irresistible treat such as dried liver – it has to be something he simply can’t resist. I’m talking THE BEST THING EVER! And, it has to be given to him every single time he runs to the house. It is also the the ONLY time he ever gets this particular dog treat – this is important to the training.

Note: I always check the surroundings before I let him off his leash. If there is a car nearby, it’s a no-go.

But, if the coast is clear, I’ll unclip his leash and give him a command of ‘Go Home!’ and off that sucker will fly!

Here’s video proof:

Dash knows what's behind that front door...Liver treats!

So, you can see that Bassets can be off lead trained, but it takes a very dedicated owner who understands the breed well, loads of training, reinforcement, and, most of all, consistency to get this behavior.

And, it takes an experienced owner to know when a particular basset is never going to respond off lead. And, that’s perfectly fine.

If your basset is simply a beautiful, loving family dog who stays within the boundaries of the house and fence, off lead training is probably not for you – or for him. Respect the beast within!

Here’s Some Items To Help Get A Beautiful Recall From Any Dog

Even if your basset is not suited to be off lead, a strong recall is a very good idea. These treats are all considered ‘A’ quality – meaning they are the cream of the crop of treats. You can also use any treat that your dog goes wild for. If it’s cut up hotdogs, you’ll get away cheaper!

Stewart’s Pro-Treat Bag Freeze Dried Dog Treats – 14 Ounce Stewart Bacon Pop-Its Dog Treats Made in the USA (Limited Ingredient Freeze Dried Dog Treats, Bacon Dog Treats Bil-Jac Liver Dog Treats 2 Pack of 20 Ounce Pup-Peroni Dog Snacks Treats Original Real Beef Flavor – 2 Pack: 50 oz. Club Size Pup-Peroni Triple Meat Lovers with Bacon, Sausage and Pepperoni Flavor Dog Snacks, 5.6 oz

Flexi Leads And Long Leashes For Those Who Need To Be Leashed

Even if you are an experienced basset owner, there are some dogs who simply cannot, and should not, be off lead, ever. Perhaps their recall is just not in order. You didn’t get a defective dog, nor are you a bad trainer – it’s the nature of the beast.

Don’t despair. Instead, get a very long flexi lead. We have 8 of these in different colors and lengths!

Flexi New Classic Tape Retractable Leash, Red, Large/26′FLEXI Bogdahn International Giant Neon Tape Dog Lead (8M) (Large/50kg)FLEXI New Comfort Retractable Dog Leash (Tape), 26 ft, Large, Blue/Pastel AMAGOOD Dog/Puppy Obedience Recall Training Agility Lead-15 ft 20 ft 30 ft 50 ft Long Leash-for Dog Training,Play,Safety,Camping (15 feet, Blue)