Is your family ready for a pet?
All family members should agree to adopt a pet. Never get a pet to satisfy a begging child. While children can help with the care of pets, parents need to be prepared to take on all pet care duties. Children do not always keep the promises they make when they first set eyes on a new pet!
How much time do you spend away from home?
Do you and your family lead a very busy and hectic life? If you walk out the door in the morning, then return in the evening for ten minutes before everyone leaves again for a soccer game, piano practice or dinner out, this is not the right time to add a dog to your family. They’ll become lonely and bored and may act out by barking, chewing, or relieving themselves in the house. All dogs, including bassets, need to have regular exercise and play time…do you have time for a nightly walk or game of tug or fetch?
Do you have small children or grandchildren?
Children need to be taught how to behave around pets just as pets need to learn how to behave around children. A child’s game of pulling a dog’s tail may result in the dog snapping or worse. Are they old enough to interact with a dog responsibly without hurting themselves or the dog?
Can you afford a dog?
Remember that your dog could be part of your life for a long time, bassets can live to be 12-16 years old. Your pet needs regular veterinary care plus veterinary attention for any unforeseen medical problems or emergencies, a nutritious pet food, toys, a crate and other miscellaneous supplies. All this can add up…it is estimated that a healthy dog can cost its family $500 a year.
Do you have a plan for handling life changes that could affect your family and your pet?
Life changes! A job relocation, a new child, a move, even sadly a major illness, all of these could potentially be a part of your future. Have you thought about what would happen to your pet? Just as you plan to care for your family, you will also need to consider how you will provide for your pet under these circumstances.
Do you want a puppy or an adult dog?
Everybody loves a puppy but does your family have the time, temperament and patience needed to raise a baby? A puppy is a baby and, just like a baby, requires an extensive time commitment from its family. And, just like a small child, they will need lots of love, time and patience to be the best basset they can be!
Some of the adult dogs may be well trained and well mannered while others have been given little training and may exhibit undesirable behaviors. They could also be stressed by the change in their life and require extra patience and attention while they learn to adjust to their new family and home.
No matter their age, all dogs require consistent training to maintain good behavior.
Unfortunately, many bassets come to us because their families did not thoroughly think through the impact of their decision with all of its long-term implications; bassets can live to be 12-16 years old. Please, before you adopt, review your decision with all of the family members several times so your re-homed pet does not again lose their family and become a sad statistic of poor planning.
Some of the adult dogs may be well trained and well mannered while others have been given little training and may exhibit undesirable behaviors. They could also be stressed by the change in their life and require extra patience and attention while they learn to adjust to their new family and home.
No matter their age, all dogs require consistent training to maintain good behavior.
Unfortunately, many bassets come to us because their families did not thoroughly think through the impact of their decision with all of its long-term implications; bassets can live to be 12-16 years old. Please, before you adopt, review your decision with all of the family members several times so your re-homed pet does not again lose their family and become a sad statistic of poor planning.