Esther

wworm you got one in a steelers jersey by chance?
hee

FranksMum

Having read, again, all this, with the acknowledgement that things are different in different parts of the world (and I have lived in N.America-Canada), I still don't understand the NEED for a Basset to be wearing a coat. Left as nature intended, the coat he has been born with should be all that's needed to protect him throughout the worst weather. If you put a coat on a dog who doesn't basically need one, you will be discouraging his natural coat to grow when it's needed. If your hound is elderly then there might just be an excuse for doing this. Otherwise, provided the hound is bred correctly so he has a correct coat, again there is NO NEED to be putting a coat on him - and every reason not to

Wworm

well that's a good point, and there certainly is no need for all bassets to be wearing coats or wearing anything. and btw, no one is saying that you or anyone's basset should be wearing clothes.

Joanna is asking for her basset Virgil who is having bad skin issues, and the shirt provides a barrier from the dog scratching his skin out. which people have done before and it worked for them.

as for us, we already explained, and if it doesn't make sense, then maybe it is a 'different strokes for different folks' kind of thing.

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see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

FranksMum

I'm really not trying to be deliberately argumentative I just hate all this dressing up that's going on, especially with breeds that should have a good enough natural coat. And further, if Joanna's basset is having skin problems, with respect, maybe rather than covering him up, I'd suggest getting to the root of the problem would be better? I do know that some lines of bassets seem to have a lot of skin problems, some of which can be extremely difficult to sort out. I hope she can because an itchy basset, is a miserable basset.

-SAN.

Joanna is trying to get to the cause of her Basset's skin problems; that does nothing for the current suffering Virgil is going through now. It takes time to heal skin problems, and she's spent many many hours and a lot of money on medical bills trying to help her beloved dog already, and is continuing to do so.

I don't put clothing on my Basset Maddie, but she does own a waterproof thermal 'coat' for extreme weather. She's only worn it a few times. I wouldn't dress up my Basset, but I don't care if other Basset owners do. If Maddie has a skin problem, you can bet I would put a t-shirt on her, if it would allievate her suffering while I found effective treatment.

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So, is it voice? Or just the face
that captures me, and haunts me so.
Or, am I meant to never know?


-San.

shakespeare

I too really feel for Joanna and Virgil. Skin problems are so frustrating and it's awful watching your hound suffer. The problem is sometimes there isn't a cure and it's about management. If a tshirt helps Virgil great he should wear it.

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The Highbury Hounds Tallulah, Isabel and Margot

jaleely

franksmum, it's probably not worth arguing over lol
i can give plenty of examples why my basset wears a coat sometimes.
He comes over and ASKS for it...he will nose it, look at me, and when i pick it up, he will stick his head in, wagging the whole time.

I normally *don't* do the dog coat thing in the house, but he was shaved once because he had mange (he had it when i got him) and he got cooooold! he got used to them while his fur grew back lol (his coat was thick enough we had to shave so the medicine could get to his skin).
He also stays in southern california...but when we visit my family in eastern oregon in winter...where there's snow...yeah, he shivers and is glad for his sweaters!

how halloween is a whole other story...ha!

It is also not just the coat....some dogs do have thinner coats, and don't have the chance (like my dog who lives where it's pretty much the same temp all of the time) to grow winter coats.
Its also fat. Some bassets are thick and have a nice layer to protect them. Worm is pretty thin, and so is my boy. (he's 52lbs, but has a lot of food allergies, so he can only eat certain things and if he doesn't like it, the brat won't eat!)

Anyway...there are some times when it's okay to bundle up the pups. *shrug*

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Baby Bowsah's Bwog

Esther

and it's probably really cute too!

Flash and bella's daddy

Just heard my wife scolding the babies for getting into the babys clothes bins. Oh they are naughty little bassets!!!!! The male flash is a sock hound man he just cant leave them alone! !!

Vectisvagrant

Sorry, another Brit who wouldn't dress a dog or hound in anything unless it was below freezing. Understand it's to prevent itching but could it not be making things worse by heating up their skin?