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Friday, March 7, 2008

Basset Hound - The Facts Every Owner Of This Dog Breed Should Know

The Basset Hound originated in sixth century France and is thought to be descended from the St. Hubert Hounds. The Basset Hound (bas means 'low-set' in French) proved useful to hunters, with its slow movement and long ears to stir up scent, they could drive prey out from dense covering and into open fields. The Basset Hound has stamina to keep up with hunters and to track and prey for long periods of time. Basset Hounds are still used for hunting in some areas of the world. The Basset Hound is described as gentle, sociable and stubborn.

Basset Hounds are loyal to their families and good with children and other animals. They prefer to be lap dogs and do not make good guard dogs, as they will greet any stranger who approaches them as a friend. Basset Hounds tend to be strong-willed and independent, making them difficult to train, but with enough consistency this can be overcome. When out for a walk with a Basset Hound, always keep it on a leash as the hunting tendencies may override any and all training.

Though Basset Hounds have a short stature, standing 12 to 15 inches tall, they are not considered small dogs, and will on average weight 50 to 65 pounds when mature. They have short coats that are tri-colored (black, white and tan) or red and white, and require relatively little maintenance. Regular brushing will keep the coat free of dirt and reduce shedding. Baths are necessary only a few times a year, as their coats tend to repel water. A Basset Hound's ears need regular cleaning since their long, floppy ears do not allow air to circulate, increasing the risk of infection and they do tend to slobber more than other dogs.

Basset Hounds need to be exercised frequently and often times have to be encouraged to do so as they are prone to taking naps in the sun. The Basset Hound is prone to some genetic disorders. Von Willebrand's disease is a platelet disorder that results in mild to moderate bleeding and a longer than average bleeding time. Through breeding, the incident of this condition has been reduced in the breed.

Basset Hounds are also prone to glaucoma, gastric torsion and interdigital cysts. Some Basset Hounds are allergic to certain grasses. Without proper exercise, Basset Hounds are prone to obesity, which can cause arthritis, back pains and heart trouble.

There is a website that has great information on Basset Hounds and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2006

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25 years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

Jumping Dogs: It Might be More than an Excited Greeting

Down Spot! Down Princess! Down Rover! Down Peaches! Down Comet! Down Cupid! Down Donder and Blitzen! Ive heard that command many times, from many desperate dog owners, directed at many determined dogs. The jumping dog is a universal problem, but a better understanding of whats motivating the behavior can go a long way toward addressing it.

Dogs jump up on people for two reasons mainly. First, and probably most common, is the jumping dog who greets this way. This can simply be from over-excitement - they jump for joy. Dog behaviorists also point out that this is partly instinctive. Dogs lick each others faces when they want to give a super nice greeting, a likely reflection of lower ranking members of a wolf pack licked the faces of the higher ranking wolves returning from the hunt. In addition, puppies in a den jump over one another for their mothers attention. More specifically, they target her face, as a mother typically regurgitates food for her litter, another reflection of the wolf pack.

Also, this behavior can be positively reinforced during greeting times, when a jumping dog is met by an excited owner who immediately praises, feeds, walks and/or plays with their pet after getting jumped, so to speak. Jumping becomes part of this routine. It is rewarded and reinforced.

Another reason for jumping, which is less commonly the case, is that they may be trying to establish dominance. Dogs jump up on each other through whats known as teeing off. In particular, they rest their head or paw (or both paws) on the shoulder of a dog they want to dominate and exert a bit of downward pressure. Because we walk on two legs, were more difficult to tee off on, but the motivation is the same. The dog may be trying to express his dominant status. In these cases, they often jump up once and more or less lean on you.

Its important to identify this behavior by seeing it in the broader context of your relationship. First, realize a disobedient dog isnt necessarily a dumb one. If they dont listen to you, and push and pull you around some, they may have decided not to recognize you as their superior in the pack hierarchy (while still thinking the world of you as a companion!) Whether its male or female, a dog that consistently jumps on you may be exhibiting one of many behaviors of the signs of Alpha dog.

You should learn more about Alpha dog behavior, and if you suspect that the jumping is in fact an expression of dominance, then it is likely that your training will need to involve heavier corrections. This just means you might need to do more than simply ignore the dog while jumping and train them to Sit and Settle before getting your attention. For instance, water squirting, sharp growling, or even forcing the dog down and holding them down until they are still are all corrections that will short circuit this behavior.

Martin Olliver is a proud member of the Kingdom of Pets team (http://www.kingdomofpets.com). For more great articles on problem jumping, visit: http://kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/articles/jumping_dog.php

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