Comments on: How to Care for a Basset Hound

on 5/27/2008 my basset ran away a few hours ago. he and her brother stay outside in a very large fenced in area. he loves us very but we have no idea where he ran to. and i stayed outside for hrs calling for him and walked up the trail behind our house where we always walk him. are they good to return? i hear their not because they keep there noses to the ground and dont observe their surroundings and when they get off the scent trail they tend to get more lost. has anyone ever had this happen? we live around alot of woods- im just worried he wont come back and im very sad and dread telling my children that mickey ran away

on 8/9/2007 I got my Basset Tanner from the local animal shelter. I had, 2 months prior , lost my best friend Bumpers ( My cocker Spaniel of 15 1/2 years). I never thought I could love another dog like I did Bumpers. But Tanner is the most wonderful, loving creature. He has healed my heart. Bassets are wonderful, sweet, comical, loving, playful, and will steal your heart away too.

on 8/8/2007 My family was adopted by our basset on july 22, 2007, he was strolling down the center of the west bound lane on hwy 84. We didn't have any pets at the time and my wife was dead set against having any. However I knew he would get hit in the road if I didn't pick him up, so against my better judgement I did. Oh, man he was nasty, he smelled really bad and all his white spots were brown, and I had never seen so many fleas before. I brought him to my house and put him in the yard awaiting my fate upon my wifes return. When she came home to my surprise she said we could keep him. We named him Slump, and I must say he has been the best pet we have ever had.

on 7/30/2007 my first bassets was named copper,he love to play ball. he would runa as fast as he can down my drive, but he would take his time coming back to give you the ball, he was a great dog. we now have to bassett hound puppies red and fred they are 8 weeks old. i just love them so i wouldnt trade them for the world .

on 4/7/2007 I have a basset/beagle and her name is lola, she is a very sensitive dog ,my mom and i think she may have been abused from her previous owner. One of my moms avon customers neighbor had lola after her previous owner and they had her tied up to a rope on a log and only a little room to go and do what she needed to to so my mom told me about her and i really wanted her so we went to get her and i fell in love with her,she didnt have a name so i named her lola after lola in zoey101. Lola loves me so much that everywhere i go she follows me like when i go to school she always wimpers and i get sad. my mom taught her not to jump on the bed so instead of doing that she spends most of time playing with her doggie toy, to answer anyone you should probaly put doggie perfume on him you shoul try walmarts,petsupermarket,and any other locxal stores.

love,joy

on 3/28/2007 My boyfriend has a basset. The thing stinks.! We both bath him regularly but even after the bath he stinks!. Now this is my first time having a basset. I was raised on a farm I have had many mutts. And they were outside dogs and they never stunk as bad as this thing does. Is there any shampoo out there that will cover this dogs stink???

on 2/27/2007 I have a 2 year old basset named Olivia. She is the most lovable dog i ever known. The vets and people that meet her say she could aply to be a PR. Because she just freak out in happines when she meets her people/dogs buds or even somebody new. Sometimes i think she could break in 2 couse the whay she shakes her body. Her "dad" is out now know for a month and these days she just don't whant eat much of depression. they don't like to be apart of they beloved ones, so make sure you will have time to feed your basset with love and attention... heres she, still a puppy..just the dog of my life: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oliviaheartbreaker/

on 10/13/2006 I have an 8yr old basset...she is the best dog in the world!! i was writing in response to the member who said they have given up in cutting their basset's nails..does that mean u let the vet do it? one thing i learned early on about bassets is that u have to cut their nails at least twice a month..if u dont the older thay get they will be walking on their nails and it will be very painful..

on 10/12/2006 We've had Charlie for about a year now and were new to the ways of the Basset. Definitely a wonderful dog but for a newby, I struggled alittle with some of the grooming. We've given up cutting his nails since he's decided that the trimmer is a chew toy but the ears and anal glands, when necessary, we still do in house. The glands... well there's only three ways to do it... two are unpleasant while the other involves a trip to the vet or groomer.

The biggest issue I've encountered is in regard to cleaning my basset's ears. The inside is self-explanitory... or maybe alittle more vet-explanitory. But the outside of the ear, where it hangs at his mouth, was our trouble area. No matter how often I wiped them down, they still seem to collect drool and dirt which hardens into a mess. After using alittle water, a towel and some elbow grease, I quickly realized that not only was the dirt coming off but chunks of hair as well.

