How we raise our Hounds
We've been asked many times how we raise our puppies.
So I figured it might be helpful to put a page up and give you some details!
We raise all of our dogs in our home, this includes our puppies! They are raised nearly the same way we raise our other hound dogs. We take the hands on approach with our pups as we try to lay a strong foundation built from birth on of trust and socialization. We are very active with our girls during labor as many things can go wrong if not supervised and breeding alone poses its own risk and for the safety of our moms, we like to be as involved as we can be. Once our puppies are born, we take birth pictures and record weights so we can monitor how they are progressing over the first week. They spend the first few weeks in our bedroom/bathroom where they can be monitored very closely. We check weights two times a day for the first week just to make sure everyone is gaining at the proper rate. Day three or four our mothers and pups see our veterinarian for well check ups. From week three and on, our pups are primarily raised in our living room/kitchen so they grow experiencing normal household sounds such as things dropping, clanging of pots and pans, vacuuming, kids playing loudly, people coming to visit etc. We have three children and they are very active in the whole process of raising our babies. We have friends and family who come to help socialize them once or twice a week. I'm sure you've heard the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" well the same applies to our puppies, we want them as confident as can be, that is why we take the extra steps! Puppies are introduced to mush which is a formula of kibble soaked in goats milk starting at three to four weeks and at three weeks, we start litter training! If you read through our testimonials, you'll see this system that we have works wonders not only while we are raising your next family member but well after they come home. We've had people tell us they have had their puppy potty trained within three days of coming home due to our system we use with litter training (it really makes a difference)!! Puppies receive vaccines at 6 weeks, micro-chipped and dewormed if necessary and are seen by our Licensed veterinarian to make sure all is well prior to the take home period at eight weeks.
Our hounds are very much a part of the family, we prefer them raised in the house as a family pet prior to any breeding that will ever take place. In fact we have dogs that simply are just pets and have no place in our breeding program. Our adults usually go with us on family trips and vacations but in the event that we cannot take them with us, we have a professional pet sitter that comes into our home and stays with our dogs the duration of our time away from home. Our dogs are just like any other pet lovers dog, they enjoy walks, car rides, trips to the groomer and tagging along to go to the park with our family and trips out to the lake. Often in the evenings or at night they are either on the sofa or dog beds or on the foot of our bed while we sleep. Our retired adults are usually a permanent member of our family. Our dogs love to go outside weather permitting, but they come in most of the time and are not left outside. However we occasionally decide to retire a dog to a pet home where they can have one on one attention and love. We do not believe any dog, especially a basset should be left outside in a backyard or in a kennel - outdoor pen setting. Bassets thrive on attention from the family.
In case you were wondering... Now you know! This is how we raise our puppies!
So I figured it might be helpful to put a page up and give you some details!
We raise all of our dogs in our home, this includes our puppies! They are raised nearly the same way we raise our other hound dogs. We take the hands on approach with our pups as we try to lay a strong foundation built from birth on of trust and socialization. We are very active with our girls during labor as many things can go wrong if not supervised and breeding alone poses its own risk and for the safety of our moms, we like to be as involved as we can be. Once our puppies are born, we take birth pictures and record weights so we can monitor how they are progressing over the first week. They spend the first few weeks in our bedroom/bathroom where they can be monitored very closely. We check weights two times a day for the first week just to make sure everyone is gaining at the proper rate. Day three or four our mothers and pups see our veterinarian for well check ups. From week three and on, our pups are primarily raised in our living room/kitchen so they grow experiencing normal household sounds such as things dropping, clanging of pots and pans, vacuuming, kids playing loudly, people coming to visit etc. We have three children and they are very active in the whole process of raising our babies. We have friends and family who come to help socialize them once or twice a week. I'm sure you've heard the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" well the same applies to our puppies, we want them as confident as can be, that is why we take the extra steps! Puppies are introduced to mush which is a formula of kibble soaked in goats milk starting at three to four weeks and at three weeks, we start litter training! If you read through our testimonials, you'll see this system that we have works wonders not only while we are raising your next family member but well after they come home. We've had people tell us they have had their puppy potty trained within three days of coming home due to our system we use with litter training (it really makes a difference)!! Puppies receive vaccines at 6 weeks, micro-chipped and dewormed if necessary and are seen by our Licensed veterinarian to make sure all is well prior to the take home period at eight weeks.
Our hounds are very much a part of the family, we prefer them raised in the house as a family pet prior to any breeding that will ever take place. In fact we have dogs that simply are just pets and have no place in our breeding program. Our adults usually go with us on family trips and vacations but in the event that we cannot take them with us, we have a professional pet sitter that comes into our home and stays with our dogs the duration of our time away from home. Our dogs are just like any other pet lovers dog, they enjoy walks, car rides, trips to the groomer and tagging along to go to the park with our family and trips out to the lake. Often in the evenings or at night they are either on the sofa or dog beds or on the foot of our bed while we sleep. Our retired adults are usually a permanent member of our family. Our dogs love to go outside weather permitting, but they come in most of the time and are not left outside. However we occasionally decide to retire a dog to a pet home where they can have one on one attention and love. We do not believe any dog, especially a basset should be left outside in a backyard or in a kennel - outdoor pen setting. Bassets thrive on attention from the family.
In case you were wondering... Now you know! This is how we raise our puppies!
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