PUPPIES AT HOME ALONE -- Puppies 3-4 months old can be left along for only 2-3 hours at a time. At 4-5 month, they can be left alone up to 4 or 5 hours at a time. After six months, you can gradually extend the time up to eight hours. That said, it's important to keep in mind that Bassets, like all hounds, are pack animals and do not like to be alone; they will be unhappy, and may express this unhappiness by chewing, digging, howling...and doing generally unpleasant things. If a human is at home during the day, the pup will be content; lacking a human, you should seriously consider a second dog.

FEEDING -- Feed 4 times per day until 12 weeks, 3 times daily until 4 months, and twice daily from 4 months to one year. After a year, feed once per day. Any good brand of quality food is fine. If you're switching foods, try not to do it abruptly, or you'll upset the pup's stomach. In addition to the kibble, meat should be given to your pup. Cottage cheese or yogurt may also be fed. Once again, choose a good brand of canned meat. In case of a slight case of diarrhea, cooked rice and hamburger meat are good. It's wise to keep some Kaopectate on hand for such occasions.

PUPPY "POTTY TRAINING" -- Puppies 8-12 weeks of age will likely need to relieve themselves every 3-4 hours. As they grow older, they can gradually extend the time between potty breaks so that by the time they're 8 months old they should be able to go for up to 8 hours without having to relieve himself. To "housebreak" the puppy, you must provide them with the opportunity to "go potty" as described above; ideally, this means taking them outdoors and heartily congratulating them when they go. If they have an accident in the house (and they will), it does no good to punish them; it's your job to provide them access to a place where you want them to go. Our puppies are 95% "paper-trained," so if going outdoors is not always possible, make sure they can get to some old newspapers.

IT'S FUN TO CHEW -- Puppies will chew on anything and everything...especially between the ages of 4 to 6 months when are are teething. They must be supervised to ensure that they don't chew the wrong things. Older pups may chew due to boredom or separation anxiety when left alone. We recommend that the pup have a collection of chew toys: soft critters, squeaky toys and rawhide strips are all greatly appreciated.

BE PREPARED -- Puppies are puppies until they are about two years old! Between six months and two years, they go through "adolescense." Be sure you are willing and able to give your puppy the necessary training, time and attention this formative period of her life. We recommend Obedience Training classes; they're a great way to teach your pup basic manners, and they accomplish at least two other important functions:

• They help "socialize" your pup, as he'll be exposed to other humans and other canines
• They build a strong bond between puppy and owner.