Country of Origin: France
Dog Group Kennel Club: Hound
General Appearance:
Bassett Hounds have short legs and long bodies and are substantial dogs. They have long ears and dark eyes. They have loose Wrinkly skin and droopy eyes. The coat of the Basset Hound should always be short, never long. Hair should also always be straight and firm in texture. There is usually enough loose skin on the head to wrinkle, noticably when the head is drawn forward or lowered. The neck should be fairly long and muscular the body should be long and deep with a prominent breast bone. Bassett Hounds are also excellent scent hounds with their tracking abilities being very strong.
Colour:
Commonly Bassett Hounds come in two colours, black, white and tan or lemon and white although other colours are acceptable.
Size:
Bitch 33cm - 38cm
Dog 33cm - 38cm
weight:
Min Max
Bitch 18kg (40lbs) 27kg (60lbs)
Dog 18kg (40lbs) 27kg (60lbs)
Temperament:
Bassett Hounds are calm and friendly and always welcome the chance to make new friends. They are often good family dogs but can be difficult to train due to their hound background. Despite their appearance, they do enjoy exercise. This breed loves children, and generally does well with other animals.
Movement:
Smooth, free and not stiff.
Care and Training:
The Bassett Hound sheds constantly so needs grooming daily with a firm bristle brush also regular cleaning between the folds in the skin to prevent skin irritation. Nails should be trimmed regulary as this breed is quite lazy so they will not be kept short, ears should also be kept clean as airflow is restricted.
Bassett Hounds can be difficult to train due to their scenting nature, consistancy and patience works well as when they are sniffing they will loose concentratoin.
Overall Exercise: 60 - 80 minutes per day
Given the chance bassett hounds can be lazy but they do need exercise to ensure they do not put on too much weight. Exercise should be limited at an early age as joint problems may occur. Because of the length of their bodies Bassets should not be allowed to go up and down stairs until they are 18 months old.
Feeding Requirements:
Prospective owners must check with the breeder that the puppy's feeding has been supplemented, especially because of the large size of their litters. Guard against overfeeding and obesity and do not feed supplements as in calcium or bone development nutrients without discussing this with your vet, as skeletal abnormalities may be the result.
Exercise: Med
Grooming: Low
Noise: Med
Personal Protection: Low
Suitability As Guard Dog: Low
Level of Aggression: High
Compatibility With Other Animals: Low
Suitablity for Children: Medium
Often docked? no
Average litter size: 8
Life expectancy (yrs) 12
Health issues: Anaemia, hernias, hip dysplasia, Kidney problems, PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), thyroid problems.
History: Basset Hounds appear to have origins that date back to the sixteenth century when French stag hounds were bred to short legged hounds. The Basset Hound can be traced back to the interbreeding of the Basset d'Artois and the Basset Normand. Basset Hounds also largely resembles a dwarfed version of the Saint Hubert Hound of France, and may be a descendent of this breed. In the early development of the Bassets, they were used for hunting small game that was low to the ground, such as rabbits and hares. Bassets were meant to be able to track in thick cover for the scent of an animal, but not to kill it. This proved easy for the cumbersome dog, as they are adept to finding the source of a scent, but slow in retrieving anything. After the French Revolution, hunting was a prominent sport in France and the dogs were bred for that very use by French Monks. In 1866 a pair was sent to Britain to Lord Galway, in which the dogs were named Basset and Belle, and in 1872 produced a litter of puppies. The litter was then adopted by Lord Onslow and added to his pack of other Bassets imported from France. At this time Basset Hounds were mostly held by the aristocracy because of the hunting sport they were bred for. In 1892 they were crossed with a Bloodhound which made slight changes to the appearance of the breed.
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