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absolute beginner

20K views 44 replies 17 participants last post by  barneysmom2510 
#1 ·
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!
 
#2 ·
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. :)
 
#3 ·
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.


that breed of dog would be an unwise choice for a first time dog owner
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.
 
#9 ·
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.
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.
 
#4 ·
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!
 
#5 ·
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!
 
#6 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
thanks!

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.
 
#10 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
Natey, your response really shows you are a responsible person. You stayed open-minded, didn't go on the defensive, and are carefully considering all the pros and cons!

Good luck in your decision, and if you do get a dog, esp a basset, please come back as you will find a wealth of information and friends here. :)
 
#12 ·
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?).
That would be a common misconception. In order for a breed to exist long term it must have responsible breed and people that support them. Is is also a myth there is a pet especial dog overpopulation problem. This myth is perpetuates by organization like HSUS and even the ASPCA which depend on perpetuating this myth to maintain and grow funding for their animal rights agenda. There is a big defference between animal rights and animal welfare.

for more on the Pet overpopulation myth see Nathan Winograd
author of Redemtion.- the pet over population myth

There are many reasons why shelters kill animals at this point in time, but pet overpopulation is not one of them. In the case of a small percentage of animals, the animals may be hopelessly sick or injured, or the dogs are so vicious that placing them would put adoptive families at risk.* Aside from this relatively small number of cases … shelters also kill for less merciful reasons.
They kill because they make the animals sick through sloppy cleaning and poor handling. They kill because they do not want to care for sick animals. They kill because they do not effectively use the Internet and the media to promote their pets. They kill because they think volunteers are more trouble than they are worth, even though those volunteers would help to eliminate the “need” for killing. They kill because they don’t want a foster care program. They kill because they are only open for adoption when people are at work and families have their children in school. They kill because they discourage visitors with their poor customer service. They kill because they do not help people overcome problems that can lead to increased impounds. They kill because they refuse to work with rescue groups. They kill because they haven’t embraced TNR for feral cats. They kill because they won’t socialize feral kittens. They kill because they don’t walk the dogs, which makes the dogs so highly stressed that they become “cage crazy.” They then kill them for being “cage crazy.” They kill because their shoddy tests allow them to claim the animals are “unadoptable.” They kill because their draconian laws empower them to kill.
Some kill because they are steeped in a culture of defeatism, or because they are under the thumb of regressive health or police department oversight. But they still kill. They never say, “we kill because we have accepted killing in lieu of having to put in place foster care, pet retention, volunteer, TNR, public relations, and other programs.” In short, they kill because they have failed to do what is necessary to stop killing.​


Getting an adult dog for a breeder is as noble as getting an adult from a rescue. The thing is to make sure each know what you are looking for in a dog and to not let your heart over rule your head and take on a "project" you are not equipt to handle. One needs to keep in mind that most dogs come into rescue because of behavior issue. Often times those issue are minor, but that is not always the case.


You might even want to consider fostering first. That gives you the oppurtunity to test drive a basset hound without a commitment however it may be difficult to find a rescue willing to let you foster without prior experience.



I always recommend the follow for newbie to the breed The Basset Hound Owner's Surival Guide (Your Happy Healthy Pet Guides)
While humerious in nature it give insight in to what living with a basset hound is like, barking drool, hound odor, counter surfing etc


You will also find that given the social needs of the breed that most owner do not have a single pet. While basset really seem to enjoy the company of other basset one that are on their own for a length of time general need some sort of companion, does not always need to be another dog but another living being. Basset are more prone the the average breed to seperation anxiety. For many an additional companion solves this problem,

relatively little exercise, is friendly towards other animals, is calmer and less ferocious than other dogs, can tolerate cold weather—I live in Wisconsin
Each dog is an individual and there is a need to take the breed tendencies and keep them in persepcive. For basset hounds while many are quite fine with low exercise not all are. The tendecy is the smaller the hound the more active. Females tend to be more highly strung than males but that may also be again the size as females tend to be smaller than males. My 9 year old female will run puppies into the ground, she is not a low exercise dog though she does not require a lot of space to get that exercise.

