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Bassets are
large dogs—just on short legs (they are technically dwarfs).
Their weight can average from a tiny 30 lbs.—to a whopping
100 lbs. The average weight is 50-60 lbs.
Bassets do shed. Brushing minimizes the problem, but you
will have dog hair in your home. Expect to put mileage on
your vacuum cleaner. Grooming a basset is fairly
straightforward: Bathing, brushing, nail trimming and
regular ear cleaning.
Bassets do drool on occasion. They can fling slobber great
distances. If you're a neat freak, the basset may not be for
you.
Bassets can have a distinctive hound odor. Regular grooming
helps, but may not eliminate the "popcorn aroma" that they
emit. If this will be offensive to you, then the Basset is
not your breed. Most basset lovers enjoy this heady aroma as
if it were one of the finest perfumes on the market!
However, a strong, yeasty smell (which may accompany
excessive scratching and inflamed skin) may mean skin
infections, allergies, etc. See a vet.
Bassets are indoor, family dogs. They don't like the extreme
heat and cold anymore than you do. Plus, they crave being
part of the human/pet pack--and that means in the house, by
your side.
Bassets are not usually good watchdogs. They will most
likely allow anyone in the home--in hopes of belly-rubs and
a snack!
Bassets have highly developed noses; they are in the Scent
Hound category. Therefore they must be walked on a leash,
always wear current ID (microchipping is a big plus), and
have a securely fenced yard. When off leash, a Basset may
decide to follow his nose, leave you in the dust, and end up
a dot on the far off horizon. How fast can you run?
Bassets can easily drown in a swimming pool. They can swim,
but with their short legs it's impossible for them to climb
out (unlike dogs such as Labs, etc. that have longer legs).
Your pool should have a security fence surrounding it.
Bassets have a long body length that also make them
candidates for “counter cruising”—they can easily steal food
from tables and kitchen counters. They can stretch to reach
the (you thought) unreachable. They might nab things that
could be harmful to them--so keep medications, chocolates,
etc. in a safe place.
Bassets have an independent nature (translation: sometimes
stubborn). They certainly can be trained with positive
motivation—they respond especially well to food rewards.
Bassets are not as lazy as they look. They can be active and
do require exercise. We say a Basset has two speeds: Coma
and Supersonic.
Please read
more
About the Breed at the Basset Hound Club of
America's website.
Health Concerns:
Like all breeds, Bassets
can be prone to medical problems specific to their breed.
Following are a few of the most common. Please take time to
visit the
Basset Health Links site for in-depth information
on a variety of conditions.
Ear Infections: Because of their long, heavy ears,
the ear canal doesn't always receive sufficient airflow,
allowing infections to fester. The inside of the ear should
be kept clean and dry. Bad odor or large amounts of
discharge are an indication of infection—see your vet.
Lumps and Bumps: Bassets are prone to lumps anywhere
on their bodies. Most common are fatty-type cysts and aren't
usually anything to be unduly concerned about--but it's best
that your vet decide which are fatty lumps and which are
suspicous lumps that should be removed promptly.
Back problems: Bassets are pretty agile, however,
care should be taken so as not to injure their long backs.
Stairs, jumping on/off furniture and into autos should be
monitored.
Eye problems (glaucoma, cherry eye, etc): Bassets are
prone to various eye ailments, most crippling is glaucoma.
Sudden onset of glaucoma symptoms require IMMEDIATE medical
treatment to relieve pressure and save the dog's sight.
Bloat (gastric
dilatation-volvulus): Bloat is a life-threatening
torsioning of the stomach and also requires IMMEDIATE
medical attention. That means if your veterinarian is
closed--go to a 24 hour Animal Emergency Center! Do not
wait.
Please familiarize
yourself about symptoms of Bloat and Glaucoma by
reading/printing out the articles on the Basset Health Links
site.
All in all, Bassets are
wonderful, healthy pets. But pet owners should be armed with
the information to help ensure that their Basset lives a
long and happy life.
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