[mamaKelli]

Since I was a little girl I have always wanted a basset hound. I have found a lady who has pups due in about 2 weeks and I'm giving it a lot of thought. I do however have several questions. I would like to know everything I cna before I adopted a new baby. I would like to know what I'm getting into before I give a puppy a new home.

1. How do I know if the puppy is heathly, I mean are their any physical things I should be looking for?

2. This will be my first inside dog. How hard are they to house break? Any tips on the best way to go about this.

3. Are bassets barkers? I know all dogs bark but some dogs bark more so than others. My friend as a dachshund and that is all he does when he is awake, it's so bad that I can't even go to her house anymore. It's just way to stressful.

4. I have 2 children, ages 15 & 5. Are bassets good family dogs? What about with cats, we have a 3 yrs old calico.

5. What sex is easier to train? or does that even matter?

6. Are their any major health issues I should worry about in a new puppy?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[Mikey T]

1. you don't that why a health guarantee as part of the puppy buying contract is a must. Also genetic condition unless tested for do not show up later in life. It is even unlikely that the breader knows the potential for any one unless they have researched the pedigree of the Dam and Sire of the breeding and the sibings and offspring of the dogds in the pedigrees. in conjuction with genetic testing
Health Policy of BHCA (basset hound club of America)

2. bassets are natoriously hard to house train. IMHO a basset is nut capable of being house trained before six months of age. There is a big difference between a dog that is housetrained and on that does not have accidents in the house. The latter is managed in term of scedcudual and supervision so accidents donas't happen vs a dog that has learned to hold it in cases where it can;t go out, and ask to go out when it needs to go. ! year is more typical but some never master it.

Houase training your Puppy

Ring My Bell
One of the most neglect aspects of house training is teach the dog a clear signal to use when it need to go out.

3 some are some are not in general they do tend to bark less than beagles.

4 general they regarded as being good with kids however they are a large dog on short legs so the general outwiegh smaller children and puppies and adolesencent can be a bit bullish that is plowing trough kid by virtue of there larger mass, If raised with cats there is general not a problem however on shouls not automatical assume there will be no problem even with a puppy. Puppies and addolescent will nip it is part of the growing and learning process. Therefor younger children that often do not and can not follow the rulls in dealing with nipping and teaching bite inhibition do not come out unscathed if the puppy and child are not strictly supervisied when they are together. Because of the and other liability issues there are breeder who will not sell a puppy into a household with any chlidren under to age of 12. and recommend an adult dog from a rescue organization with a known temperament that is compatable with young children.
Bite Inhibition , How to Teach It

5. General speaking I find males more mellow and laid back. This does not make them easier to train. In multi basset household the females usually run roughshod over the males. The higher intensity of the females if channeled properly can result in general result where training is crucial like competition obedience. That said the difference between any idividual dog outweighs the general overal differences between the sexes.

See 1.


Yiu did however miss the number 1 reason for behavioral problems and owner relinquishment of a dog regardless of breed which is insufficent socialization and habituation. This need to occur at the breeder's location as well as continue in your home see

Countdown to a Crackerjack Canine Companion

Without a doubt the most pressing developmental deadline is BEFORE you get your puppy. The most important considerations are your puppy's education and YOUR education! By the time you bring your new puppy home, say by eight weeks of age, it should already be accustomed to the indoor domestic environment (especially noises) and well socialized with people. Similarly, housetraining, chew toy training and tutoring in basic manners should be well underway. If not, your prospective puppy's social and mental development will already be severely retarded and sadly, you will be playing catch-up for the rest of its life.

[URL="http://[URL"]Puppy Socialisation and Habituation (Part 1) Why is it Necessary? [/URL]

One in five of the dogs that Dr Valerie O’Farrell (1986) studied while conducting research at Edinburgh (Royal Dick) University Veterinary School had a behavioural problem to a lesser or greater extent. A similar, but larger, American study fixed the figure at one in four. In one year my practice treated 773 dogs - 79 of them, that’s 10 percent, had problems of fearfulness towards people or the environment due to a lack of early socialisation or habituation and a further 4.5. percent were inept at relating to other dogs, again due to a lack of early socialisation. The problem is immeasurably greater than these figures suggest. Many dogs show a weakness of temperament or inability to cope when faced with a particular situation, without their behaviour becoming problematical enough for the owners to seek help from a behavioural counsellor.

Puppy Socialisation and Habituation (Part 2) How to go about it

Instead of socialisation and habituation being a haphazard affair with experiences occurring at random, as is so often the case, the puppy's exposure to environmental stimuli should be as systematic as possible to ensure the best chance of it developing a sound temperament and capacity to cope in all circumstances. A lot of responsibility lies with the breeder...

Cats: If you have one introduce your puppy to it. Keep the puppy under control and reward it for not pestering. Be careful not to worry the cat, as it may scratch your puppy. Placing the cat in a cat carrying basket just out of the puppy's reach can be a useful method of introduction with little chance of an unpleasant incident occurring. This can be repeated after a few days so that both puppy and cat learn to become settled in each other's company

 

[oliwa]

Hello, I just adopted a pup in October and she is 5 months old. She is my second, my previous guy left me about 8 years ago.

1. How do I know if the puppy is heathly, I mean are their any physical things I should be looking for?

I bought my pup from a breeder, but regardless, you should have your pup checked out by a vet very shortly after you get him/her. I had a vet come out 2 days after I got Snickers. The seller should give you some sort of health guarantee...if not...I'd steer clear.

2. This will be my first inside dog. How hard are they to house break? Any tips on the best way to go about this.

Bassets are more difficult to house break than some other breeds. The key is consistency, positive reinforcement, and patience! I tought Snickers to ring bells to go outside and that has been a life saver because both of my Bassets would just stand by the door and would give us no warning they had to go out.

I would also suggest crate training your new pup.

I'll try to post a few house breaking links.

3. Are bassets barkers? I know all dogs bark but some dogs bark more so than others. My friend as a dachshund and that is all he does when he is awake, it's so bad that I can't even go to her house anymore. It's just way to stressful.

Yes, Bassets are very vocal. My Snickers doesn't bark non stop, but she does bark when she is happy, excited, frustrated, irritated, bored, etc. She barks for specific reasons...the key is to learn your pup's triggers and mitigate them.

4. I have 2 children, ages 15 & 5. Are bassets good family dogs? What about with cats, we have a 3 yrs old calico.

They are WONDERFUL family dogs. Very laid back. Best to socialize your pup with as many kids and dogs as possible.

5. What sex is easier to train? or does that even matter?

From my experience...females do not roam or mark as much, but they are very temperamental (ie. she barks if her bed is not in the perfect position) and males are more easy going but love to roam and mark their territory.

6. Are their any major health issues I should worry about in a new puppy?

Bassets, even though they're short, are considered large breeds and as such are prone to large breed health issues like hip dysplasia. Since they are very heavy and long their backs and joints are susceptible to injury so kids can't ride your pup like a horse. Feed your pup large breed puppy food and that will slow the bone growth and will help to avoid some issues.

Good luck!