Bassets CAN be aggressive
Last summer, my wife and I adopted a 1-1/2 year old Basset from a local shelter. In the three weeks that he was in our home, he bit my wife (lightly, through clothes) and me twice in a similar fashion. Strong verbal disapproval (a sharp "NO!") failed to stop him on any of the occasions, instead he clamped down and held on. Finally, he attacked one of our smaller dogs and then me in a most brutal way, giving me 19 puncture wounds on both arms and hands and damage to my left pinky that has required medical attention for the past six months and now requires me to travel to Boston (6 hours away) for treatment (surgery is likely at this point). As it turned out, the dog was brought in to the shelter we adopted him from due to aggression issues. After he attacked me, the shelter confiscated the dog for euthanasia as required by law, but instead of euthanizing him, removed him to another state where he supposedly has been adopted out again. Ladies and gentlemen, I know that we love our dogs dearly (my family has 4 Doxies that we cherish), but we need to be responsible and understand that ANY breed of dog can be aggressive for any number of reasons. Since my brutal attack, the most frequent response from others is "a basset? I can't believe that one of them would hurt someone". Well, I'm living proof that bassets can and will attack in a most savage way, as any dog will. Furthermore, I will NEVER, NEVER, EVER again adopt ANY dog from ANY shelter or rescue group ANYWHERE. The dog that bit me was placed into the adoption program at the local shelter despite aggression issues and, after his attack on me, was then shipped illegally across state lines for adoption to another unwary family (the dog had been declared a "Dangerous Dog" under state law). And I have learned that "breed-specific rescue organizations" sometimes act as ways of hiding (and even adopting out) dangerous, aggressive dogs. So my advice is to be ultra-careful.
Last summer, my wife and I adopted a 1-1/2 year old Basset from a local shelter. In the three weeks that he was in our home, he bit my wife (lightly, through clothes) and me twice in a similar fashion. Strong verbal disapproval (a sharp "NO!") failed to stop him on any of the occasions, instead he clamped down and held on. Finally, he attacked one of our smaller dogs and then me in a most brutal way, giving me 19 puncture wounds on both arms and hands and damage to my left pinky that has required medical attention for the past six months and now requires me to travel to Boston (6 hours away) for treatment (surgery is likely at this point). As it turned out, the dog was brought in to the shelter we adopted him from due to aggression issues. After he attacked me, the shelter confiscated the dog for euthanasia as required by law, but instead of euthanizing him, removed him to another state where he supposedly has been adopted out again. Ladies and gentlemen, I know that we love our dogs dearly (my family has 4 Doxies that we cherish), but we need to be responsible and understand that ANY breed of dog can be aggressive for any number of reasons. Since my brutal attack, the most frequent response from others is "a basset? I can't believe that one of them would hurt someone". Well, I'm living proof that bassets can and will attack in a most savage way, as any dog will. Furthermore, I will NEVER, NEVER, EVER again adopt ANY dog from ANY shelter or rescue group ANYWHERE. The dog that bit me was placed into the adoption program at the local shelter despite aggression issues and, after his attack on me, was then shipped illegally across state lines for adoption to another unwary family (the dog had been declared a "Dangerous Dog" under state law). And I have learned that "breed-specific rescue organizations" sometimes act as ways of hiding (and even adopting out) dangerous, aggressive dogs. So my advice is to be ultra-careful.