video Mariah

The older the dog the less active, it iis generally, but my most recent male became more puppy like as he got older with higher activity level etc. He really did not care for being touched. hugged cuddled etc. My younest female is just the opposite. Mariah with tear the hand off a stranger that attempted to touch her yet is the best dog ever with other dogs. Each dog is an individual the advantage of an older dog is you know what you are getting and the personality is stable. in that it is not easily changed. This is also the disadvantage because any problems are not easily corrected. It is not just a matter of getting the "right" breed it is also about getting the right dog which often is more important than the breed.

Also, how long do bassets tend to live?
I think 10-12 year median is fair. I have had as short as 2 1/2 epileptic siezure to as long as 17+

But, they would stop a bullet for you, figuratively speaking.
Unequivitable my most recent male would not take a bullet for anyone , there was never a hound with a stronger sense of self preservation, on the other hand you look at me the wrong way and you will have to deal with my youngest female
 
#13 ·
No scorn here. I fell in love with the basset on looks alone, then did the necessary research so I knew what I was getting into. The breed fit our family perfectly and now we can't imagine life without the double trouble that is Molly and Winston. So no scorn from me, but rather I commend you for actually looking into the breed and asking questions, as well as being sensible enough to recognize that the basset may not be a fit.

It's hard to resist a silly little basset...everyone loves them (well almost everyone).
 
#14 · (Edited)
I'm going to disagree with Mikey as always on this issue and tell you that if you want to get a rescue dog, that's wonderful. We can claim that there is no overpopulation but the 30,000 dogs killed at the Dallas Animal Shelter annually say otherwise. Plenty of those are purebred basset hounds I'm sure.

The ironic thing about continuing to quote Nathan Winograd as a means of downplaying the importance of adopting rescue animals is that one of the main reasons his no-kill philosophy works is through strong adoption efforts:
Declaration of the No Kill Movement in the United States
Public shelters work with humane animal adoption organizations to the fullest extent to promote the adoption of animals and to reduce the rate of killing;
...
Comprehensive adoption programs that operate during weekend and evening hours and include offsite adoption venues;
...
Volunteer programs to socialize animals, promote adoptions, and help in the operations of the shelter;
Nathan Winograd's no kill philosophy only works when adoption is promoted. By going around telling people that there is no pet overpopulation and that adopting from a breeder is "just as noble" as from a rescue, you are hindering the efforts of Winograd and completely spinning around his words, unless the dog was rescued by the breeder.



It's not "Oh there is no overpopulation so we don't have to worry about adopting as much." It's "There is no overpopulation, therefore adoption is the solution to ending the killing."
 
#15 ·
"just as noble" as from a rescue, you are hindering the efforts of Winograd and completely spinning around his words, unless the dog was rescued by the breeder
quite the contrary. One must remember if no one support resonanable and responsible breed practices then only those that breed irrresponsible are left.

Keep in mind resposible breeders take on a dog for life. If every breeder were responsible there would be no need for rescues or shelters. They also take the time to remain in contact with owner so they do what is going on with the dogs they produce. Why do you think they would have adult dogs available?

Every part of the country is a bit different but when you have shelters importing dogs To stay open and promote their anti-breeding agenda as is happening all over the NE and west coast These shelter are doing far more harm to dogs in general than even irresponsible breeder. When a state like Massachuesetts have to enact emergency legislation because the lax importation standard of said shelters allowed the introduction of foreign strain of rabies.

Abc basset rescue in upstate NY was born after the closure of the local basset rescue when the person running it was charged and with abuse and hording. Even rescues are not immune


My intention is not to paint all rescues/shelter with the same brush just as it not right to do the same with breeders. the ethicalness and merits of each must be judged on an individual basis and certain not all deserve pantronage. This goes for breeders along with shelters and rescues.


Are there too many dogs and cats?

