Wednesday, February 23, 2011

When Picking A Pet, Is A Basset Hound The Right Dog For You

By Samantha Becket


Bassets are brimming with charisma. They are very lovable with their large soulful eyes and droopy ears. However, is a basset hound the right dog for you?

These dogs are very good natured and sociable, and get on well with children, other dogs and cats making them an ideal family pet. They are essentially a big dog with short legs, and are strong and robust.

Blessed with an exceptionally good sense of smell, these dogs were bred for tracking down prey, and if you are wanting to partake in sport hunting, then this may be the ideal dog for you. Many hunting clubs offer hunting as a sport where you can pit your dog's tracking ability against others. Some clubs offer non-lethal hunts where they test the tracking ability of the dog only, making this a favorable sporting option for those with a conscience. Sport hunting is an excellent method of exercising a basset as it a pass time that he enjoys and he will not bore easily. Traditionally, a hunter on foot would follow a basset that would pick up the scent of a hare, leading the hunter to it, whilst packs of bassets were used when the hunters were mounted.

Due to their tracking nature, and acute sense of smell, bassets tend to scoot off after any scent they have caught on the wind, forgetting all other distractions. This makes them prone to wandering and a strong fence is necessary to keep them contained in your yard. They also need to be kept on a lead whilst taking them for walks so that they don't bolt down the road after an appealing scent, with you running after them yelling upon deaf ears.

For dogs that have such awfully long ears, they don't listen very well, nor do they readily obey commands. They often have a will of their own, and can be quite difficult to train, and as such take a long time to housebreak. They will often gaze at you in bemusement whilst you give instructions, then they will matter-of-factly do the opposite. The only time you are likely to get a positive response is when you have a food reward on offer.

Bassets have a voracious appetite and will readily scoff down anything edible. They are particularly good at stealing food off tables. However, they are notoriously lazy, and as such are prone to obesity and associated health problems. As they are not the most energetic dogs around, they will not readily play frisbee or chase a ball. So if you are the sporty type and are looking for active dog then a basset would probably not be best for you.

Bassets not only enjoy snoozing the day and night away, but they make a lot of noise about it. They snore a lot, fart a lot, shed hair a lot, drool a lot. They also have a distinctive hound smell to them.

And if you are still considering owning a basset, you need to know that they rather loud by nature. They like to voice their opinion by baying loudly. This could drive everyone in your household, and the neighborhood, crazy.

Having said all that, the basset is blessed with a wonderful friendly temperament. It is happy and outgoing, and always wagging its tail. A basset is a fantastic pet for children, and a big personality around the house.




About the Author:



No comments: