Basset Hound Dog Breed Information

General Information

Physical And Size

Ranking

Characterisitics

Friendliness

The Basset Hound dog is a short-legged breed of scent hound. They are large but short-legged dogs. Though Basset is short, he has powerful legs and big paws having a big- dog strength and stamina. Basset looks sad with a big head, long ears, depressed eyes, and wrinkled eyebrow.

Basset Hound enjoys the company of people and other dogs and cats. They have a strong sense of smell which can sometimes lead them to trouble. Therefore, a strong leash while taking them on a walk is recommended.

Origin and History

Basset Hounds were bred in French in the late 1500s by the Friars of the Abbey. Basset means ‘low’ in French. They were bred to be intelligent and slow-moving on their low feet for a human to follow them on a walk rather than on a horse. They have a keen sense of smell that would track rabbits, fox, squirrels, deer, and raccoon.

Basset Hounds were popular among French royalty and they were taken with them for hunting. They were recognized by American Kennel Club in 1885 and rank 39 of 193.

Is Basset Child-Friendly?

Basset get along with children very well as they are gentle, peaceful and friendly. They are very tolerant of children and their behavior. However, adult’s supervision is needed while letting them play together.

Behavior, Temperament and Personality

Basset Hounds may look sad and lazy but they are active, alert and intelligent. They manipulate people with their sad-looking face and puppy looking eyes. Basset is easy-going and friendly with humans and animals. They get along with them well. However, if they sense something suspicious around, they will alert their owner by barking.

They have a high tendency to sniff and without realizing, they might get far away sniffing something. So, they should be observed more often while taking them out on a park or on a walk.

Trainability

Training Basset hound can be challenging as they are independent and have no desire to please their owners. Therefore, positive reinforcement training is difficult as they do not care about praises and compliments. However, they are very fond of eating, so training them with a lot of treats can help in his learning. Too much treat can cause overweight, so that should be taken into consideration.

Facts

• Basset Hound has a serious sense of smell and can track criminals, lost babies and things.
• Surprisingly, Basset ear is not long just like that. They are long to help them grab a more strong smell and bring them directly to their face while they sniff on the ground. So is their short appearance.
• Basset Hound tends to pick up more dirt from the ground compared to other dogs. So, bath them at least once a week.
• Basset is originally from French according to the American Kennel Club.

Health Issues

The average life span of Basset is 10-12 years. They are generally healthy but can suffer from some allergy and infections. Basset ears should be cleaned often as they are long and get dirty fast causing an ear infection. They eat a lot and can suffer from obesity, so proper care of their diet is required. Like any dog, Basset’s teeth should be brushed often to avoid the dental problem.

Despite that, they may suffer from a few of these diseases like hip dysplasia, cardiac problem and skin infections. Time to time check-up is necessary to make sure that your Basset does not suffer from any kind of serious disease.

Coat Colors

Basset have smooth, short hair which is weather-resistant. Their coat shed some bit at the beginning but can be controlled with regular brushing. Basset coat can be black and tan, liver and tan or red.

Puppies

Cost of Basset Hound Puppy

The average cost of a basset puppy is $600 – $1000 USD depending on where you buy it and from which breeder.

Size of Basset Dog

The average height of a basset male is 12-15 inches and female is 11-14 inches. Whereas, the weight of male Basset is 25-34 kgs and female Basset is 20-29 kgs.

Dog Breed Similar to Basset Hound –

• Bloodhound
• Harrier
• Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen
• Basset Fauve de Bretagne
• Dachshund

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