The system that I find works the best involves a large cup of water and a towel. After soaking the ears in the cup of water for 20 or 30 seconds, alittle light rubbing makes for a beautiful set of ears. He also likes to drink out of the cup afterwards... the cup is the only water bowl that doesn't seem to result in a water trail through the kitchen. Good Luck!

on 3/18/2006 I have a basset and her name is Moggie. She is smart and can shake,lay,catch,beg,and sing. She is very dumb as to finding her way home(only once). She sleeps in her Daddys chair and is a good girl. Just take time with them give alot of love to them.

on 3/16/2006 Ralph and Dexter are our two hounds. Ralph was a lonely Basset till Dexter came along. Ralph is about 10 and Dex is 4. They are great friends and we are entertained by "Living room Basset wrestling," it is a very loud and active event. As Bassets are prone to many problems, including arthritis, we have been giving the 10 year old glucosimine and it is a wonder drug. About 3 years ago he could barely get up and down stairs and was quite sore. After 6 months of the drug he was like a puppy again. Everybody loves "The Boys."

on 3/16/2006 We just got our 6 week old Basset for my 2 year old daughter. She named her Zsa Zsa. Although we still have a lot to learn about this quirky breed, I must say that we are off to a great start. I heard many good things about crate training your Basset, so that is what we have decided to do. I was told that our first few nights would be sleepless, but I had a slightly different experience. Every Basset owner knows that they need an overwhelming amount of love and affection. So, I spent two and half hours just petting her, holding her, and talking to her. Then, I put her in her padded crate and called it a night. She attempted to howl that puppy howl that sounded more like a flock of geese. This went on for hours, but eventually ceased. It may be easier for people to ignore after having raised children, you get used to ignoring the unimportant, "I demand attention" cry. The howling commenced upon waking up, but within two hours of showing her nothing but affection and love, we have passed that stage. This may not work for everyone since it demands a lot of patience, but it certainly worked for us. The important thing is to remember that they are howling because they are scared and insecure.

on 2/6/2006 We've had three Bassets for the last 9 years and love them to death. Bassets need companionship. We started out with a female and she was a handful, needing a lot of attention and playtime. Once we got a second Basset, a male, a year later they became each others best buddies and followed each other around like shadows.

When we lost Missy after she ate a rock (they don't have a lot of common sense), Baily went into a deep depression. We quickly had to find him a mate.

Our third Basset is a lemon and white Basset and is very sweet, but she has her quirks. First, if she's upset with you she'll pee on your bed (it's the darnedest thing because it's intentional), secondly she loves to eat underwear!

So beware that Bassets will find something they become very fond of eating; be it rocks or underwear. But ours have never chewed on the furniture.

Just a couple other notes.

We crate trained our Bassets from the day they came into our home and they love their crate, it's their own little bedroom. The stay in their crates at night so they're not wandering the house.

Also, as noted above, they are not good swimmers. We almost lost our male when he fell in the pool while no one was around. He doing fine today, he's 7 years old.

Bassets are wonderful!

on 1/30/2006 Bassets are the best dog! They are amazing with other animals, even cats! Their excellent with children and have charming personalities. But if you're considering a puppy, take great care in making sure you pick it up correctly! If you don't you can cause serious injury to their back, and never let a Basset puppy go up and down stairs as it causes great stress on developing bones and joints. To keep your Basset happy and healthy, check it's belly, ears, eyes and wrinkles for rashes, cuts and debris daily.

on 1/25/2006 We found Sebastian at the Humane Society. I've had many breeds of dogs, but I grew up with a Bassett. I saw his cute little body out of the corner of my eye as I was going to check out anther dog. I never made it to the other dog, and Sebastian never made it back in to the kennel! He is the best dog ever, and is like a neighborhood dog. He walks over to the elementary school and is known by all of the 600 kids over there. Everyone knows he is our dog, and people watch out for him. We don't have a fenced yard (and yes, I know we should), but he has been safe thus far. He is an inside dog for sure! I can't tell you how many people say "My kids are so afraid of dogs, but not Sebastian!" It is so nice for them to bring their kids over to play and not have to worry about the dog. The only time he has ever snapped (not bit) at a child is when they have pulled on his privates! He is very needy though - whenever anyone sits on the floor, he is right over there with his head in their lap. He loves people - and we love him! You can't go wrong with a Bassett! :)