[BrunosParents28]

Happy Birthday Bruno Beazley.....I just got a new basset puppy who was just born on Thursday the 28th. I know its a little early to be worrying about differant things that could happen, but I want to be prepared. I have two children that are only 2 and 3 so I would like to hear any advice on how to prepare them for bringing such a small puppy home. Also any other advice about 'puppy-proofing' my house would be greatly appreciated. Im so excited to bring this puppy home Im disappointed that I still have to wait till November...LOL...*Also does anyone have experiance with cats and a basset cuz I have two cats but would gladly get rid of them if it will be a problem with the puppy* Thanks so much...Tyler and Bruno

 

[Ruthless]

I have two cats but would gladly get rid of them if it will be a problem with the puppy [/b]

I sure hate to see that kind of attitude with any pet.

 

[BrunosParents28]

I sure hate to see that kind of attitude with any pet.
[/b]

If you had my cats you would understand why I feel this way. They are sweet and loveable but have caused more problems than anything. I took in their mother not knowing she was pregnant and helped her have the kittens and took care of them. I have always been a cat person and I kept these two cats because they were a little sickly and decided that maybe they would be better indoors and with my daughters. Unfortunatly they have caused more problems than anything, the worst of which was fleas when one snuck outside. Thank god I finally got rid of them after spending over 300 dollars to do so. Hercules and Pickles brothers, sisters and mommy are happy out on a farm chasing mice all day long and have a whole bunch of other cats to play with. Its my best friends house so I still get to see them all and she takes very very good care of them, so its not like Im dropping them off on the side of the road and saying good luck. I am very protective of my cats and love them to death but a basset pup has been a dog that Ive wanted for a very long time. And fortunatly my fiances boss was able to breed his dogs and get a beautiful and healthy litter. I love Herc and Pickles to death and know that if they are problematic with the new puppy they will still get to have a loving happy home with the rest of their family. So dont get the wrong idea....

 

[Ruthless]

My concern was that you understand that when you bring a pet into your home that it's a life-long commitment. Your basset puppy could end up causing just as many problems. There are no guaranties as to his health or disposition. He could be difficult to housebreak, destructive, or otherwise out of control. I hope, of course, that your puppy will be happy, healthy and trouble free. But you have to be willing to accept whatever you get and not be "glad to get rid of him" if he's not what you expected.

 

[BrunosParents28]

I think that for my family a dog in general will be the best thing for us. With having two small children, both have been begging for a puppy and Im finally giving in. I would never get rid of my puppy no matter what would happen. I grew up with more dogs than cats and know how to manage them better. I am worried about how my kids are going to do with the puppy because my youngest like to rough house and play around and my oldest likes to take control of things. I dog sit for a friend of mine while they are at work and they have a boxer. He is great with the girls and they get along very well with him. But having such a small puppy makes me worry a little bit because of how affectionate the girls can get...Im trying to prepare them by helping with feeding Chaos and helping take him for walks. They are also learning how to give him commands like sit stay and come. Do you think that is a good way to start preparing them for a new puppy so that way they can learn to be responsible around him while hes growing up and not feel left out with him.....I know they are only 2 and 3 but its never to early to start giving them a sense of responsibility right? Bruno will be a good addition to our house and Im happy about getting him, I know hes going to be a pain in the butt with house breaking him and training him but it will be worth it in the long run

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

When introduced to toddlers and cats as puppies, dogs will grow up to be very accepting of them. I got my cat when both my dogs were grown, and I was a little worried about how all three would react. But things have gone fantastically. The cat and Lightning LOVE each other. Stomps (my other basset) just ignores the cat, and vice versa. As for your kids, they're old enough to start learning how to play nice. Make sure they understand that Bruno is a baby and has to be treated gently. Luckily Bassets are so easy going that they can tolerate a lot, but you don't want your kids to scare him when he's so young because he will remember that all his life. That and get a dog crate and dog gates; that's my advice. Good luck and enjoy your pup.

 

[Ruthless]

I've raised puppies before but never did it around kids or cats. They are a handful just by themselves.

