My name is Mabel!

Basset Hound lovers take note…we have a great one here!!! This is Mabel and she is 1 ½ years old. She is a beautiful hound with great colouring and she has a sweet and loving nature. Mabel is everything you could ever want in a Basset Hound and anyone looking for this type of dog will be very pleased with this find. Mabel was surrendered by a family who bought her as a puppy but didn’t know the breed well and didn’t have the time for a hound puppy and eventually found themselves overwhelmed with the responsibilities of kids and dogs and family life. There was little time or energy left over to properly train or exercise Mabel and she was left to raise herself. When we got Mabel she was lovely natured and happy, but in dire need of some training and exercise and attention. In no time she settled in to her foster home and has been a great dog for her Basset loving foster family.

Mabel is now housetrained and crate trained and is crated whenever we leave the house. She is happy in her crate and will rest quietly until you return. She will pace and whine at the door to let you know that she needs to go out but we also regularly let her out and this suits her well. Mabel was allowed on furniture in her previous home but at her foster home she has been designated one chair that she can sleep on and she is happy with that, otherwise she likes to cuddle up on a dog bed. Mabel sleeps in her crate at night and is quiet all night long. Mabel is not a “lie by the fireplace” type of Basset Hound. She is young and fit and relatively active so she requires good walks daily and play sessions in the yard to be happy. Once she has had her walk or play session she is happy to rest on her dog bed or chew her toys. Mabel LOVES her walks and the more the merrier. Being a hound walks are all about sniffs for her so she loves covering new ground and getting all the smells she can. She walks at a good pace but does not lunge or overly pull. We find a flexi lead (extendable leash) works well with her on wooded trail walks or country or park walks as it lets her run from sniff to sniff while her person keeps on walking. But in town or out and about on the sidewalks she needs a regular 6-8ft leash to keep under better control. Mabel has been known to chase after squirrels or bunnies so we wouldn’t want her running out onto the road in the city should a bunny run by. As with all hounds Mabel MUST be leashed at all times when she is not otherwise confined. Hounds are all about smells and will wander off on the trail of a good smell if left off leash. Having said that, a securely fenced in yard is also necessary for Mabel. It can’t have gaps or holes where she can escape and must be sturdy enough to confine her. Mabel loves hanging out in the yard and sunning herself on the back deck on a nice day. We never leave her outside when we aren’t home but with supervision she does like spending periods of time outside.

Mabel is being fostered with other dogs and she does quite well with them. She would be fine in a home with another friendly dog but would be equally happy being the only dog in the home and getting all the doggie attention. Mabel is also being fostered with cats and is not aggressive towards them but finds them fascinating and will try and chase them if given the chance. Mabel can also become barky around them initially as they excite her. She is now used to the cats in her foster home and they don’t run from her so everyone lives in peace and quiet now. Mabel is not being fostered with children but with her gentle demeanor and sweet nature we feel she would be fine in a home with kind children who know how to treat dogs with respect and affection. Mabel is very food motivated though so she would be best in a home with older children who won’t be carrying food around at her level. We believe that Mabel would be very tempted quite literally take candy from a baby if given the opportunity!! The benefit of her being food motivated is that you can use it in training so we are working on basic obedience skills with her and she picks up new things fairly well. Her new family will need to invest time into obedience school with Mabel to teach her to her best abilities and we know she will be a great student if food is used as a reward.

Mabel has 2 bad habits: she sometimes jumps up when greeting people and she can be barky when excited. The jumping up is a bad habit that she had picked up in her previous home that we are working on correcting here in her foster home. She is learning and with more time and consistency in her forever home she will learn to keep all 4 feet on the ground when greeting people. The second, the barking, is something that comes with her breed and only occurs in periods of excitement. Anyone who knows and loves hounds knows that a big bark comes with the breed. Her breed is a hunting breed and part of what hounds are supposed to do is bark to alert the hunters of the targeted prey so any time a hound gets excited they tend towards barking. We find that Mabel will bark when you first let her out of the crate and she is excited to see you, and at feeding times when she’s eagerly anticipating her food bowl. Other than that she’s fairly quiet. Her first week with us she was more vocal as she was nervous and settling in but it quickly abated and now she only really barks at the times specified. She has a deep voice so is not suitable for apartment or condo living. We haven’t heard a true hound howl out of her yet so we don’t know if she can do that or not. Mabel lives a fulfilled life of good walks and yard time here in her foster home so she doesn’t bark due to boredom or loneliness and it’s really not the worst thing to have her bouncing around your feet and barking because she is so excited to see you! We smile and usher her out to the yard and she is then quiet and happy.

Mabel is a happy, loving, and fun dog to have around. She adores belly rubs and will flip over for a chance at a belly scratch whenever she can. She will make you smile daily with her super cuteness and charming demeanor. She is gentle and affectionate and a real love of a dog. If you have been searching for a Basset Hound then she may just be the perfect dog for you. Anyone interested in Mabel should research the Basset Hound breed and know it well as she is everything a Basset hound should be. Mabel needs a forever home committed to her and willing to give her the love, training and exercise she requires and in return you will get a snuggly, loveable dog with big floppy ears and droopy sad eyes to be your next best friend.

All Pound Dog Rescue dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, heartworm tested, de-wormed (if required), and microchipped prior to adoption. The adoption donation of $400 is applied to assist in the costs of veterinary care and the overall care of the dog. For more information and adoption applications please consult our website at www.pounddog.ca.