Longdog

Good Morning,

Last spring we adopted a handsome 3 yr old named Jed. Recently he's become determined to sleep with us. Our bed is fairly high, so he will run down the hallway and launch himself onto the bed like a hairy torpedo. While I love having him with us, I worry about the dangers of jumping, particularly the stress on his short legs when he jumps down onto a hardwood floor. Sometimes we let him stay, with the intention of lifting him down in the morning - yet he'll still jump down on his own. I should mention that Jed has a comfy bed of his own, and has also claimed ownership of half the sofa. I have considered getting him some steps to the bed, but in the long run I think it's best if sleeps on his own, closer to the floor. So I have two questions. How high should a basset hound jump? And is it wise to let them be an occasional bed mate?

bjsibba

I don't think you can let them be an occasional bedmate, once you start letting them sleep in your bed then that's where they will want to be all the time. Both our hounds sleep with us and we did get some dog steps, they both use them to get on the bed, Sadie uses them to get off but Max will still jump off sometimes.

Dozer-Digger

Once they get in bed, you will never get them out.

All 3 in bed








Then Dozer & Digger block any entry for me. <_<












The next thing you know, they start eating in bed
(btw, Dozer carried the bowl to bed, I didn't put it there)

__________________
Darrell and the Boys. Dozer, Digger, & Dudley.

BufordJGuss

OMGosh, how cute are all of those hounds????? I'm going to invest in those stairs, wonderful idea.

Lightning&Stomps

I highly recommend the stairs. They make a great headrest, too!

BufordJGuss

Awww.....Way2FuNnY!

2hounds

My mom bought my hounds (mostly Lily) stairs for Christmas. 2 problems though: the stairs are a bit too small, and Lily will not use them! We might make some of our own.

~Heather

__________________
Mommy to Gibbs and kitty kitty Eva

Dear sweet Lily (ATB ) you will never be forgotten.

Mahna

I agree with once you let him on, he'll never want to get off (especially if you have memory foam..) but they will certainly keep the bed warm. Instead of stairs, I bought a window seat/bench thing to put along one whole side of the bed, so my Bogie is forced to use that on his way up, rather than jumping up or down straight as there is no room to jump onto the bed from the other sides.

Mikey T

I believe rather than asking about what should the atheletic ability of the dog be but rather what limits should be placed on the dog to prevent injury. The answer unfortunately is unknowable but there are some keys. The first being weight, Most basset and this goes for other breeds as well are over weight, Being over weight is a prime factor in disk herniation. It is far better for the dog to be a little underweight than a little overweight. A skinny basset is much more likely to live longer and healthier than a puddgy one. Physical fitness, also is important. Most soft tissue injuries occur when the out of shape over do it. A moderate exercise program, sorry but a 30 minute walk at basset pace does not constitute exercise, again canbe very protective of joints and the back. see
FITNESS IN YOUR BACKYARD

Diet can also be important but just how important and what the important parameter are is not clear. On study on sled dogs showed that A high Protein diet [32% or higher) was protective for soft tissue injuries while on a low protein diet (16%)every dog suffered some sort of exercise induce soft tissue inujury.

When Training young pup or dogs just starting out the general rule is to keep repetitive jump height at or below elbow height. I an current on Agility Basset number 4 and never had a soft tissue or back injury using a high protein high fat diet, a consistent training and exercise alond with keeping them at a good weight. Whether this is do to luck , the benefits of the individual components mention or some other factor like genetics is purely conjecture, but I do believe it makes for good common sense to follow these recomendations regardless of the "performance" expectations.


This is not true of every dog. I have had a few that much prefered sleeping alone than to sleeping on the bed even though they started out on the bed. But it is emeansly easier to consistently enforce a rule than it expect that the dog will abide by it if you mae an occasional exception. When you make exceptions they need to see what rule is in force which does not happen when you are consistent. Hence dogs are allowed on the furniture except when company is over does not work as well as no dogs on the furniture ever. or Dogs are always allowed on the furniture.

Jake's mum

Easy solution...

1) Buy a wooden frame bed, King Size minimum

2) Saw 8 inches off the legs

3) Buy patterned duvet covers (preferably paw prints, although any pattern will do. Avoid plain, pale coloured duvet covers!)

4) Welcome your Hound/s onto the bed without fear of harm to their backs.

We did this three years ago. The Hounds are very happy as a result!! PS: They sleep ON the bed (not under the duvet). It just means we have to wash the cover / buy a new duvet more often than if we didn't have Hounds.

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Mum to Jake Hound, rescued 9th April 2001, ATB 28th December 2009
Mum to Harvey Hound, born 16th May 1999
England