Anyone Have a Basset Hound?

P.,

We had a basset hound who was just precious...but he was very high maintenance! He was very sweet, but also had a stubborn side that is typical of hounds. I was told by several obedience trainers that if I wanted an obedient dog, I should have chosen another breed. :)

Our basset was very needy for attention, although he received quite a lot. I think that is a hound trait; possibly it was because I had him before I had children. I didn't think of him as a particularly good dog to have around children, because he was sensitive and would snap at our baby before I trained that out of him (it wasn't really hard, and I wasn't cruel, but very firm that they both had to learn limits and boundaries - important for all children and pets!). On the other hand, he was very protective of my girls and loved them. He was really a sweet thing, but I probably wouldn't get another one....I'm sort of "over" dogs at this point in my life and have lots of admiration for you in being interested in taking on another dog along with 3 young children! Our basset didn't seem to shed an unusual amount, but we definitely always had dog hair around. He wasn't a drooler, either, thank goodness! And he didn't really bay or howl like a beagle will, but he had an INCREDIBLE bark that would scare the pants off strangers! I felt very safe with his loud bark, because no one knew what a true coward he was. He was one of the best loved dogs I've ever had, and everyone who met him fell in love with him. He was a tri-color, and we received lots of compliments on his beauty - even more than our golden retriever received!! I guess I'm making more a case for getting the basset than not! The only other thing I will say is that they need room to roam (being a hound, they need to explore), and they need plenty of exercise. Good luck in making the right decision for you! Writing about Satchmo is about to make me go out and get another one, after all! :)

I have had my basset for almost 8 years. He is awesome. He doesn't shed as much as the other person has said. He will in the summer when he is getting rid of his winter coat. He is bad about food. If you have something on the counter he will manage to put his paws up there and get the food. he loves cheese and has stolen from my 3 yr olds hand. He is very sweet with her even when she is laying in him. He is very loving and loves his belly to be rubbed. He can be a bit vocal and is sure to tell me when its time to eat. I am sure he has a clock. He doesn't really howl he will bark though. You may also be suprised at how quick they can run too. He loves to go for walks but can be lazy and stubborn sometimes, if you have walked for too long he will stop and sometimes even not move so you have to pick him up. You need to make sure he doesn't get overweight as it can be bad on their backs, just make sure he has definition. My basset also would jump on our couch and lay on it. We bought a new couch and he hasn't done it since. We were uable to stop him till then. I really love my basset. I wanted to get one after my best friend had one and i feel in love with her, she was super sweet and wasn't that vocal nor did she steal food. So I guess each dog is different. I will get another basset if anything happens to him. He is just so cute that I just can't resist him

I have a basset hound. I'm not sure I would buy one for the ages of kids you have.

1. They are fragile when you first get them. My female dog jumped off a chair and jammed the growth plates in her front legs. $4K later, her legs were fixed, but she is still on glucosamine twice a day for life. Their backs can be damaged easily by little ones who don't know how to pick them up and they are not easy for kids to handle.

2. They are hounds in that I mean they are very food centric. You have to train them to not be so food aggressive and this might not be safe for your younger children.

3. Basset hounds are very stubborn and they can get up to 80 lbs base on the gender and size of the parents. When Godiva doesn't want to do something she lays down. Of course the water gun helps with this.

4. Basset hounds SHED tons of hair. They have like 3 layers of fur. It just keeps coming and coming out.

That all being said, I did not have problems potty training Godiva. She had an older dog to train with so it happened fairly quickly. I love my basset! She's good with my 2 year old except for the food thing, but I had her years before I had my daughter. So I trained her with a professional trainer before Elizabeth was born.

I don't personally have a Basset but my best friend has 2 of them. The female loves kids, the male likes kids but would rather be the kid. They love to play and are easy going for the most part and very tolerant of kids and people just not always each other LOL. They like to go for walks at their pace and when they're done, they're done. They can get big, their male is around 80 lbs and the female around 50 lbs. They have both had their share of medical issues and all Bassets have a tendency toward ear infections since their ears just don't get exposed to air. They were also both somewhat difficult to house break and still at 9 & 6 occasionally have accidents. They do shed, more so during summer. One last thing, they like to "hunt" and bring presents from outside to the back door like lizards etc.