- Related Topics:
- hound
- scent hound
- On the Web:
- Federation Cynologique Internationale - Basset Hound (Oct. 17, 2026)
Basset Hound
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What is a Basset Hound?
The Basset Hound is a scent hound from France and Belgium, known for hunting hare, rabbit, deer, and other game. Basset Hounds have short legs, heavy bones, long, droopy ears, and a short coat that comes in black, tan, reddish-brown, and white combinations.
Bassets are known to be calm and easygoing, but this can make training a challenge. They need up to an hour of walking or playing per day, but should be leashed or fenced since they are scent hounds that will follow a trail. Basset Hounds are prone to obesity, bloat, ear infections, and hip dysplasia. They typically live 12–13 years.
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What does a Basset Hound look like?
The Basset Hound is a medium-sized, heavy-boned dog with short legs. Its short coat comes in black, white, and tan to reddish-brown combinations. Its most distinctive features are its long, droopy ears and loose skin around the head, which should be cleaned regularly.
Basset Hounds are scent hounds, known for their keen noses and slow, deliberate hunting style. They are generally calm and friendly, but their laid-back nature can make training challenging. They need daily brushing, profuse shedding in spring and fall, and benefit from up to an hour of playing or walking.
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What is the history of the Basset Hound breed?
The Basset Hound originated centuries ago in France and Belgium as a hunting dog for the aristocracy. Bred to trail hares, rabbits, and deer, they are also used in hunting birds, foxes, and other game. Basset Hounds are known as slow and deliberate hunters, recognized for their deep voice and keen sense of smell, second only to the Bloodhound. The name Basset derives from the Middle French word meaning “short,” which comes from bas, meaning “low”. The American Kennel Club formally recognized the breed in 1885.
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What kind of personality do Basset Hounds have?
Basset Hounds are known for their calm and easygoing personalities, often described as laid-back. They conserve their energy for activities like hunting or mealtime. While this demeanor makes them poor protection dogs, they are decent watchdogs and typically friendly with strangers, other dogs, and pets.
Training a Basset Hound can be challenging due to their refusal to do anything quickly. Despite their low energy, they need up to an hour of daily exercise, enjoying outdoor time and following scents, though they may ignore recall commands when trailing a scent. Their calm nature makes them suitable companions for indoor owners who also provide outdoor activities.
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What are common health issues for Basset Hounds?
Basset Hounds are prone to specific health issues because of their build and genetics. Due to their low energy, they are prone to obesity, which can be prevented with proper exercise and feeding.
Other common issues include:
* Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV): A life-threatening twisting of the stomach. Many owners opt for surgery to attach the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent this.
* Elbow and hip dysplasia: Common in many breeds, including Basset Hounds. Feeding puppies food that slows their growth rate can lower the risk of hip dysplasia.
* Ear infections: Regular cleaning and drying of the ears is necessary because their long ears can drag on the ground or in food.
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How should you care for and train a Basset Hound?
Basset Hounds need up to an hour of walking or playing each day. Because they are scent hounds, they enjoy sniffing around outside, but they may ignore their owner's calls when following a scent. For this reason, Basset Hounds should be exercised on a leash or in a fenced area.
Basset Hounds have a reputation for being lazy, but they are generally calm and easygoing. Their laid-back attitude can make training difficult because they usually refuse to do anything quickly. Basset Hounds are typically friendly toward strangers, other dogs, and other pets.
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Basset Hound, breed of dog developed centuries ago in France and long maintained, chiefly in France and Belgium, as a hunting dog of the aristocracy. Originally used to trail hares, rabbits, and deer, it has also been used in hunting birds, foxes, and other game. It is characterized as a slow, deliberate hunter, with a deep voice and a “nose” second in keenness only to that of the Bloodhound. The American Kennel Club formally recognized the Basset Hound in 1885.
Short-legged and heavy-boned, the Basset Hound has long pendulous ears and a short coat in any combination of black, tan to reddish brown, and white. There are many regional varieties of Basset Hounds in France.
Care and upkeep
The Basset Hound is a medium-sized and heavy dog with short legs, and owning one will entail the costs and challenges associated with other breeds of its size and weight. It requires up to an hour of walking or playing during the cool parts of the day. The Basset is a scent hound that enjoys getting outside and sniffing around, and it is adept at following a scent trail. However, while it is following a scent, it may ignore the owner’s calls to return. Although the dog is not a speedster, it is still faster than most owners, meaning that it should generally be exercised on a leash or in a fenced area. Bassets are not good jumpers and may require help getting into vehicles. They are competitive in field trials, obedience trials, and scent work but are very poor swimmers.
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- Other name: Basset
- Area of origin: France and Belgium
- Breed group: Hound
- Height at withers: Up to 15 inches (38 cm)
- Weight: 40–65 lbs (18–29 kg)
- Life span:12–13 years
- Did you know?: Basset Hounds were the inspiration for the Hush Puppies brand of shoes, introduced in 1958. According to company lore, a sales manager traveling in the southeastern U.S. named the brand after a food popular in that region’s cuisine: hush puppies, which are deep-fried balls of cornmeal batter. The treat was supposedly given to barking hounds to keep them quiet. American rock-and-roll pioneer Elvis Presley appeared on The Steve Allen Show singing the song “Hound Dog” to a top hat-wearing Basset Hound named Sherlock. A Basset Hound is the star of one of the longest-running comic strips, Fred Basset, which debuted in the Daily Mail on July 8, 1963.
The Basset drools (mostly in warm weather). Because its ears can be so long that they drag on the ground or across its food, a Basset’s owner may have it wear a “snood” (a tubular head covering that keeps the ears from dangling), which comes in many styles. Coat care consists of weekly brushing and occasional bathing. The loose skin around the head should be regularly cleaned and dried to combat odour. Spring and fall shedding can be profuse, requiring daily brushing. The Basset is often careless about what it steps in, which, when combined with its propensity to drool and exude a strong odour, may make it a poor choice for fastidious housekeepers.
Because of its low energy, the Basset Hound is prone to obesity, but this can be prevented with moderate feeding and exercise. The breed is also subject to gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), a life-threatening condition in which the stomach twists within the body, cutting off the flow of food and water to the intestines and the flow of blood from the stomach back to the heart. To prevent this condition, many owners elect to have the stomach surgically attached to the abdominal wall. The breed is also subject to elbow and hip dysplasia, ear infections, and eyelid abnormalities. As in the case of large breeds, Basset Hound puppies should be fed a large-breed puppy food that slows the rate of growth, which has been shown to lower the risk of hip dysplasia.
Temperament
The Basset Hound has a reputation for being lazy. It is generally calm and easygoing, saving its energy for the hunt or the race to the dinner bowl. Its laid-back approach to life can make training a challenge, as it generally refuses to do anything quickly. Nor is it a fighter, for it is typically friendly toward strangers, other dogs, and other pets. In other words, though it is a decent watchdog, it is a poor protection dog. Its calm personality makes it a perfect companion for a mainly indoor owner, but it still enjoys outdoor time.
These are well established and widely accepted generalizations about the breed. Individual dogs may differ in behavior and temperament.
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