The Basset Hound is a slightly heavy weight, short statured dog. Its legs are quite short and their bones are heavy, responsible for its heavy weight. Its deliberate movements are sure and not clumsy at all. Its mild temperament and is an easy going dog. It is highly devoted towards its owners and has a lot of endurance. According to the American Kennel Club, this dog with its drooping ears and short body has an amazing distinctive quality. Know more about this dog.

Star Rating:

Characteristics	Stars (based on 5)
Adaptability
Trainability
Health
All-round friendliness
Exercise Needs
Apartment friendly
Affection levelGrooming

Interesting facts about Basset Hound dogs:

• Basset Hound dogs originated in France, but gained quite a lot of popularity in America.
• Using selective breeding, Basset Hound was bred by French Monks.
• Basset Hounds were used by erstwhile royalties to hunt badgers and foxes.
• Basset Hounds has great tenacity and a high sense of smell.
• These dogs enjoy a celebrity status and are frequently seen in commercials, like for Hush Puppies Shoes.
• They are quite stubborn companions but devoted to the owners all the same.

Is Basset Hound Dog right breed for you?

More information on the Basset Hound Dog:

History:

Bassets found their origin from St. Hubert Hound, a popular dog breed . This dog breed was the ancestor of Bloodhound that is seen today. The new strain seen after mutation in St Hubert Strain, the dwarfed or short legged hound was found to be the result. Earlier, these hounds were seen just out of curiosity, but later they were bred purposefully and were appreciated for their ability to hunt rabbits from under the bushes. There was a hunting book long time back, where these dogs got mentioned for the first tim. This book was written by Jacques du Fouilloux. The illustrations were beautiful and showed the distinctive features of this breed. Later French Monks also bred them purposely for its amazing ability to hunt. The breed originated in France, but became quite popular in America.

Description:

The Basset Hound dog breed has a deep muzzle and a well rounded skull. Its face has loose and leathery looking skin, which appears folded or in wrinkles. When the dog is busy tracking something, its brow gets heavily wrinkled. Many times,it seems as if the dog has a sad look on its face due to these wrinkles, but in reality, it is charming for many people.

Personality

The Basset Hound is known for its mild mannerisms. It has no mean bone in its body. Its laid back attitude and sharm temperedness make them a good option for the pet owners. They gel along well with their owners as well as kids. They also get along well with other animals. If they get just a whiff of trail, they get super excited as they cannoy leave their innate nature. Though, they may stay calm when indoors, they get excited and alert when taken outdoors. Since they are quite stubborn and strong willed, training them may pose a great challenge for the pet owners. If positive methods are used to train them, they may respond well. When they behave in the manner expected, food rewards can be given to them. These are basically pack dogs and enjoy company of others.

Health

Basset Hound dogs generally enjoy a good health, but may suffer from some health problems once in a while. Some of the problems that may be faced by these dogs are-

Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV): This problem is also referred to as bloating in layma’s language. In dogs like Basset Hound, this problem can prove to be fatal as it is deep chested. If they are fed heavy meals even once in a day and gulp a lot of water quickly, they can suffer from this problem. If after eating, they indulge in vigorous exercising, they may suffer from this trouble. Thus, these dogs must be fed in a controlled manner and only the amount that has been recommended by the experts.

Transient Lameness- Usually seen in young dogs, this is a temporary problem which vanishes as the dog grows up. The problem may turn out to be serious at times. Sometimes veterinarians misdiagnose this problem as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and more serious issues.

Glaucoma: Basset Hounds may suffer from the problem of glaucoma. This is an eye condition, wherein, inside the eye, pressure builds up. If it is not detected well in time, the dog may also lose its eyesight. If you find your dog tearing, squinting or rubbing its eyes, it is wise to take it immediately to a veterinarian.

Care:

This dog is quite calm and peace loving and can adjust well in apartment living conditions. They cannot tolerate extreme cold or heat, thus when taking them out for their regular walk, it must be ensured that outdoors are pleasant enough. Basset Hound dogs are not very active dogs, but a little exercise and walking is necessary for them. Instead, they can exercise a little in the backyard. A leash must be used when taking them outdoors as if they get a scent trail, they will be off to explore it further. Prper training and soacialization is important for them as they are quite independent natured.

Feeding:

Basset Hound dogs must not be given more than 1.5-2.5 cups of high quality, dry food in a day. They must not be allowed to take heavy meals at one time. Instead, they must be given small meals intermittently. Depending on their age, size, built and metabolism, the quantity of their food must be decided. If the dog eats too much and indulge in a little exercise, it may turn out to be a lazy couch potato which is not good for its health.

Grooming:

Basset Hound dog can be groomed easily. It is essential to wipe away its drool from the wrinkles and folds on its facial skin. Since, its coat is short, it can be groomed easily. Just regular brushing using a bristle brush is more than enough. It rarely needs any bath, unless it rolls in dirt or soil, making it stink. Since, the dog has many wrinkles, it must be dried efficiently after being washed. Lanolin containing baby wipes may be used doe face cleaning. These days, Aloe Vera wipes are also available which are good for their skin. Monthly trimming of nails is necessary. Ears must be checked on a regular basis to see if there is any redness, dirt or foul odor emanating as it may be an indication of infection in the ear.

The ears may be wiped clean using cotton ball dampened with a pH balanced ear cleaner. The dog’s nose must also be cleaned once in a while. For this purpose, petroleum jelly can be used so that the moist inner lining of the nose remains soft and moist and there is no internal bleeding due to rough cleaning. The dog’s teeth must also be cleaned on a regular basis. It can be given food items that remove tartar and plaque buildup.

All these factors will help you to enjoy your Basset Hound pet dog and ensure that it remains healthy and continues to amuse you and guard you with its loyalty.