Basset Hound – The Leisurely Among the Bassets

Basset hounds were named for their short legs (French bas = “low”). Their extraordinarily elongated physique and unique sagging face make them popular advertising and cartoon characters. Such a pack dog is rarely found alone and loves the turmoil in the family. We show what characterizes the calm scavenger dog and how to keep it in a species-appropriate manner.

The Dog with the Unmistakable Facial Expression

The distinctive features of the Basset Hound have been emphasized to an ever greater extreme since the beginning of modern breed breeding. The smallest of the bassets is extreme in all respects: ears, head, and tail are disproportionately large, the body is extremely long and the legs are extremely short, the skin is very loose on the body and forms folds on the face and neck. When choosing a breeder, you should definitely check whether the parent animals appear healthy and whether they still meet the breed standard.

Height and weight

• According to the FCI, males and females should measure between 33 and 38 cm at the withers.
• The AKC specifies an ideal height of between 28 and 36 cm for bitches and 30 to 38 cm for males.
• A specific weight is not specified, but bitches are always significantly narrower and lighter than males, who weigh up to 35 kilograms.

How are the bassets distinguished?

• The Basset artésien Normand has longer legs and a tighter skin than the Basset Hound.
  In the Basset Bleu de Gascogne, the ear lobes are shorter (reaching to the cheek) and the heavily spotted white coat appears bluish.
• Basset Fauve de Bretagne is rough-haired and has a clearly tucked-up belly line, in contrast to the Basset Hound, whose lower profile line is almost horizontal.
• The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen sports a mustache and shaggy coat of all colors.
• The Basset Hound and the modern Chien d’Artois look very similar, sharing a common ancestor. The Chien has significantly longer legs than the Hound.

Breed characteristics down to the tips of the ears

• In relation to the body, the head appears very large and massive. Slight wrinkling is desirable, but should not restrict vision or movement. It may wrinkle slightly when the head is lowered or the skin is pulled forward.
• The bridge of the nose is only slightly longer than the skull and the lips hang heavily over the corners of the mouth. The nose is always black, but with light coat types, it can also be liver-colored or brown. The nostrils are very large and well opened and the sponge protrudes slightly.
• The eyes are diamond-shaped and, according to the breed standard, show a calm, serious expression. The bulging eyebrows and the slightly drooping, wrinkled corners of the eyes create the facial expression typical of the breed, which seems to ask: does that have to be?
• A special feature is the extremely low set floppy ears: the lobes start below the eyes. If you stretch them out, they reach a little further than the tip of the muzzle. The short-hairy lobes feel velvety and are relatively narrow and twisted (not triangular).
• A visible dewlap forms on the long and strong neck, which is very strong in overbred dogs. The body is long and deep, with the withers and hipbone being about the same level. The sternum is well developed and the ribs are well laid back. The FCI breed standard emphasizes that there must be enough space between the lowest point of the chest and the ground to allow the dog to move freely (a problem with bad breeds!).
• The front legs are set slightly under the body, but should not be too close together. Slight wrinkles form on the pastern. According to the breed standard, the hindquarters appear almost “spherical” because the short thighs are very muscular and well angled. Small wrinkles on the foot and a so-called pocket on the ankle are acceptable. All four paws are quite large and the strong pads are flat on the ground.
• The tail is very strong at the base. It is very long and visibly tapers towards the tip. The underside of the tail may be coarsely hairy.

Typical hound: coat and colors

The relatively firm hair is smooth and very dense. Three colors are dominant in the basset hound and also occur in other running and hunting dogs such as the American Foxhound, Beagle, Estonian Hound, or Swiss Running Hound:

• Tricolor: White with brown patches and black saddle with clearly defined color areas
• Lemon-White: Two-toned, mostly with lighter panels (all shades are allowed)
• Black & White with Tan: Black plates, white markings, and reddish-brown tan markings

The Widespread Family of Hounds: History of the Basset Hound

The Swiss Hubertushund (better known in this country as Bloodhound or Bloodhound) is to be regarded as the forefather of the breed in many respects: The history of the Bassets begins with the now-extinct Grand Chien d’Artois, which evolved from black Hubertushounds and English hunting dogs. It was followed by the smaller Chien d’Artois, the now-extinct short-barreled Basset d’Artois, and the Basset artésien Normand, which looks like a smooth variant of the Basset Hound. Ultimately, the low-footed Basset artésien normans were again crossed with Hubertus hounds, resulting in the Basset Hound with its baggy look.

Timeline

• In 1866 the first pack of basset hounds was assembled in France.
• In 1874 the first bassets arrived in England.
• The bloodhound head with wrinkles was created in England in 1892 by deliberately crossing bloodhounds.
• The first bassets were exported to the USA at the end of the 19th century. Here the distinctive features developed even more strongly through an optically-oriented breeding selection.
• In 1957 the first officially recognized basset litter was bred in Germany. In this country, too, the breed-typical characteristics developed more and more.
• Today, reputable breeders practice healthy breeding and the exaggerated characteristics recede in favor of the health and freedom of movement of the animals.