[Dailydrool] 10 Best Family Dog Breeds

[Pam McQuade]

I wish this article did not tell people what sloths bassets are. When I tell 
potential adopters about bassets, this is one of the major myths I always 
have to counter. Plenty of people think they want a year-old basset who will 
be a couch potato. As those of us who have had bassets know, this is a rank 
lie. Until your basset gets some brains (around age three), you are unlikely 
to have a couch potato at any time. After three, you will have one 
sometimes. A senior basset does the best couch-potato imitation, but how 
many adopters really want a senior?

In this "I want a dog that doesn't shed, doesn't need exercise, and will 
always obey" society, a basset doesn't do any of those things. If I lie down 
during the day because I'm tired, my dogs will roust me out and make me go 
out. If I want to take a brisk walk, they will decide to go flat basset.

This article is likely to set up a lot of folks for disappoints. Rescues may 
reeducate folks, assuming they believe the advice they get. Shelters won't. 
A lot more dogs could land in rescue again.

But I was glad to see that they had Newfoundlands on the list. I once met a 
couple of Newfoundlands whom I fell in love with. Part of me would love to 
have one--but I get so attached to the hounds, I probably couldn't stand 
having a heartbreak breed. Too bad most large dogs live such short lives.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets