Thoughts on basset as only dog?
I grew up with Rottweilers and, prior to having my daughter, had Great Danes. We’ve been dog-less since my daughter was born, and while I’ve enjoyed a clean house, I really miss having a dog and our daughter (who is turning 6) is also dog-crazy and ready.
The only issue is that a large breed dog is not in the picture for us. My daughter, despite being exposed to dogs a ton, is just too timid for a large dog…but she loves my in-laws 13 year old mini schnauzer…and a friend’s small hound. We have a friend who has 2 Basset Hounds and their goofy, friendly, and (relatively) laid-back nature have convinced me the breed is a good fit for us. This friend put us in touch with her breeder and she has a litter due later this month, which gives us several months to prepare/puppy-proof our house.
I’m not worried about the woes of puppy life or stubbornness (Danes are also quite stubborn 🤣), but I’m actually concerned about the dog being an only dog. My plan is that on weekdays, I’ll drop the dog at doggy daycare (once a week my husband works from home so the dog would stay home with someone). The doggy daycare is run out of our local vets office and is highly recommended by several people I work with.
So the dog will get to have lots of playtime/interaction with dogs during the day, but at home it’s just my husband, myself, and my daughter. My daughter will likely dote on this dog nonstop, too.
Will this be enough? I’ve read many posts about how important the pack is to Bassets…so I would love to hear from anyone else who has only one Basset and if that’s worked well for your family!