Natey

Hello, when I say I'm absolute beginner, I not only mean I haven't ever had a Basset Hound but I haven't ever had a dog as a pet before! I'm considering getting a dog for the first time and I'm considering making that dog a Basset Hound. What I'm wondering is if there is any reason that breed of dog would be an unwise choice for a first time dog owner. I am single so it would mean that the dog would have to be alone from 9 to 5 during the week.

Anyway, any input anyone might have would be greatly appreciated!

Boomer's Mom

I don't want to throw cold water on you, but if you are going to be gone that many hours a day, maybe a dog isn't a good idea at this time. Bassets (and a lot of other breeds) are pack animals and don't like to be left alone for long periods of time, unless you plan on having someone come in to let the dog out and play with it.

There are a lot of things to consider, and you'll get some good input here. :-)

Mikey T

You also do not want a puppy as especial a basset puppy house training would be extremely difficult. You need an older dog one that is hopefully housetrained already. Even then in a new situation accidents are to be expected but the retraining is much faster and easier.


the more important question is Why do you want a dog? and is a basset hound the right dog to meet your needs/desires. Until you answer the first part honestly one can not help you in assessing the second part.

MJJean

I am new to Basset hounds myself, but I have other dogs and have owned dogs since I was a kid. What research have you done? Have you looked into breed specific genetic problems? Have you found any information on the not so great things about Basset Hounds?

I saw a lady on craigslist last summer giving away a Basset Hound because she didn't like the drool, the shedding or the smell of the dog. Some Bassets are big droolers and I know mine sheds enough to make a new dog out of the hair by the end of the week! And I have met a few Bassets who have a certain odor..

Do you live in a house or apartment? Bassets are LOUD! My guy isn't as bad as a few I have met, but when he has something to say everyone within a 3 block radius knows it! He is only 11 months old, but he had a HUGE bark at about 5 months. Sometimes he gets vocal when playing with my other dogs and the noise is deafening!

roscolaylamommy

Basset hounds are wonderful dogs but they do require more time and attention than other dogs. Potty training can be difficult with them and they take longer to catch on. A puppy requires a lot of attention and scheduling when it comes to house training and 8 hours is far too long for a puppy to hold it. When I first had my puppy, I came home every day at lunch to let him out and play with him. If you're not able to make it home for regular potty breaks through out the day, a puppy might not be the best choice.

Throughly research the breed before you commit to one. There are pro's and con's to every breed. Don't fall in love with a breed on appearances alone. I think far too many people fall in love with the looks of a dog and are unaware of the challenges that they can bring....which in my opinion leads to dogs ending up in shelters unwanted.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you consider rescuing a dog. There are many out there in need of good homes. The organizations who adopt these dogs out will let you know about the problems the dog may have and give you tips on how to deal with them.

Spend some time thinking about the qualities you want in a dog. Do you want one that is highly trainable? Or one that is high energy and active? or do you want a low key, relaxed dog? Also think about space requirements. Do you have a big yard or an apartment? Will you be able to meet the dogs exercise and activity needs? This and much more need to go into consideration before you bring a dog home.

I would start with this website Animal Planet :: Guides :: Dog Breed Selector
This will at least give you an idea of what breeds best match what you're looking for in a dog. If it turns out that a basset hound meets everything you're looking for then great!

Wworm

Where were you thinking of keeping the dog during the day?

If you are away 8 hrs/day, it is hard to have any sort of puppy, esp if you can't come back for lunch breaks like roscolaylamommy. You can look up information on Crate Training your puppy or dog, as this is a popular method of keeping your dog when you're away for housetraining and so it doesn't chew on things or get in trouble when you're gone. In which case you can leave the dog there for 4-5 hrs at a time.

Options are: hiring a dog walker/pet sitter to take him out in the middle of the day and play with him (i'm just assuming it's a 'him'). Taking him to a doggie daycare center. i bring Worm to one 1 day/week on the day I have to work 8-5pm. But other people bring their dog in 5x/week if they work 8-5 everyday.

