[tomary98]

Hi everyone! This is Mary from Alabama and we just got Ace, a 7 week old Basset. I have some stupid questions. How clumsy is a basset puppy really supposed to be? Ace seems to trip over his front legs when he's running, and sometimes those back feet just can't keep up. Is it normal for him to play about 30 minutes and then sleep a couple of hours? OK here is what really worries me. His feet are HUGE and his legs down to his elbow just don't seem to match. I mean its not crazy looking or anything but his lower legs are definetly larger than his upper leg. Is this normal? Do they look normal to you?
OK I guess ya'll can tell this is our first basset. He belongs to both of our sons but was given as a birthday present to the 7 year old. We have been to the vet, and he just said to give Ace a little milk in addition to his food to help his bones grow strong. I will question him more in depth next week when we go back for shots. Ace is already a loved member of the family, so we just hope we made a good decision.
Thanks
Mary

 

[Lukes]

At 7 weeks he was too young to be taken from his mother yet. No breeder worth talking to would separate them before 8 weeks. That is for all dogs and not just Bassets. I know some breeders that even insist on longer than that. 1 week difference may not seem like much time, but at that age they are growing at a very rapid rate.

Having said that, to late for it now, and he does look healthy. As long as you keep to the vets feeding recommendations he should be fine. I do not think you will regret getting a Basset. They can be more trying than other breeds at times but they are so worth it. By the sounds of it you may have another dog? Bassets typically do better with more than one dog in the house, although like anything there are exceptions to the rules and they all do have their own personalities.

His legs look fine, Bassets legs should be shorter on the lower part. I know Luke was tripping all the times, mostly from stepping on his ears but also he was just a plain klutz. He will get the hang of working his legs together. Puppies in general will play very hard for a bit then sleep for an hour or so, they are growing so fast at that age that their bodies need the energy for growth.

I am sure others will chime in with a lot of advice for starting out. Here is a quick and dirty page that helped me out in the beginning, it is put in simple terms and not long enough to yawn off on. It also has the added bonus of pictures of some very beautiful Bassets. Pay a lot of attention to the ears, nails and teeth, they can cause problems if ignored.

http://www.bassetpuppy.com/bassetcare.html

As always, this board is a good resource also. The most important thing you have to remember about him is enjoy him, even when he tries your patience (and he will).

Tim

 

[murraysmom]

Hi Mary and welcome! What a cute puppy, and cute kids too!

Proper nutrition is important right now because he's growing - my suggestion would be to feed a high quality puppy kibble, and follow the quantity recommendations on the bag. At that age I think 3 feedings a day is recommended. (Now that Murray is an adult he eats twice a day, around 7am and 5pm)He should have access to water at all times.

Pups love routine, and getting him on a potty schedule will help with housebreaking. Besides taking him out to his potty place when he wakes up and after each play session, he should probably be taken out every hour or so at this point. Take him to his place, and when he goes, praise him and bring him back in. Bassets take a long time to housebreak, so don't get discouraged- the schedule will help. Personally I ignore potty accidents, clean them up with vinegar and water so that he won't be attracted back to the spot he soiled, and praise praise praise when he goes outside in his place.

At night, I always but a new pup in a crate next to my bed, with a nice comfy blanket. When the pup has to pee, he will fuss a little because he won't wantt to soil his bed. Get up, take him to his potty place, praise, then go back to bed. At this age he is a baby and you will have to get up a couple of times each night, but it's worth it bcause you are teaching him that when he signals you, you will take him out to potty. This is a huge help with housebreaking.

Bassets respond best to praise when they do something right, not punishment when they do something wrong. They are very social, and love to be with family.

Good luck, be consistent, and keep us posted on how it's going!

 

[Sabian's mom]

He looks very sweet! I have learned a lot on this site. You need love and patience with these guys. good luck!

 

[Mikey T]

At 7 weeks he was too young to be taken from his mother yet. No breeder worth talking to would separate them before 8 weeks. That is for all dogs and not just Bassets.
Tim[/b]

There are some highly regarded and prominate experts that would agree with 7 weeks or even 6 weeks as being ideal time for seperation of a puppies from their mother and sibblings.

Puppy Socialisation and Habituation (Part 1) Why is it Necessary? by David Appleby on the The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors web site

What practical applications do we have that bear out the research? Guide Dogs for the Blind, who, until 1956, used to rely on the donation of adult dogs which they took on approval to maintain their training stock. The success rate of these dogs fluctuated between 9 and 11 percent and it was recognised that this could be improved if the association could supervise the rearing of puppies. These were purchased and placed in private homes at between ten and twelve weeks old or even later. Things improved, but the results were not good enough. It was Derek Freeman, who pushed to have puppies placed in private homes at an earlier age to optimise socialisation and habituation during the critical development period. Derek had a strong belief in Scott and Fuller’s work and importance of early socialisation and habituation in the production of dogs that were best able to survive and perform in the world at large.

Derek found that six weeks was the best time to place puppies in private homes; any later critically reduced the time left before the puppies reached twelve weeks; but if puppies were removed from their dam and litter mates before six weeks they missed the opportunity to be properly socialised with their own kind, which resulted in inept interactions with other dogs in later life. The training success rate soared because of this policy, which was carried out in conjunction with the management of the gene pool via the breeding scheme Derek also pioneered. Annual success rates in excess of 75 percent became common. You might think that this is a special scheme for dogs with a special function. In fact, what the scheme provides is adult dogs with sound temperaments. These dogs coincidentally make the best material for guide dog training which does not start until they have been assessed at ten months or older. As a result of the breeding scheme, Derek Freeman also proved, if proof was needed, that you cannot dismiss the importance of genetic predisposition, i.e. the basic material required for good temperament can be produced through good breeding. Conversely, a lack of habituation/socialisation can ruin the chance of an individual developing a sound temperament, however good the genealogy.[/b]

Just because it is not necessarily main stream there are those that recommend earlier removal from the liter with sound research and results . It is understandable that a reputable breeder is more comfortable and has better results when retaining a dog longer because he/she is more experiecened and better able toprovide the additional socialization a puppy needs than a newbie overwhelmed first time dog owner. But this does not make it the best senario for every case. Far more important than the age of the puppy when it is removed from the litter provided it is after six weeks is the socialization/Habituation
the dog recieves.

