[Dailydrool] Intro to the Daily Drool

[dpmcquade at verizon.net]

Oh, Melissa, you are starting a wonderful new life with bassets. Welcome to the world of drool.

First, red and white bassets come in a variety of shades. Our Holly is what I call a strawberry blonde. I don't know if there's a technical term for this color, but it's a very light red. Mahogony is the darkest of the reds, but bassets seem to run all the way between those two colors. And if you hear of a dog being "lemon," that's a very pale color that's more very light tan than red, though all my pictures of our lemon and white, Alexis, show her as being red, which she really wasn't.

On skinny bassets: it's not uncommon for young hounds to be very skinny. We just had a short-term foster who was about the same age as Buddy, and even if the new human feeds her up more, she will probably remain slim. Young bassets are so energetic that it's hard to put a lot of weight on them. If your vet says Buddy's OK, he probably is. You just don't want to see too much of his ribs. Don't worry, he will eventually put on some weight, and in later years you may be struggling to keep it off, instead. Keep Buddy at a good weight, because bassets are prone to back issues if they carry too many pounds.

Allergies and ear troubles are connected. It's a good thing you are caring for them right away, because those ears can get out of control and cause all kinds of troubles. Controlling the allergies should help with the ears. But you will be doing a lot of ear cleaning.

Basset nails--they do grow constantly, just like our nails. But being so thick, most bassets seem to object to having them trimmed. My solution is a groomer. It's cheap enough to have those nails done, and I don't have to worry about wrestling an irritated hound. But many folks here, who are more skilled than I am at this, will give you tips on how to do nails. Or go to the Drool archives that are listed at the top of the posts, and you can search for nail issues.

Do all you can to discourage play biting. Remember that when Buddy is older, you will be dealing with a larger dog who could really do damage. Do not give attention for biting. A firm "No" and lack of attention will start to get the message through. What is cute today will not be cute in an adult dog. Whenever you do training (and with a pup that age, you should be doing a fair amount of training still), keep in mind what you'd like an adult basset to be like, and train accordingly. Do obedience training, even if you don't join a class. And be patient. Bassets are so stubborn, you have to keep reinforcing an idea until they believe it's their own. Use plenty of treats, since bassets respond well to food rewards; just make sure the treats you buy do not have common allergens like soy, corn, and wheat, since Buddy may have allergies to one or more of those. Do NOT use negative methods of training. A basset can outstubborn you no matter what. And they do not approve of negative methods, so they will make your life a misery if you try them. Besides, it's mean to be mean to dogs, when persistence and consistency will get you where you want to go in the end.

Don't ask me how to train out counter cruising in bassets. Our first hound and only puppy, Lady Jane, loved to snatch things off the counter. I tried to train it out of her, I really did, but I was a total failure. My only advice is not to put anything where Buddy can reach it. And don't underestimate how far back a basset can get on a counter. Jane regularly reached the back of our stove.
 
Hope this helps.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets
Lady Jane & Belvedere & Alexis Thefairyprincess & Abner Ahrooo (all ATB, or at the Bridge, which is doggy heaven)
and current hounds Holly Dolly and C. Dexter Haven