The Daily Basset

Crufts Stewards Slam Basset Handlers

Britain’s Dog World reports that the basset hound handlers at Crufts this year have been slammed by show stewards for not exercising their dogs in the toilet area prior to showing. Several bassets did their stuff in the ring on Hound day much to the horror of the stewards.

Ted Connor writes:

One [steward] said that they had stewarded for all four days, seven breeds in all, and the Bassets and their handlers had the poorest ring hygiene of them all.

I was one of the first people to arrive at ring 33 and to be honest it looked pretty grotty when I got there. You could see that the mat hadn’t been cleaned particularly well (if at all) from the preceding days’ show. There were certainly one or two pee-puddles in the corner, opposite the judging table.

Obviously Crufts need to make sure that the scent hounds are walking on clean mats. Not just to avoid the accidents here and there but also because bassets simply show better when walking on a clean mat. Otherwise it’s down with nose and away we go, hoovering up all that delicious (!) scent.

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Basset Hounds Born at Dog Shelter

There was a lovely story come through the wire today. Eight pure breed basset hound pups were born at Sacramento’s Animal Care Services Centre have all found loving homes.

The puppies’ pregnant mother was one of three bassets given up for adoption by the animal’s previous owner. Animal shelter staff at the Front Street facility took care of the family from birth until the pups were ready to be weaned from their mother at six weeks old. All eight pups were adopted to loving homes Sunday.

Approximately 25 percent of animal shelter dogs nationwide are purebred, according to figures compiled by the Humane Society of the United States.

Source: News 10

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Basset Hound Temperament

So you’re thinking of choosing a Basset Hound. Well, welcome to the club! They’re absolutely adorable dogs. However, it’s important to know something more about the temperament of this honourable breed of dog.

The Basset Hound is generally a friendly breed. On the whole they love children, cats and even bunny rabbits (in the right kind of supervised environment). Bassets are friendly and welcome the opportunity to make new friends and when you’re out on a walk with a basset you’ll often find there’s the opportunity to stop and chat to people. Without a doubt they make excellent family dogs. The only downside to this is that they are perhaps overly sociable. Bred to work in a pack, the Basset tends to hate being alone and can become destructive or bark if left alone for long periods without any stimulation.

Bassets love food and have a reputation of being rather lazy. Don’t let this fool you. They will exercise regularly if given the chance. Adult bassets are happy to walk for an hour or two each day. In fact, it’s often imperative to keep that weight down!

Bassets enjoy activities that use their natural endurance, like long walks or hikes. They also enjoy tracking games that let them use their tracking skills. The Basset’s nose is perhaps only second to the Bloodhound when it comes to tracking.

Like many of the other hound breeds, Basset Hounds are often difficult to train unfortunately. However, they will obey commands when offered a food reward. The trouble is they tend to “forget” the training when a reward is not present.

Bassets are notoriously difficult to housebreak. Training and housebreaking are not impossible, however, and can be accomplished with consistency and patience on the part of the owner. Because these dogs are very sensitive, never reprimand a basset. They thrive best on friendly but firm encouragement.

Though basset hounds may be rather difficult to train, they are good problem solvers. Some can find ways to get into living room that are not humanly possible, and they are also famous for thinking ahead and stealing food. Leaving meat on a table top in a room with a basset alone is a recipe for disaster!

The breed has a strong hunting instinct and will give chase or follow a scent if given the opportunity. They should be trained regularly in recall; failing that, they should be kept on a leash when out on walks.

Bassets tend to howl or bark when they want something or if they sense something is wrong. They also use a low, murmuring whine to get attention, which sounds to many owners as though their Bassets are “talking.” This whine is also used by the hound to beg (for food or treats) and varies in volume depending on the nature of the individual hound and length of time it has been begging.

Source: Wikipedia

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