How To Care For A Basset Hound

How To Care For A Basset Hound

The basset hound is a dog breed that is perfect for calmer people with a peaceful nature. This animal is perfectly suited to owners who love long walks without being lovers of extreme physical activity. Like any other breed this dog requires specific care to ensure it grows healthy and happy, so if you are about to get this dog or there is one already in the family in the next OneHowTo.com article we explain how to care for a basset hound.

Steps to follow:
1

The basset hound was originally a hunting dog as it has an excellent sense of smell and enjoyed chasing its prey and playing games that involve finding something. It is a calm dog that is friendly and affectionate with its owners and is also an excellent guard dog, especially with the younger members of the family.

2

Because of their short legs the basset hounds are not very agile but they do require daily walks, the longer the better. This animal will not get tired of walking, so they can accompany us almost anywhere without any problem, though we should avoid letting it off its lead as its hunting instincts can kick in and it may run off. Only let it go when you know it will be safe.

Basset hounds, however, do not require a lot of exercice and daily walks at a moderate pace should be enough.

3

When training it you will soon notice something striking about this breed: basset hound dogs are very stubborn and go at their own pace; we must be very patient but firm if we want to get the animal to do things like eat at certain times, relieve themselves in certain places or respond to certain orders.

It is essential that you train it from a puppy and correct certain behaviours, otherwise in the future it could be very difficult to do so. For example, if you do not want the dog to get on the couch you should avoid it doing so from the first weeks it is at home, train the animal with patience to avoid it becoming the master of the house.

4

Like any other dog the basset hound requires a balanced diet that will be determined by its age.

It is very important to pay attention to the portions we give our pet as this breed has a strong tendency towards obesity as it can be a little gluttonous, a fact that can lead to serious health problems which in the future may even limit its mobility. The basset hound will always be willing to take whatever you give it, but you must avoid this at all costs because over time this could jeopardize the health of your dog.

5

Another obvious characteristic of this breed are its long ears. These require very special care to stay healthy and free of odours. It is recommended you clean the ears of your basset hound once or twice a week, starting from a young age so it becomes accustomed to the procedure.

If you see that your basset hound shakes its head or scratches its ears a lot, it might be because it has ear problems. Check with your vet if this happens.

6

You should protect your basset hound from fleas and ticks, for both its help and yours. There are many different ways to prevent fleas and ticks, from collars to pills. Check with your vet which is the best option in particular for your dog and make it part of your basset hound routine.

Do the same with other parasites such as worms. If you have a puppy, you might need to deworm it first. After the first deworming, your vet might prescribe a pill that you can give your basset hound each month to keep it free from intestinal parasites.

7

It is also very important that you take care of your dog's teeth. The best would be get your hound used to brushing its teeth once per week, but it doesn't work with all the dogs. If you can't seem to get it familiarized with the teeth brush, give him marrow bones. Chewing marrow bones is good for its teeth.

8

You must also:

  • Cut its nails often, because these usually grow very fast.
  • Brush its hair at least twice a week to reduce the smell of the coat and reduce the presence of hair in your home. You will have to do this with a special stiff bristle brush for dogs.
  • Bathe it every 4-6 weeks, depending on how quickly it gets dirty.
9

Furthermore, like any other dog, basset hounds need to receive all relevant vaccines and go to the vet every six months for regular check-ups, so you will ensure your dog stays healthy. In our article when should I vaccinate my dog we explain the necessary vaccinations at each life stage.

If you want to read similar articles to How To Care For A Basset Hound, we recommend you visit our Pets category.