All About
Basset Hound

With their droopy eyes, long ears and short stature, basset hounds can sometimes look like sad, old men. In truth, they are active, affectionate and loyal, and because of their pack nature, get along well with people and other pets, making them an ideal family companion. Bassets will welcome rumpus playing with children, but will sit quietly on the lap of an adult when it's time to relax for the evening. Basset Hounds may bark to sound an alert that someone is nearing the home, but once they greet a guest, will quietly return to their favorite sun-bathing spot on the floor.

The Basset Hound should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian’s supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

Although it might seem that with his short, smooth hair the Basset Hound won’t need any grooming, that’s not quite the case. Regular grooming sessions are an important part of keeping the breed healthy and happy. The Basset’s short hair can shed profusely. Shedding can be kept under control by gently going over the dog at least once a week with a soft brush or a shedding tool. As well as removing hair that is ready to shed, grooming is like an all-body massage that benefits his skin and overall health. The Basset will also need his nails trimmed regularly, and an occasional bath will help to keep his coat clean and shiny.

Basset Hounds are usually calm dogs that do well even in small houses and apartments. They should live indoors with their family, ideally with access to a yard. They're not suited to living outdoors in extreme heat or cold.Bassets are inactive indoors, happy to lie in the sun all day, but they'll enjoy a long and meandering walk with lots of sniffing time. Don't be tempted to let your Basset become a couch potato. Bassets are prone to obesity, and too much weight can stress their joints.When Bassets are outdoors, they should be in a fenced yard or on leash so they don't wander off after an interesting scent. Until he's a year old, discourage your Basset puppy from jumping on and off furniture and going up and down stairs, which puts extra stress on his front legs and back and can injure his joints. You may need to help a Basset of any age in and out of the car. He's not a very good jumper. Consider getting him a ramp or steps.Bassets can be independent, with a mind of their own. Train them with kindness and consistency, using positive reinforcements that include food rewards and praise. The Basset who's treated harshly will simply become more stubborn and less willing to do your bidding. Your best bet is to keep training interesting. Bassets will develop selective hearing if there's something more exciting to pay attention to.

Major concerns: foreleg lameness, OCD, entropion, ectropion, otitis
externa, intervertebral disc disease, glaucoma, vWD, CTP, gastric
torsion
Minor concerns: foot cysts and infection
Occasionally seen: patellar luxation
Suggested tests: eye, blood
Life span: 8-12 years
Note: Obesity is a problem in the breed, especially because it
contributes to intervertebral disk disease.

Trust the French to develop such a distinctive breed, with its "jolie" appearance, jolie meaning pretty-ugly, or unconventionally attractive. The name Basset means "low" and in France it refers to a distinct level of hound by height.Bassets probably descended from the St. Hubert Hound, the ancestor of the present-day Bloodhound, and came about when a mutation in the St. Hubert strain produced a short-legged or dwarfed hound. Perhaps the dwarf hounds were kept as curiosities and later bred on purpose when their ability to track rabbits and hare under brush in thick forests was observed.The first recorded mention of a Basset Hound was in an illustrated book about hunting, La Venerie, written by Jacques du Fouilloux in 1585. From the illustrations, it appears that the early French Basset Hounds resembled the present-day Basset Artésien Normand, a dog breed today known in France.Basset Hounds were first popular with the French aristocracy, but after the French Revolution they became the hunting dogs of commoners who needed a dog they could follow on foot, not having access to horses. They made their way to Britain by the mid-19th century. Lord Galway imported a pair to England in 1866 and they produced a litter of five pups, but he didn't show them so they remained relatively unknown.Then, in 1874, Sir Everett Millais imported a Basset Hound named Model from France. Millais promoted the breed in England and started a breeding program in his own kennel as well as in cooperation with breeding programs established by Lord Onslow and George Krehl. For his efforts in gaining publicity for the Basset Hound in England, Millais is considered to be the "father of the breed" in England.He first exhibited a Basset at an English dog show in 1875, but it was not until he helped make up a large entry for the Wolverhampton show in 1880 that the public started to take note of the breed. A few years later, the breed became even more popular when Alexandra, Princess of Wales, kept Basset Hounds in the royal kennels. In 1882, the Kennel Club in England accepted the breed, and in 1884, the English Basset Hound Club was formed.Although the Basset probably came to America in colonial times, the breed did not come into its own in the U.S. until early in the 20th century. The American Kennel Club (AKC) began registering Basset Hounds in 1885, the first one being a dog named Bouncer, but it wasn't until 1916 that the AKC formally recognized the breed.The year 1928 was a turning point for the Basset Hound in America. In that year, Time magazine featured a Basset Hound on the front cover and ran an accompanying story about the 52nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden written as if it was through the eyes of a Basset Hound puppy. The Basset Hound's charm was discovered, and from that point on, the Basset Hound started growing in popularity.Bassets entered pop culture in a big way in the 1960s with their appearance in the advertising campaign for Hush Puppy shoes and the debut of the Fred Basset comic strip, which still runs today. The Basset Hound is currently ranked 28th among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC, a testament to his enduring popularity.All throughout the U.S., Basset Hound people celebrate their love of the breed in ways that are as unique as their dogs' looks. Basset Hound picnics and waddles are traditions in many regions, sometimes drawing thousands of Bassets and their families.Some of these events even crown King and Queen Basset Hounds. Most hold such fun competitions as contests to determine which Basset has the best "waddling butt." These events usually have a wide variety of Basset Hound memorabilia, which often are sold to raise money for Basset Hound rescue organizations.