Bassett hound?

[Bambooshoots14]

We rescued a very large (over 50kg) Spanish stray last year. We have a (very sensible) 2 year old but do want another so obviously they could be less reliable. We also have a cat who ignores the dog.

We would like a second dog to keep our current dog company when I am out the house for a few hours at a time (usually work from home but can be out a few hours at a time). He loves other dogs and gets on with all.

We walk the dog daily but sometimes just for 15 minutes but other days an hour or 2.

We need a dog that is good with cats and children (understand will vary dog by dog), not too large, happy with minimal exercise some days, basically a chilled out dog. A basset hound is around the size we are hoping for and seems to fit the bill. Does anyone have experience of this breed?

Yes, we have a 7 year old male. Brilliantly tempered, especially with children and we have roughly the same walking pattern as you, which suits him well. He loves a long walk, but daily seems to be too wearing on him so we limit it to twice daily strolls and longer adventures at the w/e. He does have access to the garden though. We had a rabbit and the dog would out his head in the cage, poke around etc with no reaction.
The downsides with Bassets though is they are very hard to train as they are very stubborn and like to ignore their training on a whim. Ours is very mischievous and steals everything including the oven gloves, not to destroy but because thinks its a game. However Bassets are big dogs, their length means they can reach high when up on hind legs and can put on weight easily.
They also moult and stink, I hoover daily

Thank you. I Hoover daily due to current dog. Current dog is also untrainable but (I love it when everyone who meets him including vets etc say oh I can get him to sit, you do it like this- not one person has succeeded yet! So that's not a huge problem. Temperament is my main concern.

We also had a rabbit who would come into the house and current dog ignored him

Did you get a rescue or a puppy?

We got him as a pup and he was the runt of the litter, but he's now 27kg! He's very solid and very big. And completely adorable. We got him when DS2 was three months old and he was brilliant and with DD1 when she came along. In fact DD1 (4) regards him as a best friend and lays with him constantly. Very very good with other dogs although he does bark constantly in excitement when we do walks with other dogs. We called him Barkley....

Ah

I'm leaning towards puppy as I wasn't too impressed with the rescue experience last time. Not assessed but told he was, told he was a breed we asked for until we saw him, and by that point we were set to take him with us so obviously wouldn't turn him down. But I've never had a puppy before and worry it may not be the chilled out experience I'm looking for

We had one years ago with young children. I'm afraid he ended going back to the breeder. He was V. strong. v. high energy and used to knock the children down so that they were then frightened of him. He was run on from the litter so a little older, 4 months. I felt that he was a pack animal and really needed to be in a home with other dogs. Recall was nigh on impossible. He destroyed lots of toys. We got the wrong breed of dog from the wrong breeder at the wrong time. Sorry to be negative but wish someone had advised me better. I did ask several breeders if they were a suitable breed for us and explained our requirements. We now have 3 spaniels. They are the right breed for us. Everyone is different. (the basset was much higher energy levels than my cockers but I am also a much better dog owner now)

Not a great experience with Bassetts. We loved him however he ate every shoe in the house and a leather sofa. Very possessive with me, not aggressive just naughty when other members of the family were around. Adorable when it was just the two of us. And he had a very strong doggy odor.

Bassetts are massive! They may be low to the ground but they are big dogs = they also bay like crazy. They need a lot of training to be let off the lead and they will be too big and strong for your DC's to walk. They will need masses more exercise than 15 mins a day.

They are fab dogs but not for the faint hearted or you sure you want a Bassett?

Ok so maybe not for us. Current dog has minimal recall (can walk off the lead in woods etc but don't trust him in the park or near roads). Also ds is used to being knocked over and dives for a wall/ the floor if he senses it coming.

Maybe it's not the breed for us then. Spaniels need a lot of waking/ stimulation don't they?

I'd recommend a whippet they love the company of other dogs and humans are great with kids can be left at home if you need to as they will just sleep.
They are medium size dogs and don't need as much exercise as people think my father's two have two 20 minutes off lead runs a day in the week and a bit more at the week end. They are really lazy but will also walk more if you want them too and they don't bark. I would highly recommend a whippet they are great dogs.

