[goober]

Just wanted to say hello to all the basset people out there. My daughter has a basset hound, now 1 1/2 years old and named him GOOBER. He is just adorable, full of mischief and all-loving. I love everyone's stories and pictures of their loved ones. Goober loves to eat, play, wrestle, and sleep. He also understands words like cookie, treat, and of cousre.....W. A. L.. K. ...don't say it too loud. Whoever said basset's are dumb just never had one. This dog walks over to his leash and when he sees us looking, will bark to tell us that he wants to go for a walk. He explains in his gait that he wants to go out and take care of his business, and comes to get us if we don't respond. I love this dog to death. He is extremely spoiled in that he sleeps wherever he wants. At night, I have to push him off my pillows but come dawn, he is sprawled all over the bed between my wife and me. In the morning, if the kids haven't awaken for school yet, he stands with his two front paws on my chest until I awake to him looking down at me with those sad eyes and scrunched up forehead. The poor dog gained weight in his first year with us because I thought he was hungry and I didn't have the heart not to feed him human food and scraps. well, he has been on a diet of dog food alone for three months now and dropped from 65 pounds to 58. I still give himsome goodies every now and then though.......SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The other night for the first time ever since we owned him, he growled and snapped at me when I tried to lift him off my pillows at night. I promptly scolded him and shooed him out of the room, he hasn't done it again but I am wondering why he would have acted this way. I had thought that he might have had a tender spot on his ribs but he is fine. Anyone have an idea?

thx and love the site

 

[Elvismom]

Welcome!!! Goober is a very good looking hound! Gorgeous, in fact.

I see he has taught you well about the joys of owning a basset.

I applaud you on trying to get & keep his weight down. Bassets are prone to back problems, so keeping them on the lean side will help out later on. You might try mixing canned pumpkin (plain, not pie mix) or green beans with his kibble.

I suspect he growled at you to try and be top dog. Obviously you don't want that behavior to continue. Let him know that you are in charge. You also might want to take him to some obedience classes - it's good for socializing & bonding as well as training.

Have lots of fun with him. And remember that bassets are very addicitve. Somehow my one turned to 6!

 

[Guest]

Goober is really handsome! Welcome. Oh I agree with above poster.

 

[Kaira]

It's not that they aren't smart, it's just that they tend to be so hard to train.
Since they're bred for what they are bred for. But in fact it's a dog so cunning
you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel. As anyone actually living with a
basset can attest to.

Welcome to the boards.

 

[murraysmom]

I agree with Elvismom - around the same age, Murray, who is the biggest smoosh in the world, growled at my husband when he tried to move him on the bed- we corrected him, and that was the end of it. Welcome to the board!

 

[Rubydoo]

Welcome to Goober! You are one gorgeous hound and I just love the name!

Janice and little Ruby

 

[Pinkwhip]

He is so cute. I love the bassets with dark faces! AND congrats on the weight loss - that is so cool - you're a good basset daddy!

A thought about food from the table (and a caveat that this is coming from someone who only feeds people food and people are divided on that, so I'm not saying I'm right but just wanted to share) -----

If human food and scraps are healthy and the dog is well-behaved and waits calmly for the table scraps vs. jumping into your lap while you are trying to finish your pasta marinara, then is it really problem? AND if you compensate for extra table food by reducing some of the dog food, then what's the harm?

Here's some healthy snacks my dogs love - and I can't even express the joy I feel in giving these treats to Belle and Gunther (although some of them get spit on the floor!):

Green Beans - especially canned - who knows why, but they are NUTS about green beans and I've heard a lot of other dogs are.

Apples & Bananas - Great sweet treat, good for the gums and health. I've heard it's better not to mix veggies and fruits in the same meal, though --- for gas reasons

Watermelon and Cantelope - GREAT summer treats - dogs seem to really enjoy watermelon especially. My holistic vet specializes in Chinese Medicine and apparently watermelon is a great balance for dogs with "heat" - I'm not an expert on different digestion philosophies but I have read a lot about the Chinese system and Ayurvedic system and it does make sense and when I use this on myself I get great results - besides what's a basset picnic without watermelon!

Almond Butter - in a kong - of course, it's fat so a little is better

Carrots - the whole carrot - some dogs love to chew them like chews - mine don't but they like little pieces.

Raw Organic Chicken Hearts - a nice small snack and satisfy a dog's need for organ meats (10-15% of the diet)

AND OF COURSE - meat of any kind ... the big favorite.

Raw UNHEATED Honey with a little Plain Yogurt - Mmmmm ... plus the honey, if it's local, is good for allergy season. BUT it has to be totally raw and unheated - the stuff at the regular grocery store has lost everything that makes honey so good for you.

Homemade Dog Biscuits - Mosci's has a great starter mix that you can use as a base

Enjoy your baby - he is a pie!!!!

 

[Aruuuu]

Is Goober neutered?

 

[José]

Welcome!
About the growling when you tried to get him off your pillow... my José was the sweetest dog but we accomodated some little "quirks" about him. He had his own bed (futon) which he loved but sometimes my husband lifted him up on our bed before I got there. I get in the bedroom and José is on my side, often on my pillow. He would growl and be nasty because he didn't want to be moved. We knew it was all bark and no bite though so I wouldn't recommend letting this continue... José simply liked his rest and god help anyone who disturbed him! Once he trained us on that, everything was peaceful.

 

[biscuit]

A thought about growling when you moved him from the pillow:

There is tremendous wisdom to be gained from the old saying Let sleeping dogs lie. !.

 

[FredMom]

Goober is a beauty! Those eyes just make me melt. Hang in there with him. My Fred is going through the adolescent stage and it gets better with lots of love and PATIENCE.

 

[goober]

Is Goober neutered?[/b]

Yes, we had him neutered at the appropriate time. He hasn't growled since, probably since I disciplined him immediately when he did, but I was just concerned. I'd like to thank everyone for their replies and look forward to seing more of your pictures. I'm trying to find out a way to zip a movie clip small enough to post on this board. Anyone?

P.S. Goober is dieting away and consistently looking for extras. It sure is hard not to give in, why are they soooo cute!

 

[Jasmine's Mum]

My Jasmine can also be quite cranky when we try to move her while she slumbers. I wish I'd been lucky enough that one correction would have brought an end to it, but it still happens from time to time. At our trainer's advice, to help deal with that and a few other issues we have with her, we keep her on a thin house lead which we can use to gently lead her off the couch or blanket and it really seems to make correcting her much easier.