I noticed in another thread you said you were planning to breed him. I was just wondering if you are familiar with his genetic background?

 

[BrunosParents28]

From seeing what people have said about cats and bassets maybe my cats will settle down with a puppy being around. They seem to think they have control over everything and never listen when I tell them to get off the dining room table and they seem to find everything that I need and take it and hide it on me. My car keys are the worst. I keep them on my comp desk but being cats they can get up there and take them and run wild. Im starting to think that Bruno will be able to put Herc and Pickles in their places....I just wish cats were as easy to train as dogs were....I def know who the superior animal is...lol.. I wish it was Nov already so I could bring Bruno home...........BTW: Does anyone have puppy-proofing tips for the house...This is my first puppy where my mom and dad havent been the ones taking care of these things......Im worried about what should and shouldnt be around. Ive got this mental image of needs child locks on everything and having to move all my furniture around to keep things safe.....

 

[Emma and Doris]

Dear Bruno's parents,

sometimes I wonder if somebody make up topics just to see how mad they can make people.
You sure have picked a lot of questions to bring up, which all normally causing trouble.

• Having a puppy with two so small children is questionable.
• Buying a puppy from a back yard breeder isn't well accepted.
• Planning to breed a dog which hasn't proved to be worth breeding isn't a very popular thought.
• Being prepared to get rid of old pets to get new pets arent either popular.

There's a lot of expertise among the members of this forum, and we will all try to help you,
but you've come into it a bit unfortunate....

--------------------
<span style="color:#009900">The one that drools rules,
Steinar - daddy and foodslave to Emma and Doris!

http://www.basset-hound.net.tf</span>

 

[Ben and Lucy]

Steinar, You picked up on the red flags that I did after reading the original post. Ugh, I am sure that this could turn out okay, but it will take a lot of hard work. Martha

 

[José]

Many things about the breed surprise people, I hope you did your homework and know what to expect from basset puppies and basset dogs. With puppies, the chewing and housetraining alone will require constant supervision. I hope you didnt bite off more than you can chew. My sister in law has a 2 & 4 year old and she adopted a stray but had to give it away a couple weeks later - the kids were simply too rough with it and she was unprepared to have to watch it that closely.

People will warn you about backyard breeders and breeding dogs yourself. Some people may come across rather judgemental but my advice is try to learn... My José was likely from a BYB, I'm not sure, he was a gift. But knowing what I know now I would never in a million years buy an animal that way. I really don't even think I would buy from a reputable breeder but that is just my opion, I think rescues & pound dogs are the way to go. Like I said, I didnt know any of this when I got José as a pup.

Good luck!

 

[Bassetmama]

All I have to say about this thread is WOW!

When you take on pets, you get the good with the bad.
You can't just get rid of them when they become inconvienent.

It scares me that you're considering breeding.
My advice, keep the cats and neuter/spay your dog.

 

[Twinkie's Mum]

 

[murraysmom]

The best advice I can give you is to take a step back and realistically look at your situation.

Your 2 and 3 year old children are babies and are too young to think of a baby animal as anything but a toy.You say that you're apprehensive because your oldest likes to "roughhouse". Go with your gut here- don't put a puppy in a situation where it could be hurt. Please think about this.

An 8 week old puppy needs a huge amount of attention, just like a human infant. Bassets are harder to housebreak than many other breeds, you could be looking at 8 or 9 months of messes in your home. I'm sure you know that puppies chew on stuff, nip, and require lots of excercise and attention.Do you really want to take this on with 2 toddlers?

Please think carefully about your situation and the huge step you are thinking of taking. It might be best for now to hang around the forum, learn as much about bassets as you can, and when your children are older, commit to a hound.

Peace.

 

[daisy8869]

Hello and welcome to the board!

I have to agree with several of the concerns that other members have posted. I am the young basset momma to Jackie, a five month old puppy. Being in the position of having a basset puppy, please let me share my thoughts.

1. Basset puppies require constant attention. An eight week old puppy may have to pee every twenty minutes when active. For the first month, I took Jackie out every half hour while she was active and every two hours at night. Puppies also need to be feed several times per day and then taken out afterwards to potty. Puppies also require supervision in the home and cannot be left alone. Puppies can also not be crated for long periods of time.

