Basset Hound questions

[Coloradomom]

We currently have 3 cats and a 9 year old cattle dog mix who we adopted as a rescue 18 months ago. All get along well, with a few skirmishes here and there.
Yesterday we found out about an 8 year old Basset hound rescue, and we went to do a "meet and greet" with her and our other dog. They got along find which was a little surprising since our dog can sometimes be unfriendly to other dogs.
This basset "Sue' was turned into the shelter because her family who had her from a puppy, never paid any attention to her at all, never walked her, never played with her, etc.She did live with 3 cats. Their neighbor who volunteers at our no-kill shelter finally convinced them to give her up because she was clearly unhappy. So she is very quiet, does not bark, when we walked her she only went about a block and then stopped to lie down and roll in the grass Housebroken to some degree-they never really paid attention to her but she can "hold it" for 6-8 hrs and if you let her out will go, but will go in the house if it goes longer and will not tell you. Sounds like she can be motivated to tell you as she responds to treats.She is a big girl-60 lbs.

What can anyone tell us about bassets? We'd like to make the rest of her life a little better than the first part.We'd like to know if there is anything we should be aware of with the breed or given the scenario above.
Thanks much!

 

[Coloradomom]

Anyone have any insights please? thanks

 

[momof1princess]

we have a basset hound-he's a little bigger than your girl-67 lbs. his name is Vader and he just turned 5 in may. ours DOES NOT like loud noises and howls uncontrollably at the sound of fireworks, gun shots, etc. he also growls if my husband gets anywhere near his food and will attempt to bite him if he doesn't back off, but i can walk right up and take the bowl out from under his nose. he is VERY friendly and will try to jump up on and lick everyone. he circles 2-3 times then lays down and flops over for a belly rub. he loves to be brushed, chase squirrels, and bury things in the yard. we can't give him fancy toys or rawhide bones, b/c he buries them. he's not bad to wander out of the yard (we did have a basset prior to this one who was REALLY bad to follow his nose wherever it took him and not come back until he was ready) and he behaves well at the vet. he drools a lot while waiting for his food (pavlov's dog reflex, i guess-anticipating a reward). he eats vegetables out of our garden, lol, and he buries things out there as well. he's a VERY lovable dog-i can't imagine our lives without him. he's got a great temperament. of course, as a hound dog, he does smell, but if you're keeping yours in the house, i'm sure she will get frequent baths. ours is an outside dog (i'm allergic) but he gets a lot of love and attention. i hope these were the kinds of things you were wanting to know. i wasn't quite sure what to say, so i just wrote about him.

 

[yoopermom]

A Basset is a HOUND first and foremost, in good ways and bad. Hounds tend to be very pack oriented, which means once she figures out that you and your dog are part of her pack, she will bond tightly with you. They do not tend to be dog aggressive (although being hunting dogs can be CAT aggressive, so be careful until you're sure, despite her past history). Her quietness may be due to her poor background/recent changes, so don't be surprised if after a few weeks she perks up, starts baying loudly, digs, chases, and basically acts like a typical hound! They are a VERY heavy dog in a long-backed, crooked-legged body, so do not get in the habit of letting her jump on/off tall(er) surfaces. Find a local obedience class and enroll her, all dogs need a "job" and to earn rewards. We've owned every other type of hound except Bassets, but they sure are cute! Feel free to pm me with any specific questions...

Terri
"mom" to seven hounds (and one Boston Terror)

 

[Coloradomom]

Thanks so much for all the great information! We have a fenced yard and the way it is designed would prevent any digging out (right now her big tummy might stop that too!) Apparently she has never played with toys and so that will be a good experience for her.I was thinking of taking her to an obedience class, our cattle dog did not need that as she was given up when her owner became unwell, but she had good manners, good on a leash etc.

I think we are going to move ahead with the adoption!

 

[yoopermom]

Definitely take her to class, for socialization and bonding with you as much as for "obedience".

Just a suggestion: to prevent food guarding behaviors and possible fights, feed her and your other dog separately, and I would even go so far as to hold the dog food bowl as she eats out of it, or even feed her by hand piece by piece if she seems like a gulper/rusher. This will bond her to you and make her realize your alpha position faster. Bassets need VERY little food (being easy keepers!), so this won't take as long as what it might seem. You can use individual pieces of kibble as training treats, as well. Remember, don't make feeding an "overexciting" time, and never feed until she is quiet and paying attention. Until she and your other dog really get to know each other, only give them bones/treats/toys when they're separated from each other, as well.

Good luck!

Terri

 

[momof1princess]

basset hounds LOVE to eat and will become overweight quickly if they're allowed to eat all they want. we try very hard not to overfeed ours (feed once a day) and stick to a dog biscuit for a treat 1-2 x a day. he never seems to be full and will eat anything. he has eaten 3 clorox wipes, a dish towel, and various scraps of lumber. he chews lumber (my DH does woodworking as a hobby) like it's a yummy bone. we have to be very careful not to leave anything laying around-he thinks anything he finds is a new toy-which he promptly buries, lol. he is SOOOOO comical, lol, i'm sure you'll love yours.

 

[Coloradomom]

Great suggestions, I know our cattle dog gets her ire up when one of the cats goes near her dishes, but she just walks over there and they go away. With a new dog sister it won't be as easy. Sue also had only ever been given wet food and we only do dry food so it will be interesting to figure this out.

Luckily DH works from home so he can be kind of a day time referee

Wish us luck. We just want to make this sweet girl have some happier times.

 

[Hankshouse]

As a foodslave to three basset hounds, I would strongly suggest you check out The Daily Drool, a news digest and website filled with helpful information about everything basset. Here's the link: http://www.dailydrool.com/

Bassets are the dogs for me but they are not for everyone. Our bassets are terrible counter cruisers, they shed....a lot!, they are hounds and do get very smelly, they have high maintenance ears and can have other issues as well, they need human companionship and ideally another basset (or two or more They are difficult to housebreak, need a fenced property because they are "scent hounds" and will follow their nose. But these are the reasons we LOVE them and all of my dogs were rescues. They are loving, funny and irreplaceable members of our household. For more info on this breed and what you should consider, check out the website for a basset hound rescue in your area. Thanks for rescuing a Basset!

 

[tonilea]

Basset Hounds are BIG dogs with short legs. The poo like horses - huge piles!

They are sweet and loyal and not particularly great at obedience (it is a hound thing).

 

[goofy!]

Thanks so much for all the great information! We have a fenced yard and the way it is designed would prevent any digging out (right now her big tummy might stop that too!) Apparently she has never played with toys and so that will be a good experience for her.I was thinking of taking her to an obedience class, our cattle dog did not need that as she was given up when her owner became unwell, but she had good manners, good on a leash etc.

I think we are going to move ahead with the adoption!

We had bassets before we moved into Koms. Love them as a breed! Ours never were big diggers and only bayed when the fire trucks went by. They were fantastic with our kids and just great dogs.

If you're thinking about obedience classes, I highly recommend Sally Terroux. She has a training facility at Colfax and Kipling. We took our Koms (horrible, horrible breed for obedience) for both obedience and conformation classes and my very non-obedience breed actually won the end of session obedience class - that was how good she was working with each individual breed/dog. Our breeder in Houston was the person who actually recommended her to us, so she is well known across the country. She would be excellent in working with you with an older dog.

http://www.sallyterrouxdogtraining.com/

 

[HunnyPots]

Have no advice for you but wanted to tell you 'thanks' for taking her in and giving her a happy home! That poor baby! What a sad life she's had.

I will never understand people who treat their animals with such indifference. I'm kind of the opposite - I take them in and they take over my life completely!