Basset Hound: Dog Breed Information

The Basset Hound is a calm and gentle dog with a distinctive exterior and personality. It has a very friendly nature and is intelligent and affectionate, but by no means submissive.

Origin and history

The Basset Hound is a descendant of the French Basset, which was bred in England with the Bloodhound. Its original task was to hunt rabbits in thickets that were difficult to access. Because of its excellent nose, the basset hound was able to hunt its prey over long distances at a relatively slow pace but with great endurance.

The breed began to be bred systematically in the 19th century and quickly grew in popularity. Unfortunately, in the 1970s, the basset hound became the fashion dog: the animals were bred to have excessive wrinkling and a body that was far too portly and unsuitable for hunting use. Today’s breed standard excludes these exaggerations.

Appearance

The Basset Hound is a powerfully built, relatively heavy dog ​​with fairly short legs. It has a long, muscular body and a large head with wrinkled skin. It has long, thin floppy ears and a melancholy expression on its face. The tail is long and carried straight. The deep, melodic voice is typical of the Basset Hound and other pack dogs.

The Basset Hound has a short, smooth, and dense coat. There are three different colors in Basset Hounds: tricolor (black-brown-white); with a closed red cover (red coat) and two-tone light red and white. However, any other hound color is permitted.

Nature

The Basset Hound is a relaxed, never aggressive or nervous dog. It is friendly and gentle and gets along well with other dogs. Bassets are very affectionate and love close contact with family. They are also tolerant and patient with children. The born-pack dog does not tolerate being alone for long periods.

As a self-reliant hunter, the Basset Hound is also stubborn and willful. It needs a sensitive and consistent upbringing and has to learn from an early age where its limits are. But even with good training, the intelligent and confident basset hound will only obey if he sees meaning in the instructions himself.

The Basset Hound has a calm nature and does not need to be constantly occupied, the main thing is that he is close to its owner. It likes to go for walks and loves search tasks, where it can use its excellent nose. On walks, however, its hunting instinct can awaken unexpectedly.

The grooming of the Basset Hound is uncomplicated. However, eyes and ears should be checked regularly and kept clean, as they can easily be inflamed.