Even if you had a big place and backyard, though, i would have reservation leaving a puppy there 8-5 M-F. and for sure a basset hound, as they are very social and like to be with people. I know someone who has a beagle they leave outside all day and night and there is a lot of problem barking as a result (because he wants to be with the people...) so these are some things to consider.

and as for the downsides of basset hounds, just make sure you can tolerate all of them in case your dog turns out to have them. ie. if you can't stand smelly dogs, bassets aren't good for you, as your basset might turn out to be smelly. and esp as a puppy, you can't always tell if it's going to be smelly when it gets older. etc. good that you're trying to do some research on the breed, though, I would commend you on that.

bubbad

A dog,any dog,will change your world.

Natey

Wow, thank you for all the great input. You all are a wealth of information and this is exactly what I was looking for. I’ve approached this whole idea pretty casually and your comments and experiences really remind me how careful a consideration acquiring a dog, basset hound or otherwise, needs to be.

I’m an animal lover so once I’ve accepted the responsibility of taking on a pet, I would never ever take him/her to a shelter or put him or her down (my diabetic cat who I give three insulin shots a day to can attest to that!) but your insights remind me of how important it is to match an owner’s characteristics with the breed’s so you don’t end up selecting a breed that will make both the owner and the dog miserable. (And if I do decide to get a dog, I’m not going to get him/her while my cat is still alive, the diabetes is enough of a stress on him already).

I’m going to invite your collective scorn by admitting that my attraction to basset hounds rests solely on their cute and cuddly appearance and I know next to nothing about them (which is why I decided to come here to acquire your advice and knowledge). I now realize that appearance alone is a really dumb reason to select a breed (and I recalled that in the past I criticized people for recklessly adopting Dalmatians en masse after each Disney film, not realizing that they’re hyper, high maintenance dogs).

Your comments about the time away from home each day was a real eye opener. My sole pet experience consists of cats and you can leave cats home all day with no problems (in fact, most of them actually enjoy the away time). I now understand that that’s not going to work with a basset hound (or probably any dog). Fortunately, I live close enough to work that I could run home every day at lunch time to walk him/her so I could cut that time in half. The barking issue also worries me (I’m envisioning a situation where I’m away all day except at lunch time and the lonely dog barks loudly bugging the neighbors etc…).


Also, thank you for providing me with the dog breed selector. I’m a very mellow, laid back guy and I’m looking for a fairly relaxed, low key dog. (I don’t mind smelly or drooly, at least with respect to dogs J). I also live in a townhouse with no fenced in backyard, which is unfortunate.

I went through selector and plugged in my requirements (needs relatively little exercise, is friendly towards other animals, is calmer and less ferocious than other dogs, can tolerate cold weather—I live in Wisconsin) and the top 8 were:

Bernese Mountain Dog 100%
Clumber Spaniel 100%
English Toy Spaniel 100%
Pekingese 100%
Saint Bernard 100%
Basset Hound 99%
French Bulldog 99%
Lowchen 99%

It also sounds as though if I were to select a basset hound that I would need to start with an adult that is already “potty trained” and would need less attention than a puppy. (If I were to get an adult I would get him/her from a rescue organization as opposed to a breeder—would I be correct in assuming that like most animals the world already has enough basset hounds without breeders making more?). Also, how long do bassets tend to live?

Thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it.

Kirska

I wholeheartedly agree with Mikey here. Puppies are cute but a lot of work.

You can either:
a) Call around reputable breeders and ask if they have any adults that fit your criteria that need to be adopted.
b) Contact a rescue for an adult. You want to contact one that uses foster homes for your situation most likely so that you know the dog will have some basic training.

You should budget for vet bills. I find it's around $200/year on a good year for an adult dog. Average is probably closer to $400-500/year for an adult. As they get older you can expect to pay 4 digits a year. Our budget for our 2 10ish year old dogs is about $100/month for vet bills. We have pet insurance through Petplan which helps with any large unexpected bills.

I'd recommend going to a basic obedience class with your dog. A good trainer will help you with basic training techniques. A good class really doesn't aim to train the dog; it aims to train you so that you can train the dog. If you don't know any and don't know where to look, Petsmart and Petco stores often have basic training.

Ask around to coworkers and friends and I'm sure you can find someone that's a long time dog lover that can help with any basic questions.

__________________
Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

Kirska

Dogs are much different from cats (obviously). The old stereotypes are mostly true. Dogs have owners and cats have staff. Cats are mostly independent. Dogs are completely and entirely dependent on you for everything. But, they would stop a bullet for you, figuratively speaking.

__________________
Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call