Many people would instantly recognize the long ears and the adorably droopy face of the Bassett hound. The long body and the short legs of the Bassett hound coupled together with the long folds of skin and those beautiful eyes have made the Bassett hound truly unique, a favorite with photographers, and a prominent figure in the public eye.
As the name of the Bassett hound suggests, he is part of the hound family. This is a short-legged breed of dog that use its nose to track down and capture its prey, it is said that the only hound that has a better sense of smell than the Bassett hound is his bigger cousin, the bloodhound. This is a breed that originated in France. They think it came about in France, the very name Bassett means low or low-slung. It’s a French word.
Basset hound is a direct descendant of the St. Hubert hound, which is a dog that was very similar to the bloodhound that we know today. St Hubert’s was an Abbey of medieval France and the monks there wanted a dog that would be able to follow game through the deep brush and thick forests, these were dogs that were trained to follow and trail the animal, not kill it and tear it up. The very first Basset hounds were used to hunt rabbits. It almost seems like a rabbit would be a little bit too fast for a poor low-slung dog like the Basset.
The Bassett hound continued on in France hunting rabbits, he remained a friend for the poor people and for nobility alike. It is thought that the first person in the United States to own a Bassett hound was George Washington himself, it was the gift from Marquis De Lafayette.
The Bassett hound unleashed its highlight of fame during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III, in 1863, the Bassett hounds reached international fame at the Paris dog show. He was a hit, the dog had come into the spotlight and he was there to stay. In 1866 the Bassett hound had made its way to England, but it wasn’t for another 10 years until they would be widely known and accepted there it wasn’t until 1885 at the Bassett hound was recognized by the AKC.
As the reader should well know, the Bassett hound is not a very tall dog. They are around 33 to 38 cm at the withers and usually weigh 50 to 70 pounds. That’s a lot of muscle compacted in a very small body! They have a smooth short coat that comes in basically any color; there are Bassets that have gray or blue coats. But this however is very rare and usually a trait that is not wanted, although I’m sure that they are quite beautiful.
Bassett hound is a very friendly dignified breed. They do very well with small children. They love to make new friends and are considered the clown of the canine world. They will many times suffer from separation anxiety because they were originally bred to be pack animals.
Although they love to eat and to lie around, they do enjoy regular exercise. Especially if it is a kind of exercise that puts their endurance to the test; because all Bassett hounds are hunting dogs, they do enjoy the occasional tracking game.
Bassett hounds are extremely intelligent. They can get a treat out of even the most cold-hearted person, they will usually find out how to get their way. They also use this intelligence when it comes to house training: for them is much more enjoyable to go to the bathroom on the rug than it is to expend the energy necessary to ask to be let outside. Housebreaking is not impossible, though, it can be accomplished with a lot of patience and a lot of paper towels.
Always look up a good breeder that has a good reputation, if you’re looking for a puppy. Never buy from a puppy mill because you never know what kind of breeding or health problems the dog has or that his parents have. It is much better to spend the money and get the dog that you’ll be able to enjoy for the next 10 to 12 years rather than buy a dog that you only have for a couple.