Smuggled puppies a concern to California

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES ISSUES EMERGENCY ORDER TO STRENGTHEN ANIMAL IMPORT LAWS

Major advances in regulating animal relocation and importation into US shelters
In 2004 it became apparent that the humane relocation disease time bomb was going off. In July of 2004, a rabid puppy from the Save-A-Sato Puerto Rico stray operation was imported into the Massachusetts shelter system (3). This rabid puppy had a strain of canine rabies endemic to Puerto Rico and found in the mongoose. The CDC tightened its rabies vaccination regulations (4) because the introduction of a new strain of rabies to the region would pose significant health risks to local domesticated animal populations as well as to people. Then in November, 2004, a dog from Mexico became the first case of canine rabies in Los Angeles in 30 years (5) once again focusing attention on the public health threat posed by dog importation.
Importation of foreign stray animals into US shelters threatens health, sustains 'overpopulation'

Shifting dogs ...... and perspectives
 
#18 · (Edited)
quite the contrary. One must remember if no one support resonanable and responsible breed practices then only those that breed irrresponsible are left.

Keep in mind resposible breeders take on a dog for life. If every breeder were responsible there would be no need for rescues or shelters. They also take the time to remain in contact with owner so they do what is going on with the dogs they produce. Why do you think they would have adult dogs available?

Every part of the country is a bit different but when you have shelters importing dogs To stay open and promote their anti-breeding agenda as is happening all over the NE and west coast These shelter are doing far more harm to dogs in general than even irresponsible breeder. When a state like Massachuesetts have to enact emergency legislation because the lax importation standard of said shelters allowed the introduction of foreign strain of rabies.

Abc basset rescue in upstate NY was born after the closure of the local basset rescue when the person running it was charged and with abuse and hording. Even rescues are not immune


My intention is not to paint all rescues/shelter with the same brush just as it not right to do the same with breeders. the ethicalness and merits of each must be judged on an individual basis and certain not all deserve pantronage. This goes for breeders along with shelters and rescues.


Are there too many dogs and cats?

Smuggled puppies a concern to California

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES ISSUES EMERGENCY ORDER TO STRENGTHEN ANIMAL IMPORT LAWS

Major advances in regulating animal relocation and importation into US shelters


Importation of foreign stray animals into US shelters threatens health, sustains 'overpopulation'

Shifting dogs ...... and perspectives
REBUTTAL TO SHELTER & RESCUE IMPORTS, by Karen Metcalf
I highly suggest you read the above article.

I hate to break it to you but arguments like your's are why so many activists grow to despise breeders. Do you really believe that there are more irresponsible shelters/rescues than there are irresponsible breeders? There is no financial profit in rescuing. There is profit in breeding (not always I know, but definitely for an irresponsible breeder). You can look at the tax records for non-profit rescues if you have any doubt.

These shelter are doing far more harm to dogs in general than even irresponsible breeder.
How exactly do you think a few rescues scattered around that are practicing this importing dogs is worse than THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of irresponsible breeders pumping out unhealthy puppies and abusing breeding dogs... which are then (hopefully) rescued by a shelter?

Using this "importing dogs" argument which I would bet less than 100 rescues/shelters across the country can be accurately accused of as an argument against rescuing as a whole is completely and totally asinine.

If you want to villianize the ASPCA, HSUS, etc fine. I have no ties to these organizations. But leave local rescues out of it.

Responsible breeders take responsibility for the dogs they created. Responsible shelters take responsibility for all dogs that they possibly can, NONE of which they created. There is a HUGE difference.
 
#16 ·
I have had 2 bad experiences with rescued dogs that have attacked humans and were without a doubt Human Aggressive and had to be put down.

I have also had some bad experiences with rescues when I went looking for a dog. Just a couple of examples. 1) Hound billed on Petfinder as being healthy, friendly, trained and good with people and other animals. I drive with my family an hour each way to meet this dog after being approved through the rescue and this dog is almost feral, pooped and pee'd on the floor while we were there, had a huge abscess on his neck from an infected wound due to a fight with another hound at the fosters home and when we started asking about his strange walk we were told he needed $5000 in shoulder surgeries. Then I got called all manner of cruel and unloving because we told the rescue we weren't interested.