2. Any pet is a lifetime commitment. A basset puppy can be MUCH more destructive than any cat plus they must be kept on flea and heartworm prevention regardless of whether they are indoors or outdoors. Bassets live long lives...usually ten to fifteen years. Bassets are also prone to some health conditions that can be expensive to treat.

With these two things in mind, I must ask if you have considered the vet bills, food, and medicine costs that come with a puppy as well as the enormous time commitment? I understand that this is entirely your decision, but for the sake of Brueno, please ask yourself the following questions again:

Do you have at least $400 available for vet bills for the first six months of Brueno's life?

Do you understand the time commitment demanded by a puppy?

Do you understand that bassets are harder than most breeds to housebreak and are you willing to work with Brueno on this issue for at least the first year of his life?

Are you aware of certain genetic diseases bassets are prone to and are you willing to accept the risk?

Are you committed to keeping Brueno on heartworm and flea medicine year round?

Do you have a plan for how to make sure Brueno is cared for while you are at work or away during the day?

If you plan to breed Brueno, have you considered the genetic tests that need to be ran before breeding?

Also, what would happen to Brueno if you could not breed him...would you keep him?

Do you have the extra time to train Brueno and include your children in the training?

Do you have enough time to care for Brueno and your children?

If the answer to any of these questions is a no or maybe, please seriously consider getting Brueno at a later date in the future when your children are older. I encourage you to read all you can about bassets and read previous threads in this forum.

 

[biscuit]

Steinar, you're one smart cookie! :lol:

 

[Rubydoo]

Your puppy was born on September 28th? That makes him 1 week old? Why would someone release a puppy that young? If I understood that correctly in your post, it's shocking! If I understood this part of your post incorrectly; oops!

Also, as with what everyone said, I too wonder if you are going to have the time, committment and energy to take on toddlers and a puppy. Puppies have to be watched non-stop, and toddlers are non-stop from what I hear and are you going to be able to be watching all of them non-stop? Bassets have the tempermanet of a permanent 2 yr old so keep this in mind.

We got Ruby at 11 weeks of age and she was a handful. We don't have children and it took all of my time and energy for the care and training of Ruby. She has been sick a lot her entire life and even tho she came from a reputable breeder with champion stock it's been a very expensive expedition. Keep in mind you might be spending a lot more money than you realize.

I've only owned bassets, they are beyond belief stubborn and you have to be consistant with your gentle training. My folks got my first basset when I was in the 2nd grade. I was old enough then to take care of my dog and know how to be gentle.

I realize you got your puppy from a BYB and I agree with everyone else on the list that you might not get what you want genetically and then you are going to breed? You're singing to the wrong choir on that subject. What if you get a dog whose personality you don't like? I don't understand why you would even consider giving away the cats to get a dog. What if the kids are too rough with the dog or you can't watch everyone full time? What if your kids start begging for a bird? Or Llama?


Janice and Ruby

 

[Maggie's Mommy]

Well said Steinar!

 

[Dozer-Digger]

My first thought was about the "small puppy" growing into a large dog. If he is active like my two, he would be knocking over kids left & right. My two grew into large dogs quickly, weighing almost 50 lbs by 7 months. Both are around 60 lbs now. My sister couldn't believe Digger, at almost 2 years old, weighs more than her 6 year old daughter.



As far as puppy proofing? At first, nothing should be left on the floor that you don't want chewed up. In a few months, everything that is reachable by your 3 year old is reachable by the basset, including anything within 10 inches from the edge of your kitchen counter top.



I would like to add something about an earlier topic post about male dogs and whining. You said you didn't want a female dog because they whine, you have never met my male dog Digger. He cries until he gets attention from me or Dozer.

 

[Ruthless]

I would like to add something about an earlier topic post about male dogs and whining. You said you didn't want a female dog because they whine, you have never met my male dog Digger. He cries until he gets attention from me or Dozer.[/b]

You've got that right! Some of my worst whiners have been males.