[Dailydrool] Basset Hounds for newbies from a recent newbie (long)

[Katie Strobel]

Hi Jerry,
Watson (now three years old) is my first basset hound. I grew up with mutts
and cocker spaniels, and when we got Watson we were living with my parents
and they have two border collies (one rescue and one raised from puppyhood).
So, we are a dog friendly family too who didn't start off as rookies. I know
there have been a lot of responses on the drool regarding basset hounds
puppies, and I'll qualify my response by saying that I've never had a rescue
basset so I don't have anything for comparison between rescues and puppies -
except from my experience with my parent's border collie. I do know that
every dog is going to have it's challenges, and nobody can ever predict
based on breed how a certain dog will behave. They're individuals just like
us, and much of it has to do with the owner's willingness to invest time and
effort into making a dog a welcome member of the family.I'm sure you're
aware of that, but many magazines and training manuals will say that bassets
are difficult to potty train or that they're stubborn. I simply don't
believe that you can typecast a breed that way. So, here are my experiences
raising a Basset Hound puppy into the most wonderful dog I've ever been
privileged enough to call my own.

1) Potty Training: Potty training any dog is a test of patience, but when it
comes to basset hounds, it's more of a contest about who can outlast the
other. You just have to make it seem like it's their idea to pee outside.
This theme goes with training bassets in general - you just have to prove
that you are more stubborn than they are but in a way that is gentle and not
domineering. My family is extremely busy - even with 4 people living in one
house, there are days where the dogs are left at home for 8 hours at a time.
When Watson was a puppy, he spent anywhere from 4 to 8 hours in his ex-pen
(think: doggy playpen) during the days. Watson was potty trained at 4 months
- but the problem was that he couldn't hold it for long enough - so
sometimes he'd potty in his ex-pen. Just to sink the message in, whenever we
were home we took him out every two to four hours until he was 6 months old.
I think that if a dog never knows there is another option, they'll get catch
on. Watson hasn't had an accident in the house since 6 months old (probably
sooner but I can't remember). I'd also highly recommend a doggy door to make
your life easier.

2) Stairs: A basset puppy should be carried up the stairs until you can't
lift them safely anymore (which will happen before they turn 1). I would
NEVER let a kid pick a basset hound up - especially when going up the
stairs, - there is just too much room for accidents and injuries for both
the puppy and the child. If you carry them up and down stairs until they're
fully developed, or prevent them from going upstairs until they're grown
(baby-gates do the trick, but be prepared to hear protests), you'll save
yourself thousands in vet bills for bad backs and knee problems later. We
have a ranch-style house with a door for the stairs so Watson is not allowed
to use steps. He is regularly on a mission to get downstairs (it's forbidden
so that makes it all the more fascinating), and he's been known to use
stairs with no problems. I envision a basset hound's back as a suspension
bridge, and I'd rather not take the risk of allowing him to use stairs
regularly to protect his back's structural integrity. If you can't prohibit
stair use until your puppy is grown, I'd consider an adult rescue or a
different breed. However, I hear of many bassets who live in homes with
stairs and have no back problems. Watson does have steps to get on and off
the bed and couches, because his back is so long that all that jumping is
not good for the bones or his ligaments (doggy steps are cheaper than
surgery).

3) Counter surfing - your cooking and food storage habits will change
accordingly because I have not yet a basset owner who has successfully
trained their dog to keep all 4 paws on the floor in the kitchen. Some
hounds actually get onto the counters, but Watson only gets his nose up
there to see if anything was left within snarfing distance. When scolded,
Watson develops "hearing loss" and it takes a few seconds for him to realize
you're talking to him. After a couple of your snacks go missing, you'll
learn to put things away or somewhere else in order to keep them away from
your basset. Also, beware of dining room table surfing - we rarely eat at
the table at our house - since we're all going in a thousand different
directions - but when we do, Watson is an opportunist who will take
advantage of an unguarded casserole any day. If you do get a basset hound,
just consider it a part of pet ownership - they're family members too and
every family has to change in order to accommodate a new member's
personality.

4) Cats: I think early exposure is key. Watson is not a danger to cats, but
he is incredibly curious and completely unexperienced with interacting with
cats. He just barks and barks at cats but he never gets close enough to do
anything else. More than anything, I worry that a cat will loose it and
attack Watson. I think if he'd been exposed as a puppy, he'd be just fine
with ignoring cats (at least most of the time).

5) Baying: Watson does not bay when left home alone - he bays when we
return. He used to cry when we left him in his crate, but after we were
gone, he'd settle down for a nap. I would certainly recommend a buddy to
keep your dog company when you're not there (bassets do best with other dogs
to hang with), but if your wife is around for much of the day, it should be
ok. We've left him in hotel rooms and apartments many times with no
complaints.

6) Ears: not difficult to keep clean as long as you stay on top of them.
With any dog, you're going to have to brush teeth every couple of weeks and
clear away eye gunk, so ear cleaning is just another thing you have to do
every few weeks along with baths and nail trimming. Or, you can let Petsmart
do it for 10 bucks (our preference because I don't feel like wrestling a 60
pound hound who objects to nail trimming). Get some ear solution from the
pet store or your vet, and whenever you think about it, check to see if the
ears are stinky. If they are, just grab a tissue and some ear solution and
flush them out - it takes 10 seconds and it prevents all ear problems. As
for the long outer ear - that gets dirty about an hour after each bath - so
when we clean the inner ear, we'll usually grab a wash cloth and clear away
some of the dirt clogs on his outer ear too.

If you aren't into all that work, I'd definitely recommend a grown up - but
keep in mind that some rescues need extra love too - it's all about how much
time you're willing to commit to a dog. I think your daughter would love to
have someone to hang with -  I know that having my dogs when I was a
teenager was a gift beyond measure. They're a teenage girl's perfect
companion for those days when the world is against you. If you have anymore
questions, I've got plenty of ideas and opinions :) Email me anytime.

Katie and Watson
P.S. Hi drool! We're jam packed but we read every digest! Drool to those who
need it.
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