Basset Hound

Long and low to the ground, the Basset Hound is renowned for his sweet personality and gentle manners. As a family companion, especially for kids, the Basset is a winner. He brings his easygoing, laid-back style into the house and is extremely devoted.

Basset Hound breed facts

In trailing ability, the accuracy of his nose makes him second only to the Bloodhound.

So you want to own a Basset Hound?

The Basset Hound is a natural hunter and should never be allowed to roam without supervision.

Basset Hounds traditionally hunted in packs, which required a comradely attitude towards other dogs.

The Basset Hound is laid back, sociable, and affectionate. It is a great dog for children and adults of all ages.

When there is nothing better to do, Bassets sleep, and are not destructive when left alone. They turn on to food, but not necessarily to exercise.

The Basset Hound is of French lineage and has flourished for centuries in Europe where it was used chiefly for the slow trail of rabbits, hare, and deer. The first mention of the word "Basset" as applied to a breed of dog appears in an early text on hunting written by Fouilloux in 1585. The Friars of the French Abbey of St. Hubert played an instrumental role in the development of the breed, where they established a lower set, slower moving dog that could be followed on foot. By the mid-19th century, the two largest breeders of Bassets in France were producing dogs of slightly different type, especially in head and eye. The first strain were primarily lemon and white and had a tendency to knuckling, while the second strain had glamorous tri-colors with a more narrow head and a domed topskull, a softer eye with prominent jaw and a down-faced look that provided more facial expression.

Exportation of Basset Hounds to England began in 1866, where the first Basset was exhibited at an English dog show in 1875. Some of the dogs established in England were eventually exported to the United States in 1883 and 1884. In 1884, the first Basset Hound was exhibited at the Westminster Kennel Club show. In 1935, a national parent club was created - the Basset Hound Club of America. Through the efforts of the parent club, the breed has proven to be a multi-purpose hound that excels in conformation, obedience, tracking, field trialing and pack hunting.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	No
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Large
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	1 hour a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Short
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	Once a week
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Either
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Small House
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Small garden

	General Appearance Short-legged hound of considerable substance, well balanced, full of quality. A certain amount of loose skin desirable.
	Characteristics Tenacious hound of ancient lineage which hunts by scent, possessing a pack instinct, a deep melodious voice and capable of great endurance in the field.
	Temperament Placid, never aggressive or timid. Affectionate.
	Eyes Lozenge-shaped neither prominent nor too deep-set, dark but may shade to mid-brown in light coloured hounds. Expression calm and serious. Red of lower lid appears, though not excessively. Light or yellow eye highly undesirable.
	Mouth Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
	Neck Muscular, well arched and fairly long with pronounced but not exaggerated dewlap.
	Forequarters Shoulder blades well laid back; shoulders not heavy. Forelegs short, powerful and with great bone; elbows turning neither in nor out but fitting neatly against side. Upper forearm inclined slightly inwards, but not to such an extent as to prevent free action or to result in legs touching each other when standing or in action; forechest fitting neatly into crook when viewed from front. Knuckling-over highly undesirable. Wrinkles of skin on lower legs.
	Body Long and deep throughout length, breast bone prominent but chest neither narrow nor unduly deep; ribs well rounded and sprung, without flange, carried well back. Back rather broad; level; withers and quarters of approximately same height, though loins may arch slightly. Back from withers to inset of quarters not unduly long.
	Hindquarters Full of muscle and standing out well, giving an almost spherical effect when viewed from rear. Stifles well bent. Hocks well let down and slightly bent under but turn neither in nor out and just under body when standing naturally. Wrinkles of skin may appear between hock and foot, and at rear of joint a slight pouch resulting from looseness of skin.
	Feet Massive, well knuckled up and padded. Forefeet may point straight ahead or be turned slightly outwards but in every case hound always stands perfectly true, weight being born equally by toes with pads together so that feet would leave an imprint of a large hound and no unpadded areas in contact with ground.
	Tail (Stern) well set on, rather long, strong at base, tapering, with moderate amount of coarse hair underneath. When moving, stern carried well up and curving gently, sabre-fashion, never curling or gay.
	Gait / Movement Short-legged hound of considerable substance, well balanced, full of quality. A certain amount of loose skin desirable.
	Coat Smooth, short and close without being too fine. Whole outline clean and free from feathering. Long haired, soft coat with feather highly undesirable.
	Colour Generally black, white and tan (tri-colour); lemon and white (bi-colour); but any recognised hound colour acceptable.
	Size Height: 33-38 cms (13-15 ins) at withers.