[claireandandy]

Hello to everyone,
I have been an avid fan of this website for some time and thoroughly enjoyed it, so a big thank you to all.
We have a 9 yr old miniature schnauzer and two children age 7 and 1 and would love to get another play mate for our schnauzer as he loves other dogs, (we used to have a cocker but sadly she has passed away). I have always wanted a basset and have researched them tirelessly for years and would love to have one . So I suppose I am asking if you think it is sensible for me to have a basset hound now and if so what age would be best?
Many thanks for your time x

 

[Elvismom]

I think the time would be great for a basset. I would personally recommend a rescue dog who would not be quite as energetic and time consuming as a puppy is. You also know that the dog will be good with childrent and other pets. Bassets are great pets and I know that all of mine love children. And children love them.

Good luck!

 

[biscuit]

bassets are always a good idea!

however, older dogs often don't appreciate puppies so, were it me, i'd go with an older basset --- maybe 2 years and up. bassets seem to have learned some manners :roll: by that age and will be a little less likely to drive your poor schnauzer bonkers.

and now would be the time to do it for you schnauzer. my reasoning is that your schnauzer may start getting to be kind of fragile in a couple of years. by getting an adult basset now, you can acclimate them to each other, and they can "learn" each other, so they'd be safe with one another, even if your schnauzer becomes fairly fragile.

besides, by the time they're 2, they're usually housebroken!

 

[Marcia]

Any time is a great time for a new Basset! Rescue is a fantastic idea, an older dog would be ideal for your situation. It's really hard work managing two kids and housetraining a puppy all at once, and an adult will be less fragile than a puppy. A word of caution however. In general Bassets love everyone and get along fine with kids, but there are exceptions. Daisy, one of our two rescue hounds, has serious issues with kids due to abuse in her former home. As far as I'm concerned she will never be trustworthy with kids. Be super sure the rescue you deal with has a good handle on this aspect of the hound's personality. When we adopted Daisy nobody had a clue how she was with kids. It was just a happy accident that we have none, otherwise we couldn't have kept her. You can't be too careful with this issue. That said, Daisy is perfect in every other way, and we love her to death. Here's a pic of Daisy and Sally with my husband. Daisy' s on the right.

 

[claireandandy]

Aw....I love the picture! Thanks for the replies. I think perhaps an older basset would be better also, the only trouble is that they are hard to find in my part of the world :? Puppies are plentifull but older bassets are like gold dust. They rarely end up in rescues, (Which is excellent news)!! Must confess to being a little worried about potential problems from a resue basset, although I appreciate that every case is different. What to do, what to do???

 

[clarejon]

hi there

just thought i'd mention i live in the uk too.

we got our puppy from down in Somerset, Barrengers www.barrenger.fsnet.co.uk

they will be able to help you find a rescue basset. they were looking after rescue bassets this time last year but usually do it every other twelve months or so as its such hard work.

defo worth contacting them - they are lovely ladies. telephone numbers etc on there website.

Clare

 

[Elvismom]

First, that is a great pic of Daisy etal. They all look so very, very happy.

I love hearing that rescues are hard to find! Wish that were so here in the States. If you do find a rescue that has been fostered the foster mom/dad can usually tell you what issues the foster has. I know we check for whether they get along with kids, other dogs, cats etc. I don't have kids so when I foster I go to a dog park at a time when kids are there and watch the reaction.

Good luck! Once you have bassets you never go back.

 

[Mikey T]

We have a 9 yr old miniature schnauzer and two children age 7 and 1

Not to gloss it over but the toddler stage that your young one is approaching can be most traumatic for both human and dog. IMHO it is best to wait until the youngster is older. That said an older dog with a know tollerance for children especial in this age group is the superiour choice, a puppy is too frail.

Berkeley Parents Network: Toddlers and Dogs "A vary small child should never be left in the same room with a dog, without having an adult in the same room paying close attention. No matter how good natured the dog may be, the small child has no judgement concerning dogs, and may do something that the dog cannot tolerate, like pulling hard on his fur. The dog cannot be blamed for biting, and a bite could be a serious matter. "

Toddlers & Dogs

Toddlers and Pets - .todaysparent.com

Let’s start with a dose of reality. If you think it would be fun to have a puppy and a toddler at the same time, think again.

“Every family is different,” acknowledges Shelagh MacDonald, program director for the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, “but I don’t think getting a dog is usually the best decision at that point. Toddlers require so much time, and puppies can be almost as demanding as children. And the early stages of a puppy are so important – the time and effort you put into the first two years in training and shaping their behaviour pays off years down the road. It would be a real challenge to train and socialize a puppy at the same time as having a toddler.”

So if you’d like your child to be pals with a puppy, a couple of years from now is likely to work out better.  

...Toddlers are at higher risk for a dog bite than older children, explains MacDonald, because toddlers “don’t know how to read dog language.”

Puppies & Infants - Is It Ever Safe? - Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA

- Consider the age of the puppy: you cannot expect a 2, 3, or even 5 month old puppy to be able to be trained enough to be baby/toddler safe. Only an older puppy - one 6 months or older who has finished teething - can be expected to understand and be able to be taught how to safely to live in a household with babies and young children. Also consider the age of your children: are they old enough to understand and obey your rules about the dog or puppy? For most children, this is around six years old.

Dogs bite babes and toddlers more often

Dogs bite very young children more often, and the researchers say that children 1 year of age or younger have the highest risk of being bitten, while children up to age 10 have a higher risk than older individuals.

In the study Dr. Johannes Schalamon and associates at the Medical University of Graz, reviewed the cases of 341 children treated for dog bites at a trauma center in Austria over a 10-year period.

...The researchers say in view of the findings families should consider waiting until their children are of school age before they introduce a new dog into the household

CHILD-PROOFING YOUR DOG by Brian Kilcommons & Sarah Wilson

Book Review Childproofing Your Dog by Brian Kilcommons & Sarah Wilson

 

[claireandandy]

Many thanks for all the replies. Mikey you have raised some excellent points that are extremely important and I thank you for thinking of my childrens safety.
Claire, thank you also for the contact info which I followed up and talked at length with basset rescue about my situation.
So anyway, while we were mulling over this information we were approached by a local family who were splitting up and could no longer afford to keep their basset hound. She is a beautiful 7 month old tri colour bitch called Rosie. She is very sweet and gentle and laid back as they come and best of all she has been very well socialised and loves kids, doesn't pull on the lead, doesn't jump up, etc, etc. Well, how could we say no? So she is now our newest family member
My miniature schnauzer also loves her very much and cuddles her all day and night.
I will take great care to ensure both children and dogs are safe. This comes down to common sense, responsible supervision and a lot empathy!!
I will post pics once I know how,
Claire x

 

[joanr]

I hope it all continues to go well. Enjoy your new pal!
Joan