 This dog would pick up the scent and stand at the base of the tree barking to alert the hunter as to the raccoon's whereabouts. But the raccoon being a cunning animal would often trick the dog and escape and it wasn't until the hunter had climbed the branches that he realized his dog was barking up the wrong tree and the raccoon was no longer there. A basket case is used to refer to someone that is completely hopeless or in useless condition.