[doglove]

Hello everyone!

I am about to adopt, rather, take in a 5 year old female bassett named Pepper from my step-father who is going to a vet's home and can't have dogs there. First of all she is VERY bonded with him and I am concerned that she may miss him SO much that, God forbid, she will die of a broken heart. I hope and pray that does not happen and she and I will be able to bond. I am very unfamiliar with this breed as I have had labs most all of my life. I also have parrots here; because this girl is a hunter breed like labs will she go after my birds? My labs never did; in fact, they were afraid of them (ideal situation). What can I expect with this breed; I know about the baying, what about drooling, does this breed drool at all or a lot? I have been doing a bit of research on the bassett and know they can be prone to bloat as are labs. I have an elevated feeder; is that something I should continue with as well? Any other tidbits of info. would be very welcome if I have overlooked soemthing that I may need to know.

Thanks a lot!

Pam

 

[BubbaLeroy]

I'm sure she will miss your step-father, but give her lots of love, attention, and let her stay with you as much as possible. Spend a lot of time on the floor, couch, etc. with her just stroking and petting her. You will win her over in no time. Bassets love being loved. Be sure to bring her toys, blankets, familiar items from her former home to help her settle in. Try to keep to the routine, food, etc. that she is used to and gradually change her to your home and ways. That will help, also.
On the elevated feeder, there are some thoughts that it might contribute to bloat in Bassets. We have our bowls on the floor. Others here on the forum may know more on this.
Yes, they are a hunting breed, and I would be careful with the parrots until you see how she reacts to them. Good luck, keep us posted on how things go, and we would love to see pictures of your new girl. Good luck with your new fur kid.

 

[doglove]

I'm sure she will miss your step-father, but give her lots of love, attention, and let her stay with you as much as possible. Spend a lot of time on the floor, couch, etc. with her just stroking and petting her. You will win her over in no time. Bassets love being loved. Be sure to bring her toys, blankets, familiar items from her former home to help her settle in. Try to keep to the routine, food, etc. that she is used to and gradually change her to your home and ways. That will help, also.
On the elevated feeder, there are some thoughts that it might contribute to bloat in Bassets. We have our bowls on the floor. Others here on the forum may know more on this.
Yes, they are a hunting breed, and I would be careful with the parrots until you see how she reacts to them. Good luck, keep us posted on how things go, and we would love to see pictures of your new girl. Good luck with your new fur kid.[/b]

Thank you for your reply bubbaleroy! Great information you gave me; I will ask to have items brought here from her home now so as to make the transition a bit easier. I will keep everyone here posted on how she is doing; I am supposed to get her in a week or so.

Pam

 

[Beverly Anne]

Aren't you the best for taking this little girl in!! Welcome and any advice we can give you to help you let us know.

 

[Tinkerbell]

We have a pair of Cockatiels...........Tina has been fine with them and hasn't really gone to near them whereas Rowan get up really close to the cage. We haven't let them out since having Rowan but Tina used to just lie on the couch with me but the birds did keep their distance

 

[twobassets]

We have a canary and mine could care less about him unless he has a piece of apple. Then they just sniff the cage. Sammy chases swallows at the park and has a real hunter instinct but it doesn't seem to apply to the canary. I'm guessing it's because they are used to him and how we treat him. Welcome to the board and congrats on the new addition.

 

[Kaira]

My experience wiht bassets are that they are all individual, but
one thing they seem to have in common is that they love people.
I believe that they will take to a new owner and a new home well,
as long as they come to loving family.

As I said they are all different. Some drool, some don't. I've had
one of both. Some bay, mine is a quiet one that rarely, if ever, barks
or howls.

I guess one of the main differences between the two breed is that
labradors are pleasers, while bassets do what pleases them.

Good luck with your basset girl. Oh, and remember to clean those
ears.

 

[doglove]

Hello,
Thank you all for giving me such good advice and information! I do have one other question; she, Pepper, is 5 yrs. old and I believe she is being fed Pedigree dry food now. I plan to wean her off of that and put her on more premium dry food so here's the question, at 5 is she considered senior or not? If not at what age would she be considered a senior? I have read they only live to 10-12 yrs., is that true?

Thanks again!
Pam

 

[daisy8869]

Hi Pam,

I'm not an expert but most senior dog food is usually intended for dogs over 7. If the food is labeled for seniors, it should have the age of dog it is intended for. Unless you were told otherwise by your vet, a nice high-quality adult dog food would be what I would feed her. I feed my basset Purina Pro Plan Selects and she has a beautiful coat. Good luck with Pepper and I can't wait to see pictures!