Loving Companion (Basset Hound)

Member Name: bella21

Product:	Basset Hound
Date:	17/12/08 (330 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great with kids, very friendly, gentle

Disadvantages: NONE!

Bassett hounds are a member of the hound family and originated in France. Bassetts where bred as hunting dogs as they have an excellent sense of smell.

For those people who do not know the breed they are most famous for featuring as the icon for the shoe brand Hush Puppies and also feature in the detective series Columbo.

I am the proud owner of a 4 year bassett hound called Monty, my review is based on the experience of owning my Bassett Hound

** Appearance **

Bassett hounds are a medium sized breed, they have short legs and a long body. There faces are also long, with very long ears and droopy eyes. There are numerous colour variations the main ones I have seen are lemon and white and tri-colour (brown, black and white). They are a short haired breed but I do find that Monty sheds alot (this can be reduced with regular brushing), can have quite a strong doggy smell and slobbers a fair bit too, I suspect this is the same for alot of dog breeds. Bassett hounds have quiet long nails which need to be trimmed every few weeks, this is very straight forward to do, we do it ourselves using a special pair of dog nail clippers.

** Price **

In terms of expense, bassetts are quite expensive, we paid £600 for a pedigree, kennel club registered, 10 week old puppy, but we have a friend who paid over £900 so prices do vary.

** Food **

We spend a fair amount of money on food for him I would estimate about £10.00 per week, he is fed a mixture of dry biscuits and meat, we buy indivdual packs of frozen meat which come in a 465g pack these come in various varieties, tripe mince, beef mince, beef and heart, chicken mince. We feed him a packed of meat with 2 scoops of biscuits per day. In addition to this he enjoys bones and pigs ears, along with our food scraps, cheese, toast the list is endless.

** Sleeping **

His bed is currently a leather arm chair in the dining room, we have been through lots of different types of dog bed but he just tends to fight with them and drag them round the room! so at the moment the chair is working out the best.

** Vets **

Our dog has had quite a few trips to the vets due to limping which again has been quite expensive, especially when the vet said theres nothing wrong with him, I think he just wants me to feel sorry for him!

** Exercise **

Do not be fooled into thinking this breed is lazy, yes they will have long periods of sleeping but they do require lots of exercise, I would say 2 10 minute walks per day would be acceptable, I also take my dog to the local park for an hour long walk every week, I let him off the lead but he never runs off and always stays close enough to see me. He shows no interest in playing 'fetch' type games, however he is quite a fast runner for one with such small legs!

** Temperment **

My dog is extremely laid back and is very friendly. He was quite giddy before we had him neutered. I have a 3 year old little boy who loves to play and this doesnt bother my dog in the slightest, he will run round with my son for a while then jump up on the settee and have a rest! He is very welcoming to visitors we have to the house and loves the attention they give him. His favourite pastime would be lying on the settee with his head on your knee whilst you tickle his chin! He does have a very loud deep bark which can be annoying especially when I put him in the garden when I'm cleaning the floors in the house, lets just say the neighbours get a little miffed sometimes. Bassetts also have a reputation for being quite stubborn.

Overall from my experience as a bassett hound owner I would recommend the breed to anyone who wants a loyal loving companion. He is great with kids and loves nothing more than having a long walk then coming home for a long sleep.

Hope you have enjoyed my review, any questions about the breed feel free to ask i'll do my best to answer them.

Summary: A wonderful breed of dog!