Contents
Breed Profile: Basset Hound
Where to Get a Basset Hound
Gear for Your Basset Hound
How to Feed Your Basset Hound
How to Groom Your Basset Hound
Basset Hound Healthcare
How to Socialize Your Basset Hound
How to Train Your Basset Hound
How to Fix Basset Hound Behavior Problems
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How to Groom Your Basset Hound
To keep your basset hound healthy, you must provide regular grooming and care to his coat, skin, nails, ears, eyes, and teeth. Grooming is also a great time for you and your basset to bond, as well as an opportunity for you to inspect his body for changes that may be signs of illness.
Getting Your Basset Used to Grooming
If you socialize your basset to grooming early, he’ll probably enjoy it. And the more your basset enjoys grooming, the easier and more fun it will be for you as well. To socialize your basset to grooming:
- Start a consistent grooming routine immediately after you bring your basset home.
- Keep grooming sessions short.
- Reward your basset with treats for staying still and allowing his feet, muzzle, and ears to be touched.
If your dog doesn’t like to be groomed, don’t force it. For instance, if he doesn’t like his feet to be touched, try touching one foot for one second, then reward him with a treat. A few days later, touch the other foot for two seconds and offer a treat, and so on.
Coat and Skin Care for Your Basset
Brushing and bathing your basset will help to keep his coat and skin healthy.
Brushing Your Basset
A basset’s smooth, short coat and skin require regular attention. Although he doesn’t have long flowing hair, a basset hound still needs to be brushed once a week, especially when he’s shedding (which may seem like a year-round occurrence).
Brushing Tools and Procedure
To brush your basset, you’ll need the following:
- Grooming mitt: A glove with soft rubber tips that lifts dirt, dust, and dead hair. You also can use a coarse washcloth as a substitute. Using either the glove or the cloth, start at your basset’s head and work your way back, brushing with the grain of the coat.
- Shedding blade: A loop of saw-toothed metal extending from a brush handle, the shedding blade is good for removing debris and dead hair from the coat. Use this tool after brushing but only when your basset’s shedding is at its worst.
Brush your basset’s sides, chest, neck, belly, legs, and tail. Avoid sensitive areas such as the nose and eyes. While brushing, always have treats handy in case you accidentally make him uncomfortable.
Bathing Your Basset
Like many other hounds, bassets tend to develop body odor if they’re not bathed regularly. But bathing them too frequently can dry out the skin and lead to scratching and bacterial infections. The rule of thumb should be to bathe your basset when he is truly dirty or has body odor. If you wash your basset in a bathroom tub, set down a rubber mat to prevent him from slipping.
Bathing Tools and Procedure
- Wet your dog’s coat thoroughly with warm water.
- Wet his head as well, but tilt it back so that water doesn’t get in his eyes.
- Avoid getting water in his ears, or gently insert cotton balls into the opening to keep out water.
- Lather your basset well with dog shampoo, rubbing your hands with and against the coat in circles.
- Once you’ve shampooed your basset, rinse him thoroughly, making sure to get every last bit of soap out of the coat.
- Dry him with a towel or a hair dryer set to a low setting, being sure not to burn or frighten him.
Basset Hound Nail Care
When a basset’s nails grow too long, they can affect his gait uncomfortably. You’ll know that his nails are too long when you hear them clacking against hard floors. Depending on your dog, his nails will need to be cut every few weeks. If your breeder hasn’t removed the dewclaws, the nails farther up the inside of the legs, they may need to be cut more frequently.
Nail Care Tools and Procedure
To cut your basset’s nails, you’ll need two things:
- Nail clippers: Get a medium- to large-sized pair of guillotine-style nail clippers, available at any pet store. Don’t use scissors or nail clippers made for humans.
- Styptic powder or gel: Styptic powder or gel will stop the bleeding if you cut your dog’s nail too far.
Trim each nail just a tiny bit at a time or you’ll risk cutting the quick, the blood vessel inside the nail. In a dog with light-colored nails, you can see the quick as a pink line running up the middle of the nail nearly to the end. On darker nails, you can see the quick by holding a flashlight under the nail. If you do cut the quick, dip the nail into styptic powder or gel to stop the bleeding.
Basset Hound Ear Care
Check your basset’s ears once a month for signs of mites or illness, and bring him to the vet if his ears have:
- A color different from the skin
- Red blotches
- A strong, unpleasant odor
Ear Care Tools and Procedure
Even if your basset’s ears look healthy, it’s still a good idea to clean them each week. To do so, you’ll need cotton balls and dog ear cleanser, sold at any pet store.
- Apply dog ear cleanser liberally to the inside of the ear and massage gently, making sure that the solution goes deep into the dog’s ear.
- Use a cotton ball, not a swab, to clean away the residue, being careful not to go too deep into the ear.
- Wipe the outside of the ear flaps as well.
- Ticks are particularly attracted to the folds of a basset’s ears, so carefully examine all the nooks and crannies for ear mites, fleas, and ticks.
Basset Hound Eye Care
Keeping your basset’s eyes clean will improve his appearance and help ward off infection.
Eye Care Tools and Procedure
To clean your basset’s eyes, you’ll need a moist cloth. Whenever necessary, remove discharge from the corners of his eyes by wiping it away carefully with a moist cloth. If he seems to have constant eye discharge, bring him to the vet. If your basset’s brows or eyelashes are interfering with his eyes, you can trim those hairs carefully.
Basset Hound Dental Care
To keep your basset’s teeth and gums clean and healthy, brush them once or twice a week.
Dental Care Tools and Procedure
To brush your basset’s teeth, you’ll need a dog toothbrush or finger brush (a little rubber toothbrush that slides over your index finger) and dog toothpaste, all of which are sold at pet stores. Never use human toothpaste on a dog.
- Put a little toothpaste on the toothbrush.
- Rub the brush against the front of your basset’s teeth. You don’t have to brush the backs of the teeth.
If you don’t brush your basset’s teeth regularly, plaque will build up, and plaque can be removed only via a thorough cleaning at the vet. Vet cleanings require full anesthesia, which can be stressful and can’t be given to older bassets or those with certain health issues. That’s why it’s particularly important for owners of sick or old bassets to brush their dog’s teeth regularly.
| Text & Photos Copyright © 2007 TFH Publications, Inc. | Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
