Recently we visited Terri’s sister and her family including their 3 young children and their Basset Hound Sadie. We realized, after that visit, that perhaps it was time to write an article about how to select a new dog member of your family.
Two years ago, Terri’s sister visited us and fell in love with our old Basset Hound Beauregard. Beau was certainly a charming guy. What Terri’s sister did not realize is that old Basset Hounds behave differently than young ones, and that Terri and I did quite a bit of behind the scenes management to live with him. For example, Beau was a thief, and would steal things off of tables and countertops. So, we didn’t keep anything of interest on tabletops and made sure things were kept away from the edge of countertops. We didn’t leave food out unattended. Terri’s sister decided that she wanted a Basset Hound. She wanted a puppy, as she had just lost her very old and very wonderful Rotweiler to osteosarcoma.
What we recommend to families who decide they would like a dog is that they do their research first. The American Kennel Club has a great website (www.akc.org) that provides information about each breed, as well as reputable breeders. The Purina website (www.purina.com) has a dog breed selector tool that’s very helpful as well. We suggest this even if you are going to adopt a non-purebred dog because the dog will still exhibit characteristics of the various breeds that it has.
Another thing we recommend is to attend some AKC dog shows. We suggest that you walk around, identify breeds that you like, and then talk to the breeders, handlers, and owners. Talk to friends, family and strangers you meet on the street that have a breed you may like. Find out about the health issues associated with the breed as well.
Let’s talk about Terri’s sister and her family. The family consists of 2 working parents, and 2 boys ages 7 and 5, and a new baby girl. The mother works from home, and is a sales rep, who must travel part of the time. They are an active family, and their boys are involved in sports and other activities. Their previous dog was a very well behaved Rotweiler, a very laid back dog that did not bother toys, clothing, or food left laying around. The Rotweiler got along very well with the children. They live in a very nice home with a fenced back yard. The husband has never trained a puppy, and the wife has not trained a puppy in several years.
While it is true that Basset Hounds can be very good with children, they do require training and a strong leader in the family. They are very focused, and very food oriented. Their appearance can be deceiving. They can be active, quick, and very curious dogs. If not supervised properly, they can also be destructive. While a middle aged, well-trained Basset Hound would do very well in this household, a young puppy was not a good choice. The family was not able to spend the time needed to train a puppy, nor did they have a lot of extra time to devote to a young dog. They have done their best, and Sadie has improved. She no longer destroys toys or laptop computers. She will still chew on the grill cover and the wood fence, as well as other objects left unattended in the yard. She’s a very smart and cheerful dog, who loves her family and who is very willing to learn. We work with her whenever we visit, and she loves the attention. The parents are frustrated with the dog, but the youngest son loves her, so they are trying to work things out.
We strongly suggest that if you are thinking of adding a dog to your family, please first think about your family situation and then do the research to find the right breed or mix of breeds that fits. By doing the work up front, you will be more likely to have a positive and rewarding relationship with your new family member.