2) Went to an adoption event. Saw a dog we were interested in only to be told by the rescue worker that his foster home gets final say on adoptions and that the particular lady who was fostering this dog had 14 in her care and hasn't approved anyone in well over a year.

3) At the same event mentioned above i saw another dog offered by a different rescue that we were applying to adopt. When the manager walked away,her underling whispers to me that this dog had been returned 3 times for biting the adopters but asked I not mention I know this because they will boot her for telling me.

Not all rescues are reasonable and responsible. I would never discourage someone from adopting, but I would ask that the potential adopter be aware they are taking a risk bringing an unknown dog into their home and that they educate themselves as much as possible about dog behavior and training.
 
#17 ·
Good on you for asking so many questions and doing so much research. We didn't do any research before we got either of our dogs. My husband had a basset hound growing up so he was aware of what we were getting in to and told me what to expect. We got lucky with both of ours. Doppler is a basset/redbone/golden retriever mix so he had the potential to be a very bad fit for us but we got so lucky with him. He's the best $50 we've ever spent and he fits in so well with my husband and I. And Virga who is a purebred basset just completed our family. Neither of ours smell too bad or drool too much so we got lucky in that respect. So at least you know before hand what your getting into but I don't see us ever having anything other than bassets for the rest of our lives. And I have a feeling you'll quickly learn that one isn't enough and will end up getting another one. I think most people on this forum have two or more. You'll see! Good luck with your decision making and when you finally pick one please post pictures so we can see!!!
 
#20 ·
And I have a feeling you'll quickly learn that one isn't enough and will end up getting another one. I think most people on this forum have two or more. You'll see!
Definitely! We only intended to have 1 dog: Molly. Now we have Winston too. The people on this forum encouraged me to get Molly a friend. Now I can't imagine not having Double Trouble :D
 
#21 ·
I think there are too many pet quality dogs and not enough homes and that irresponsible breeders and irresponsible buyers are a huge part of the problem. However, I have also seen and dealt with many local rescues that should be ashamed to call themselves such.

Rescues that spend time and resources to "save" medical disasters and temperamentally unstable dogs that should be euthanized so those resources can go to saving healthy and sane dogs.

Rescues that basically condone hording because thats somehow better than a crate/cage or euthanasia.

Rescues that discourage adoption by having insane policies. One I dealt with wanted my husbands bosses phone number, our bank account numbers and our SS numbers. Umm, no. Another had stipulations in their contracts about what food I could feed, what vet I could use, how many hours a day the dog could be crated/tethered/or otherwise confined and a stipulation that they could come to my home for any reason, without warning, to inspect it for as long as I had the dog. Again..ummm,no thanks!

Se my above post about the nuts I met who were trying to adopt out dogs with serious issues physically and mentally. Those few are the ones that stuck in my mind the most, but I could add a few more, if you need.

My friends mother operates a rescue. To date they have had 5 fights involving serious injuries, 2 deaths of dogs resulting from fights, one litter of kittens savaged by an escaped dog and a llama killed this past weekend by a different escaped dog. The conditions there are enough to get a regular pet owner arrested, but because she is a rescue the local authorities leave her alone.

I know a local Pug rescue that is importing dogs from out of state. I know a local small breed rescue that is taking small dogs from out of state and has had a few "oops" litters out of rescue dogs who hadn't been spayed/neutered that they have sold as "designer breed" dogs for a tidy profit and say its all ok because they money goes back to the rescue.

Yes, I think rescue is a noble thing. However, not all rescues are created equal and there are many, many horrible ones out there.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Rescues that spend time and resources to "save" medical disasters and temperamentally unstable dogs that should be euthanized so those resources can go to saving healthy and sane dogs.
Anabelle was a "medical disaster". She was shot, HW+, and her insides were literally falling out of her belly. She was already at least 8 years old and would be euthanized at any kill shelter, but was saved because the rescue I work with has a special needs fund for dogs like her that you can contribute to directly where 100% of the funds go to medical care (unlike general donations where a decent portion goes to other costs).

