Picture taken from www.dogbreedinfo.com
From the desk of Sharda Baker.
Hi and Welcome Everyone!
This is Sharda with another Basset Hound newsletter!
Bringing home a Basset Hound puppy can be exciting and yet you need to consider prepping up your home to make it his home too.
That palpable air of excitement is something you cannot ignore. Your cute Basset puppy is about to come home and you know it will change your life forever.
Your Basset Puppy is not a toy who can amuse you for a short time and then never have your interest again. He is a living, breathing animal. A life you must look after, care for and love.
So how do you prepare for this new life in your home?
Don’t worry because we will be talking about that today!
THINGS TO BUY FOR THE NEW ARRIVAL
First of all, you need to get a good crate—large enough for an adult Basset Hound. This could be around 21 x 24 x 36 inches.
Line the bottom of the crate with a large soft towel or warm blanket. Now his crate is ready to sit or sleep in, so you can move on to getting him a stainless steel bowl for food, a heavy bowl for water, a leash, about six feet long and a 17 inches long buckle collar.
When your Basset dog is a bit older, get him a choke training collar, pair of nail clippers, an ear cleaner designed especially for this breed, cotton balls or Q-tips to clean his ears and some toys, shampoo and biscuits.
BRINGING YOUR BABY HOME
It’s always best to take a few things along when you bring him home such as a crate, preferably with towels inside, a toy, water and some plastic bags just in case the towels get dirty.
Once you’ve done this, how do you make your puppy feel he is a member of your household?
Well, here’s how:
GIVE YOUR BASSET PUPPY LOVE, COMFORT AND REASSURANCE
Your Basset Puppy is confused, bewildered and lost. He has left the protection, warmth of his mother and siblings and entered a stranger’s home.
However loving that stranger is, he needs a lot of reassurance, love and comfort. It is up to you to provide all that.
TEACH HIM THAT ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY ARE LEADERS
Establish one fact – all the members are leaders. Basset Dogs don’t seek companionship in a human being. They want to follow or be followed.
So if he sees you as weak, he will dominate you.
TAKE HIM HOME ON A WEEKEND
Bring him home on a weekend or a vacation or on a quiet day when you can spend time with him.
Do not bring him home on a festival day when you can’t spend time with him, when he’s forced to feel lost and helpless while you look after your guests or family.
HAVE HIM MEDICALLY EXAMINED
Get a basic medical exam done on your puppy. This is important and will help you understand your pet better.
The vet will give your pet a physical examination and test for external parasites like fleas or ticks. It’s also a good idea to have his stool sample taken.
Your vet can tell you whether your pet has internal parasites. Is he vaccinated? Check with your Basset Hound breeder.
DISCUSS SPAYING OR NEUTERING AT THIS STAGE
Ask the vet when you can bring him in for this.
Just follow these simple tips and I’m sure that you will have a very memorable homecoming for your Basset puppy.
Thanks for listening and I do hope that you learned something important today.
All the best and take care.
Warmly,
Sharda Baker