Buying
a Dog?
The
Basset Hound Club of Southern California, Inc. was established to encourage and
promote the ownership and breeding of pure-bred Basset Hounds and to do all
possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection by working for
continuing improvement of the breed. The club does all in its power to protect
and advance the best interests of the breed by example and education. In keeping
with this purpose the following in formation is intended to assist those who are
interested in buying a puppy. Listed below are reasons for getting a puppy from
a reputable local breeder.
SOME
GOOD REASONS FOR GETTING YOUR
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You will get your puppy at the ideal age —
eight to twelve weeks. You’ll know the puppy’s heritage
and can possibly see both his/her sire (father) and dam (mother) at the kennel.
This will give you a very good idea of what the puppy will be like when he/she
grows up.
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You’ll know that the puppy has not traveled long distances
or been in contact with large numbers of other animals and people. He/She has
not been confined to small artificial quarters (which will be helpful in his/her
house training), and that the puppy has not been left unattended for long
periods of time.
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You’ll know that the breeder is raising the best possible
stock and giving them the best possible start in life —
good food, the proper shots, the care of a competent
veterinarian, proper registration with the American Kennel Club (AKC), and all
the extras that are necessary for a well-bred, healthy puppy. While all of this
costs a great deal of money the kennel owner is not raising dozens of litters to
sell at a profit. It is not a commercial venture for the breeder. He or she is
dedicated to improving a particular breed and will sell you a puppy at a fair
price.
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You’ll know the puppy has been individually loved and
handled since he/she was born. As a result the puppy will be properly
“social” and friendly and will develop a normal personality.
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You’ll be dealing in a personal way with the individual who
raised the puppy. You can rely on him or her for future friendship and advice.
He or she can refer you to local training classes, recommend a good
veterinarian, and show you how to groom and care for the puppy. The breeder will
most likely have bred dogs for a long time, and will continue to be in the area
should you wish to seek his or her advice.
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It is to your advantage to know more about your puppy
than simply that it is registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Such registration does not guarantee that the puppy will develop into a typical
specimen of its breed. Knowing the puppy’s background or pedigree is what will
tell you what kind of dog he/she will become.
Take
your time - remember, this
puppy will probably be a member of your family for at least 10 years. Older dogs
are also available through club sponsored rescue programs. Rescue links
Buying
a Basset by Don Bullock
The Basset Hound Club of Southern California, Inc. publishes a list of
local breeders. You can receive a list by calling the club’s secretary at
310-390- 7171and leaving your name and address with a request for a Breeders
List. The secretary can also put you in touch with a Basset Hound rescue
organization. They always have Bassets looking for a good home. While most are
not puppies, they may be house broken and out of the puppy stage. I understand
that one of them may even have puppies.
You can check with those on the BHCSC list, however, to make sure.
Sometimes breeders change their minds about the dogs that they have and decide
to sell one that they have. Some of the breeders have waiting lists and some
don’t use them. Each breeder is different when it comes to selling dogs. The
market from reputable breeders is tight on Basset Hound puppies in
Most reputable breeders will not sell a puppy for Christmas. It’s a
time of year when most households are in some sort of turmoil. People are not on
their regular schedule, the house is decorated with all kinds of decorations
that puppies could destroy in seconds and there are often many visitors to the
home. All of this adds enough confusion without having to take care of puppies
while all this is going on. Introducing puppies to the family during such a time
is not a good idea. They need a stable environment with a set routine. Also
purchasing during the holidays is often an impulse, especially when the contact
comes less than a month before the day. A dog is a new member of the family, not
an impulse purchase. It’s a purchase that needs to be researched as to the
best breed for the family and the best puppy that will fit into the family, not
the only one available.
One word of caution about “papers”: Remember that AKC papers mean
nothing. You can spend a lot of money on a Basset Hound with “papers” and
still end up with a very poor quality dog. The only place that quality can be
determined is in the show ring. Insist with any dog that you buy to at least see
the female and if at all possible the male. If you can’t see the male, insist
on seeing pictures of him and find out his show record. Seeing litter mates
especially those that the breeder plans to keep and show is also a good idea.
Pet store dogs are often the worst representatives of the breed available and
are usually more expensive than those from reputable breeders. I have recently
heard some real horror stories from people who have purchased dogs over the
Internet. Often the dogs at pet stores or from the Internet come from puppy
mills and are taken away from the mother too soon. Our club does not recommend
members selling puppies under eight weeks old. Any younger and they are not
socialized and may be very hard to deal with. My wife and I found that out the
hard way when we purchased a puppy Basset from a pet store many years ago. They
are even worse now.
One way to get to know the breeders and to see what they produce is to go
to dog shows. If you want to know more about where and when there are dog shows in