Some Basset Hounds Feeding Tips.

- Don't feed your puppy table scraps. This turns a dog into a finicky eater and can lead to obesity. Changes in food also can cause diarrhea.

- Don't feed your puppy chicken, pork or fish bones. These can lodge in the throat and puncture the stomach and intestines.

- Stick to a feeding schedule and feed in the same place. Feeding at the same time helps the housebreaking process. Offer food for 20 minutes. Feed several small meals and don't offer water immediately after feeding to avoid risk of bloating.

- feed to ideal body condition. Read article on "Evaluating A Puppy's Body Condition"

Thin puppy: Ribs may be visible with no palpable fat. Pelvic bones becoming prominent. Obvious waist and abdominal tuck.

Fat puppy: Ribs palpable with heavy fat cover. Fat deposits over vertebrae and base of tail. Waist absent or barley visible. Abdominal tuck may be absent.

Ideal puppy: Ribs palpable with excess fat covering. Abdomen tucked up.

- If you travel with your puppy bring water from home. Changes in water may lead to diarrhea.

- Bassets are prone to obesity. Don't over feed your Basset some Bassets seem to "live on air" and require very little food to maintain a proper weight. When you look down on your Basset you should not see his stomach protruding from his sides. You should also be able to feel your Bassets ribs under his skin.

- Don't be concerned if your puppy is "off" his feed during the first couple of days in his new home. Separation from his littermates, combined with adjusting to  a new environment can sometimes affect your puppy's appetite for the first couple of days. Call your breeder if the problem persists.

- If you change your puppy's food, do it gradually. Sudden changes in feed con cause diarrhea. If you change from the Purina Puppy Chow, choose a good high quality puppy chow for the first year. Some brands add fillers to the food that just adds bulk to the food and no true nutritional value. The dog has to consume more to get the nutrition it needs.