 

[Mikey T]

We have been to the vet, and he just said to give Ace a little milk in addition to his food to help his bones grow strong. Mary[/b]

Yikes! Unfrotunately mosts vets are lacking in knowledge of the nutritional requirements of the animals they treat.

1. Most dogs/puppies are lactose intolerant.

2. Calcium supplementation is shown conclusively to cause abnormal bone growth leading to a variety of orthopeadic conditions in large breed dogs.


<a href="http://www.eukanuba-eu.com/Portugal/dx3.htm" target="_blank">The optimal growth of large breed puppies
Nutrition plays an important role </a>

Calcium is required for the development of healthy bone tissue. It has been proven from extensive research, that calcium intake is the greatest risk factor for the development of OCD. When the calcium intake is too high, the risk of the dog developing clinical problems is increased. Excessive calcium intake can occur when calcium supplements are added to a complete and balanced food, when the animal is fed complete food that is too high in calcium or when the owner adds too much calcium to a "home cooked" diet. Adding calcium to complete and balanced diets should be avoided under all circumstances as the amount of calcium in these diets has been carefully controlled.[/b]

<a href="http://www.msu.edu/~silvar/hips.htm" target="_blank">Skeletal Diseases of the Growing Dog:
Nutritional Influences and the Role of Diet</a>

When high calcium intake (calcium excess) is coupled with relatively little absorption from bone, severe pathologic changes occur in the young, growing skeleton that is unable to respond by normal remodeling and endochondral ossification. The clinical diseases associated with these changes are osteochondrosis, retained cartilage cones, radius curvus syndrome, and stunted growth.(1,6) Therefore, calcium excess is a major causative or contributing factor in the pathogenesis of skeletal disease in the growing giant-breed dog.(3-6)

It is the absolute level of calcium, rather than the calcium/phosphorus ratio, that most influences skeletal disease.(11) Young, giant-breed dogs fed a diet containing 3.3% calcium (dry matter basis) and 0.9% or 3% phosphorus have significantly increased incidence of developmental bone disease. These dogs seem to be unable to protect themselves against the negative effects of chronic excess levels of calcium.(26) Calcium levels for a growth diet should be between 1% and 1.6% (dry matter basis). Often puppies are switched from growth to maintenance diets to avoid calcium excess and skeletal disease. However, because maintenance diets are generally of much lower energy density than growth diets, the puppy must consume more dry matter volume to meet its energy requirement. If the calcium levels (dry matter basis) are similar between the two diets, the puppy will actually consume more calcium on the maintenance diet. This is exemplified in the case of switching a 13-week-old Great Dane puppy from a typical growth diet (4.2 kcal/g and 1.6% calcium on a dry matter basis) to a typical maintenance diet (3.2 kcal/g and 1.4% calcium on a dry matter basis). The puppy would consume approximately 638 g of the growth diet containing 10.2 g calcium. To meet energy needs of 2680 kcal/day, this same puppy would consume approximately 838 g of the maintenance diet containing 11.7 g of calcium.

Feeding treats containing calcium or providing calcium supplements further increases daily calcium intake. If the same 13- week-old, 20 kg Great Dane puppy were given two level teaspoons of a typical calcium supplement (calcium carbonate) in addition to the growth diet, it would more than double its daily calcium intake. This level is well beyond that shown to increase the risk for developmental bone disease.(11)

Recent investigations produced osteochondrosis in the fetuses of ewes fed high levels of dietary calcium.(24) Because of the rapid growth rate of giant-breed dogs, they become "sentinels" for nutritionally influenced skeletal disease such as is seen with excesses in dietary calcium. Similar changes may be slower to surface and are not as easily identified in the smaller breeds. Regardless of the risks of high calcium intake, dietary calcium is a highly influential nutrient for skeletal development.[/b]

Lipid Metabolism of Puppies as Affected by Kind and Amount of Fat and of Dietary Carbohydrate

Lactose was not acceptable as the sole source of car bohydrate for the young puppy. This may be attributed to a deficiency of the enzyme
laclase in the intestinal mucosa of the puppy.[/b]

 

[Beverly Anne]

That's one perfect looking little puppy to me! He's gorgeous and the kids are gorgeous too!

 

[tomary98]

Thanks everyone! Ace has two little boys playing with him all day so hopefully that will make him well socialized? No, we don't have another dog right now, just some outside kitties that are TERRIFIED of the new puppy--like he could chase them down or something.
OK, I understand all the calcium stuff, so what would be the best food to feed him to make sure he gets just what he needs? Right now he gets Purina Puppy Chow, would somethign else be a lot better?

Thanks
Mary

 

[Mikey T]

OK, I understand all the calcium stuff, so what would be the best food to feed him to make sure he gets just what he needs? Right now he gets Purina Puppy Chow, would somethign else be a lot better?

Thanks
Mary[/b]

I prefer a puppy food formulated for large breed dogs. As to what brand well as posted many time much of what you read on the net about dog food is just Marketing B.S. the best indication is how your dog does on the food. When in doubt going with the food the breeder uses. They have experience of what works with their dogs.

 

[Mikey T]

Countdown to a Crackerjack Canine Companion

Puppy Socialisation and Habituation - How to go about it.

You may want to consider puppy kindergarten or manners classes