The Basset Hound Owner's Survival Guide (Your Happy Healthy Pet Guides)

If you are looking for a how-to book on training your Basset hound to behave like a "good dog", you probably won't like this book. However, if you are looking for a book that tells you the peculiarities of the Basset breed, or tells you surprising things to expect with a Basset, or tells you about life with a Basset, then this book is everything you want/need to know. Bassets are called "clowns" for a reason ... well, actually, for many reasons! And most of those reasons are included in this book. If you are a finicky housekeeper, or if you think that everything should have its place (and you weren't thinking it should be on a shelf right below ceiling level), you may not see the humor in Bassets. If you get upset by clothing disappearing out of the clothes hamper and down the throat of a Basset (and out a different route), you may not see the humor in Bassets. If you want a dog who will walk beside you and not pay attention to all the wonderful sights and smells in the grass, you may not see the humor in Bassets. But if you enjoy a good laugh, especially if you are fortunate enough to be owned by one of these wonderful creatures, then this book deserves to be in your library where it can be enjoyed over and over again.

The book was great, made me laugh and thought probably noone would buy a basset after reading it. However, we're so pleased with the plus side, Lucy is our fourth tricolor basset. She trained easily, cares deeply about our aches and pains and makes us laugh daily. While the previous dogs were with us, each about 12 years, we had children around who might possibly have kept secrets from us concerning bad behavior. This time we're on our own, and sometimes are quite astounded by her antics. Examples: opens ladies purses in search of items for personal use, i.e. lipstick (perfect application I must say), one a day boxes of pills (only Saturdays were gone and they were vitamins), tissues). We live in a retirement community where dogs are accepted (except in the large wel coming area which contains the front desk, mail boxes etc.). She learned right away that if she jumped up and pushed a big button, the doors would open. Voila! She can run like a greyhound with a fiend, but, as the book says, when she doesn,t want to go a certain way, she'll sit and ignore all pleas.

This is a cute book of basset stories and not really designed for training. The stories give you insight to the bassets behavior. My mom who has alzheimers enjoys the stories as they are comical. If you need a training book, I suggest Joan Urban's book A New Owners Guide to Basset Hounds

With a sense of humor, information was geared to Basset's unique traits. (Prior Basset book I purchased had the entire training chapter written in general dog training style, with no reference to this breed's issues)

As a Basset Hound owner (my 3rd hound, my 2nd rescue), I can tell you that this book is fantastic at explaining (or justifying) all of the weird quirks and idiosyncrasies to be found in a Basset Hound. I'm not sure it would convince someone considering adopting a Basset Hound for the first time that the breed was for them though. An absolute must for someone that knows the breed, as it will delight and entertain and teach you things you didn't know, but more of a companion book for a Basset Hound Newbie... they'll need the no-nonsense breed book as well for the serious info about these beloved, low-slung, drooly, loud, lovable dogs! I love this book and reference it often, even after 15 years of hound-slavedom!

Good Value

After almost 30 years of Saints (Bernards,) I got a Basset!Diane Morgan tells new "basseteers" everything we need to know about the breed and how, specifically, to make the family basset happy & healthy. This is the definitive (and funny - like the breed it boasts, roasts, and toasts) Basset book.Are we having fun yet? Stay tuned for more tales of me & my baby basset, Lucy Inda Sky. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

Quick and fun!

As a new Basset owner I wanted to know as much as possible about the breed. I purchased this book because I'd read previous reviews that said it was an excellent and funny book to have. I have to agree with this statement. Diane Morgan gives valuable information about Basset Hounds in a tongue-in-cheek funny and humorous way. If you are interested in learning about Bassets in a fun way then this is the book for you. I would recommend it.

Great book, found it very funny and when you own a basset hound you can really relate to the stories that are told. found it informative in a light hearted easy to read kind've way

very good clean book, easy to read and very in formative.

For anyone who has ever had and loved a basset hound as their own child, this book is PERFECT. I grabbed this book at the public librabry right after I adopted Violeta, 13 years ago, when she was just a baby basset, not a puppy, but a BUPPY.Yes, if you call your basset a BUPPY, called yourself a BASSET SLAVE instead of an owner, start a Basset Rescue right after, in love with your BUPPY, you find that there is no rescue in your town and some of the abandoned ones, after found, are set for euthanization due to the many problems he/she may have (AND THAT JUST DRIVE YOU NUTS!). Yes, this book is certainly for you.Yes, this is a histerically funny book about basset hounds and their mischiefs, like mine did when he opened the fridge and ate a whole piece of Gorgonzola (but not the wrapping - they are too smart for that). No, he is not in the book, I just adopted him many years after reading it for the first time.There are, obviously, serious stuff, Diane knows her craft, but she concentrate more on the soul and personality of a Basset Hound and on the "slaves" who are easily manipulated by those sad, soulfull eyes.Many authors of more "serious" books do not find this a "serious" book. Well, it IS serious, it just was written showing the funny side of loving a basset - and how easy it is to love them. It is unassuming and excellent in its own right.After the book at the library disapeared, I decided to buy my own. There are too many good info on that for me not to have it, and I still expect to have a few more Bassets in my life- Violeta is 13 and I hope she spends some more years with us. It is just too heartbreaking to lose one of those babies, but life is life and the heartbreak is the price we pay for having the previlege of sharing your life with these amazingly loving beings.Everything that I know about love and respect towards an animal was taught to me by my Bassets. And Gosh, what good teachers they are...

Good shape