hpygrl71

Hi, I'm new at this forum, so I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong area.

We are looking to get a basset hound puppy. Our old basset girl, ladybug, passed away in Nov 2010 at 14yrs and we're ready to get a new addition. We have 4 kids (7-13), and I work from home, so our new girl will have lots of socialization and attention.

I have been looking for a breeder that is local to us in Maryland (just north of Baltimore), but have had no luck. I want to make sure we find a healthy dog, not from a puppy mill.

I am a casual dog trainer, and my ladybug was *very* well mannered in spite of stubbornness that can be common with bassets. I currently have an Akita (rescue through mid-atlantic akita rescue) who is also well behaved and very dog/kid/people friendly. I've also done a little training with search & rescue. All our pets are spayed/neutered and I can provide vet references and personal references and would sign a contract agreeing to spay our new girl.

I want to get a young (8wks) puppy to start, prefer female, tricolor or black/white.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I look forward to your responses.

FranksMum

Go to the BHCA website - they list breeders by State and you should find a reputable one. You are quite right to do your research because as is always the case with breeds that become too popular, too many BYBs and worse jump in and start producing Bassets who are not only conformationally challenged, but often with poor untypical temperaments. You may have to wait, although with most of the bigger breeders, if they have stud dogs, they usually know where there is a litter on the ground, or due, even if they don't have a litter themselves.

About neutering, although I'm all for spaying, as soon as convenient, but I've seen the result of a male Basset castrated at under a year and it was very sad. He stayed a silly puppy for all his life. If this is necessary (other than for medical reasons such a retained testicles of course) it far better to wait until he's at least a year, to give him a chance to mature, and to decide whether castration is really needed, which in most cases, it's not. Poor behaviour is down to incorrect training. I believe that the soft Basset isn't a good candidate for castration - based on two oldies I had to have done for medical reasons and bitterly regretted.

bubbad

There are a couple of MD,VA breeders who have just had or are going to have litters check the BHCA website as suggested they are listed there.

hpygrl71

Thank you both. on all counts!!

bubbad

By the way I'm sorry for your loss almost everyone on this forum has lost one or more.

FranksMum

Definitely 'or more' and it doesn't get any easier By far my worst were the last two of my own bloodline. Somehow having the others, and always the 'next generation' softened the blow of the losses, although for sure, some hurt more than others. All part of life's cycle I guess, but yes, you have my sympathies at your loss too.