I've been reading the forum everyday - I love the pictures and knowledgeable discussion.
There have been a few discussions about bad breeders. I sometimes wonder about Maggie. She is my first dog, so I knew a little, but not very much when I got her. There was an ad for her in the newspaper. I called asking if she was the last of a litter (because they specifically mentioned one dog and gave her name) but they told me they had her and needed to adopt her. It seemed that their son, who lives in the U.S. (I'm in Canada), had adopted her and then passed away in a motorcycle accident. They brought Maggie home from the funeral because they had other dogs. I'm not sure exactly what happened, if they decided they couldn't keep her because they had two other bassets, two bloodhounds and another dog - or that she does not have the long ears, looser skin and bigger build they were looking for, but they decided to adopt her out. They did give me her vaccination record that had her breeders name on it, etc.
I sometimes think that Maggie might not have had the best breeding background, and that the way I adopted her was somewhat strange - they certainly seemed to treat her well at the home I adopted her from. At the same time I know that she needed a home and I'm giving her a good one, so even if she came from a bad breeder - I personally was not the one who supported them.
I know this is long winded, but after some of the discussion here I worry that Maggie was the product of bad breeding - and I feel guilty in a way that I may have "supported" that, but at the same time she was just a dog who needed a home and I love her dearly.
Should I get another basset (and having one seems to make you want more, especially when I see how much Maggie loves other dogs) I'll definately either go through a reputable breeder or a rescue organization.
Missjoy and Maggie
There have been a few discussions about bad breeders. I sometimes wonder about Maggie. She is my first dog, so I knew a little, but not very much when I got her. There was an ad for her in the newspaper. I called asking if she was the last of a litter (because they specifically mentioned one dog and gave her name) but they told me they had her and needed to adopt her. It seemed that their son, who lives in the U.S. (I'm in Canada), had adopted her and then passed away in a motorcycle accident. They brought Maggie home from the funeral because they had other dogs. I'm not sure exactly what happened, if they decided they couldn't keep her because they had two other bassets, two bloodhounds and another dog - or that she does not have the long ears, looser skin and bigger build they were looking for, but they decided to adopt her out. They did give me her vaccination record that had her breeders name on it, etc.
I sometimes think that Maggie might not have had the best breeding background, and that the way I adopted her was somewhat strange - they certainly seemed to treat her well at the home I adopted her from. At the same time I know that she needed a home and I'm giving her a good one, so even if she came from a bad breeder - I personally was not the one who supported them.
I know this is long winded, but after some of the discussion here I worry that Maggie was the product of bad breeding - and I feel guilty in a way that I may have "supported" that, but at the same time she was just a dog who needed a home and I love her dearly.
Should I get another basset (and having one seems to make you want more, especially when I see how much Maggie loves other dogs) I'll definately either go through a reputable breeder or a rescue organization.
Missjoy and Maggie