Basset hound with pit bull?

Question

My dog Maggie got with my daughter's pit-bulll what do you think we should expect from this union and the consequences. And what are the guide lines to make Maggie comfy.

Answer 1

I am not going to tell you to get her spayed, as I have found that trying to force the issue on someone doesn't work well.  I will however give you my opinion and some of the things you can look forward to.

First, if  Maggie is less than two years old you are putting her health at risk.  She is still in her growing phase and pregnancy takes lots of nutrients from her body which can affect her future growth.  Bassets are very heavy in bone structure and need that time for their bones to develop properly.

Second: The union will create larger puppies, in leg and head size which puts Maggie at risk.  Bassets can have up to 13 puppies or more in a littler.  There is also a risk of inertia.  This is when at the time of delivery, the momma is not able to push the babies out.  Bassets are in a higher risk category for inertia than some other breeds.  This would mean an emergency C-section, which in the worse case scenario can result in death of the puppies and or mom.  This I know from experience, as I had this happen the one and only time I bred my girl to another basset.  She is now spayed as I could never put her or myself through that again.

Third:  Those puppies may be cute and sweet when they are born, but they are expensive to raise.  In California, they have to be 8 weeks old before you can let them go to their new homes.  You not only have the cost of mom's health care through the pregnancy with vet checks and having her on a good quality puppy chow, but the pups have their vaccines, food, puppy pads, etc. Also you never know when there will be an emergency with one of the pups, that is going to require a trip to the vet. If it is a large litter or Maggie is not able to produce enough milk, you will have to be able to commit to feeding these babies every two hours from a bottle. Then there is the many hours of lost sleep that you will have to endure, especially in that first 4-6 weeks.  Financially, raising pups is expensive and that is money that you cannot recoup.  So you have to ask yourself ,"Am I prepared to raise these pups and put out the necessary money that it will take to ensure their health and well being?"

Fourth:  Finding the puppies a good "forever" home is not an easy task not only because they are a mixed breed, but because they are mixed with a pit bull.  Don't take this wrong, I have met some wonderful pitbulls and I don't personally believe that they are bad dogs, just bad owners.  There is a lot of negative publicity against pit bulls, to the point that some shelters will automatically destroy any pitbull that comes in. Very sad situation. This will in all probability  create even more difficulty in placing the pups in great homes.

There is also the economical factors that are facing people in this country now.  More and more families are giving up there beloved pets because they financially can not afford to keep them.  The rescues are overflowing as well as the shelters.  Unfortunately for many of these babies it is a death sentence. through no fault of their own.

As I said before, finding the perfect "forever" home is no easy task if you truly care about the puppies future and well being.  I did many interviews ongoing through the time that the pup was chosen to the time they left.  Many were turned down.  I had a 3 1/2 page contract, but that still doesn't guarantee that they will be cared for properly.  I will always wonder and pray that I chose the right home.  The thought of one of those babies ending up in the pound or abandoned breaks my heart.  Luckily, most, but not all, of the new families keep in touch with me with updates...so those that don't are the ones that I worry about most.   If you choose to let Maggie go through with the pregnancy, then those babies are your responsibility throughout their lifetime.   If you are unable to find homes, are you willing to keep the babies for the rest of their lives?

So I have given you my input, what you decide is up to you.  The last thing I want to say is, Don't let your love for puppies cloud your judgment and do the right thing for Maggie.  If she were mine, I would not put her this.

Answer 2

All puppies are cute when they are healthy, but they start growing fast.  People dump them all too often when they are not as cute. That's a very possible outcome of this odd mixture.

Then again, they could get great homes, but it is not too late to spay if you decide to do that.  I did this with a dog of mine that went into a very early heat. She was scheduled for surgery at six mos. old, but got out of the door when moving into a house.  have any pups, but the Vet said it was safe to have her spayed as soon as she went out of heat.  That's what we did and she did great.

She had a genetic skin condition that was one of the reasons we would not have bred her, besides our general preference for spaying.

Answer 3

Take her to the vet and get her spayed, now.

You have NO idea what you're doing, and the puppies could easily be too big for her- meaning she dies while pregnant/ delivering.

You can expect mortality, huge vet bills, obnoxious puppies for 10 weeks, and lots of nasty answers on here.

EDIT: Josh, dude. Chill. I don't have any kids- and guess who can control having babies? HUMANS. Dogs can't control breeding- it's instinct. It's the responsibility of the owners to spay and neuter- or keep the dogs away from other dogs.

Answer 4

irene q, I like the personality of a basset hound. They are so sweet.

Answer 5

well to be honest i agree with both awnswers listed above get her spayed but i can also say to all the people who keep telling other people to get spayed  and to the 2 people ablove me  GET UR SELF SPAYED THERE ARE TO MANY HUMANS IN THE WORLD AND  ALOT OF THEM ARE IN HUMAN SHELTERS I STILL SEE NO ONE IS SPAYING THE LITTLE HOES WHO KEEP HAVING BABYS  HUH ????       SO WHY IS  IT ALRIGHT FOR U TO TELL SOMEONE TO GET THERE DOG SPAYED I DO AGREE WITH IT INLESS THEY ARE PURBREED DOGS. SSO AGAIN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT WHAT I SAID DONT SAY ANYTHING INLESS U GET UR SELF SPAYED  FEEL ME ?????

Answer 6

Get her spayed. You are not a breeder and are not prepared for puppies. It takes years of research and hands on experience to responsibly breed a dog. Besides that, your dog will have mutt puppies. Something we don't need more of. An emergency spay is the best thing.

Answer 7

Why didn't you have Maggie spayed? Do it right away.