Therefore I wholeheartedly disagree with you here as Anabelle is the sweetest dog I have EVER owned and I cannot imagine having never found her.

For some rescues money is not the biggest issue (though obviously is a big one). I have seen multiple complete joint replacements at our rescue. The biggest bottleneck is that there aren't enough adoptions. We can only save dogs we have room for, and can only make room through adoptions.

Some rescues and shelters can handle these cases and I don't think they should be negatively judged for doing so. Right now we have 2 puppies that were set on fire, a pit bull puppy whose ears and tail were cut off with scissors, and at least one dog with severe mange. Not to mention the number that are heartworm positive. I don't see why these dogs should be ignored if someone has the means to save them.



Edit: Long story short I think "should be euthanized" is a phrase that should ONLY be used in dogs that are too dangerous to exist in society, which are very few.
 
#25 ·
I am a new Basset owner but had a dog for 16 years previously and I can tell you that Bassets are a LOT of work. We rescued Rhett and even though I did my homework on Bassets I didn't quite know what I was getting into. With that said, I love my new Basset. He is 3 yrs old and was housetrained. Good luck on what ever you decide.
 
#26 ·
Owen's mom, you bring up some good points there about rescues and shelters being good, and some not being good (similar to other organizations out there...).

Your post made me remember (i think i had amnesia from sleep deprivation taking care of Worm when i first got him) that initially, i had looked at the wienie dog rescue groups and FOUND 2 dogs i liked on their website. I was thinking of adopting one of them. That's because i had one before and felt comfortable w/the breed and what it requires. hmmm. if that happened, i wouldn't be here and would be on the wienie forum. hmm. deep thought. (pause)

didn't feel comfortable rescuing a basset at the time because i've had no experience with the breed before (that's just me..). but yeah, when i called the lady, my instinct was to not go for it. here i get a bit foggy. it was like her attitude or what she was saying, and that she didn't want to tell me more about the dogs...??? it was a weird conversation. and ultimately, i said forget that. i think i'll look for a basset puppy instead. et Voila... Worm. that's how THAT happened. :eek:
 
#27 ·
Esther,I love you,that was so funny. Nate you do seem like a smart fellow. Be aware some of those breeds that seem right for you require a lot,I say,a lot,of grooming.I don't think you have the time for that. Let me just say this ,I have had bassets for going on 20 something years,(I like other breeds too) but this is the breed I love.I love that they are as funny as an adult as they are as puppies.I love having a litter once in a while to pick a show puppy from and take the time to place the puppies in the best homes I can find for them ,for they are always mine. I will always be there if the owners can no longer care for them for whatever reason,because they are always mine. That is not to say that good breeders don't have dogs end up in rescues some fall through the cracks for what ever reason. Take your time on this ,there is no hurry,choose where your basset should come from be it rescue or breeder.When you go to look for him/her it will be out there waiting for you.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Yes, I think rescue is a noble thing.
Don't disagree I have fostered, purchased and fund raised for rescues but in the same vain breeding for the betterment of the breed is as well. Without it the true essence of the breed disappears quickly.
It is why I put them on the same level . get a dog that is not from a responsible/reputable shelter/rescue or breeder is well simply irresponsible but I won't go as far as to say the getting a dog from a rescue is better/ more noble, more ethical than from a responsible breeder or vice versa. They are both essential even if there are those on ech side of the fence that do not recognise that. I thought I was quite clear on this
Getting an adult dog for a breeder is as noble as getting an adult from a rescue
This goes with the obvious caveate that everyone has to make there own evalutation of just what reputible and responsible entails in each case and fair minded indivdual will disagree.


Regardless of the source it is important to ask the tough questions to be sure the source of the dog warrant your doing business with them.

Questions

Ask a Dog Breeder These Questions Before You Buy

finding your dog


also keep in mind a responsible breeder or rescue will have even more question for you and your dollars are not a quarantee of getting a dog.
 
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