Bassets bigger than you think, pushy, self-centred, smelly and full of health issues. I worked in a spinal surgery unit and all of our patients were bassets and dachshunds.

It's hard to think of a breed which will happily accept staying in the house/ garden for 23 and three quarter hours a day.

Greyhounds are often very relaxed but may not be the best with the cat. However, a cat who is bossy and confident will deal well with most dogs.

Is your current dog a Spanish Mastin mix?

villainousbroodmareMany of the greyhound/sighthound rescues cat test their dogs & may also have some in that have already lived with cats/kids etc. Even some successful ex-racers can live with cats as the prey drive can be different between indoors & outside. Through many dogs/breeds will accept their family cat & still want to chase other cats when out.

Greyhounds are leggy but weight wise may not be much difference to a Basset,mine are 24-28kg 25/26" to shoulder. Majority as adults are quiet, calm & like to sleep a lot so can usually get away with occasional short walk (especially if weathers horrible) without negative effects but at least an hour per day (if on lead) is better for their health & well-being.

15 mins per day really isn't much for any dog, its not just physical exercise they get on walks but mental stimulation with all the sights, smells (lots of social info in scent marking) & socialising opportunities. Maybe multiple short walks could be squeezed in rather than 1 long one, it doesn't matter if its only round the block rather than the park. There's often training time needed too & that can also be useful to tire a dog.

Puppies are more impressionable to new experiences (can be positive & negative), but very time intensive early on with training & socialisation to raise well, then the training & behavior can go backwards in their teen phase and most aren't starting to physically mature till past 2yrs so it can take a while & then no guarantee if it will have the character traits you were originally hoping for but by then you love them anyway!

There are also specialized rescues for most breeds/types which are usually very knowledgeable. Rescues do vary in quality so Its always a good idea before falling for a dog to research the rescue a little & how they operate? what their policies are? how they assess the dogs? what their post adoption support they offer? A decent rescue should also care about the long-term welfare of its dogs so do its best to match to an appropriate home, neuter/spay take care of any health issues, home check the adopter and contract them to return the dog to the rescue if circumstances change .

Only met grouchy, stroppy bassets. A friend has 5 spaniels and a basset and the basset bullies all the others - he is very strong willed.

Agree a 15 min walk is very little for any breed - we had to cut down walks for our 13yo labrador and that is to 2x 15/20 mins.

I have a basset and while he can be greedy and stubborn at times he's great, no health issues, brilliant with young DC, doesn't smell unless wet, and I can count on one hand the amount of times he's bayed. He is also trained off his lead and is happy with two short walks on a weekday and loves long walks at the weekend. My advice would be to speak to a breeder, if you google Phil Freer he is a cruffs judge and a basset breeder, he will be able to advise you on whether a basset is the dog for you.

Thank you all

Yes he's a Spanish Mastin

I know 15 minutes isn't a long walk and most days it's longer but we do need a dog who is happy with 15 minutes if necessary.

I have a Basset.
Age 6, private re-homing.
Had I known...!... I wouldn't have taken her on, but I committed to her and the kids adore her, so she will not have to face another home. We love her dearly but Bassets are not for the faint hearted, I think. I had a Spaniel before and he was very easy compared to the Big Bad Bass...

Good points:

gentle, affectionate, trustworthy around kids, not destructive, a 'character' / comedic, much admired by passers by, a 'noble hound'.
Will go on a long weekend walk but happily manage 3/4 shorter 15m walks weekdays. (Mine can be trusted off lead as scared to go to far from me, but heard she would break out and go a-roaming before? - they are led by their noses - when 'on the scent' nothing else enters their heads)

Bad points:

a strong pong! very very greedy, bigger than I thought (34kg, and she's lost a lot of weight since I got her), HUGELY stubborn ('flat basset' is an issue, I am frequently to be found standing at a crossroads facing one way whilst Basset faces another, for 10m at a time, causing much amusement to passers by), bays if left alone for even 2 minutes which is very wearing.