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Basset Hound

Basset Hound

With his short legs, long ears and soulful eyes, the Basset Hound is easily recognised. This good-natured and affectionate breed gets along well with children and other dogs. The Basset Hound is an exceptional scenthound used to hunt rabbits, birds, fox, and deer. This breed easily puts on weight, so owners should avoid overfeeding and be sure their Basset receives regular exercise.

DID YOU KNOW? The Basset Hound may have developed from genetic dwarf dogs from litters of French hunting hounds. In French, the word “bas” means “low.”

ALSO KNOWN AS: Basset, Hush Puppy

The need-to-know
  • Dog suitable for owners with some experience
  • Some training required
  • Enjoys active walks
  • Enjoys walking an hour a day
  • Medium dog
  • Minimum drool
  • Requires grooming every other day
  • Non hypoallergenic breed
  • Very vocal dog
  • Not a guard dog
  • May require training to live with other pets
  • Great family dog

Pet Card

  • Living Considerations: Good with children, not hypoallergenic, suitable for apartment living
  • Size: Medium
  • Height: Up to 38 centimetres
  • Weight: 20 to 30 kilograms
  • Coat: Short
  • Energy: Low
  • Colour: Tricolor (black, white and tan), red and white, lemon and white
  • Activities: Field Trials, Conformation, Hunting, Tracking, Obedience, Rally
  • Indoor/Outdoor: Both

Key Facts

Lifespan: 10–12 years
Weight: 18–27kg
Height: 33–38cm
Colours: Their short, smooth coat comes in any hound colour, but is usually tricolour (black, tan and white) or bicolour (lemon and white)
Size: Medium
Kennel Club group: Hound

Ratings

Family-friendly: 5/5
Exercise needs: 2/5
Easy to train: 2/5
Tolerates being alone: 3/5
Likes other pets: 5/5
Energy level: 2/5
Grooming needs: 4/5
Shedding: 4/5

Personality

Despite looking morose and serious, the Basset Hound dog breed is sociable, calm, polite and quietly playful. Affectionate with people they know and reserved with others, they love children and get on well with other dogs and with some training, other animals in the home. They are very companionable dogs who hate to be left alone and so always need some company - whether human or canine.

History and Origins

Country of Origin: France

The Basset Hound originated in France where they were used to hunt rabbit, hare and wild boar, and the name ‘basset’ translates to ‘short’ or ‘low’.

Their history is somewhat accidental coming from short-legged mutations appearing in traditional scent hound breeds. Rather than rejecting these dogs, it became clear that they were useful for hunters who were following dogs on foot rather than horseback and couldn’t move as fast. Often this was because there was heavy cover where horses couldn’t go or else poverty following the French Revolution meant that many people could no longer afford horses.

The Basset Hound came to England in 1866 where it was crossed with the Bloodhound to give a heavier bodied version than the original French dog - and this is the Basset Hound we see today.

Did You Know?

  • The Basset Hound has found fame in a variety of unexpected places - including advertising Hush Puppy shoes and also in the cartoon character of Fred Basset.
  • Basset Hounds are the second-best sniffers in the canine world, second only to the Bloodhound.
  • This dog breed has difficulty swimming because of their small legs and dense bodies.
  • Marilyn Monroe had a Basset Hound called Hugo.
  • Their long, floppy ears help to lift scents off the ground right to their nose to help them track things better.

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