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Rescue a
Basset Hound
Basset Hound
Puppies for Sale
Basset Hound
"This is Bandit. He is 2 years old and a purebred
Basset. He loves to play and bark at the squirrels. He loves everyone and is
very smart and puts my sandals by the door when he wants to go out. He is a very
happy dog and I love him."
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Basset Hound Breeder
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Basset Hound
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Pronunciation |
Basset Hound |
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Description |
The Basset Hound is a short, relatively heavy dog. The head is large and well proportioned with a rounded skull. The muzzle is deep and heavy with the size being greater than the width at the brow. The brown eyes have a soft, sad look to them and are slightly sunken with a prominent haw. The darkly pigmented lips have loose hanging flews and the dewlap is very pronounced. The skin hangs loose like elastic and falls in folds on the head. The velvety ears are set low and extremely long hanging towards the ground. The large teeth meet in either a scissors or even bite. The chest is very deep extending in front of the front legs. The dogs hindquarters are very full and round. The paws are big. The dewclaws may be removed. The coat is
dense, short, hard and shiny. There are no rules concerning color, but it is usually
black, tan, white, red, white with chestnut or with sand-colored markings. |
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Temperament |
The Basset Hound is sweet, gentle, devoted,
peaceful and naturally well-behaved. They fit into family life well. Their
temperament should always be friendly,
and never vicious, moody or harsh, and would only become so if the owners led the dog to believe he was pack leader over humans. They are mild but not timid; very affectionate with its master and
friendly with children. It can be a bit stubborn with meek owners and need a firm, confident, and consistent owner who displays natural authority over the dog.
Dogs need to know the rules of the house and have the humans stick to them. Bassets like to do tricks for food. It has a deep musical bark. Housebreaking is
difficult, but they do well with positive
reinforcement and patient, gentle training. With proper training, they are obedient, but when they pick up an
interesting smell, it's sometimes hard to get their attention, as they like to follow their noses and may not even hear you calling them back. Only allow your Basset off lead in safe areas. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: Dogs 12-15 inches (30-38cm) Bitches 11-14
inches (28-36cm)
Weight: Dogs 50-65 pounds (23-29kg) Bitches 45-60 pounds (20-27kg) |
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Health Problems |
Do not overfeed these dogs because extra weight
places too great a load on the legs and spine. A problem area is possible
lameness and eventual paralysis because of short legs and a heavy, long body. As
they are prone to bloat, it is also wise to feed them two or three small meals a
day instead of one big large meal. If they do eat a large meal keep an eye on them for several hours for any signs of bloat. |
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Living Conditions |
The Basset hound will do okay in an apartment.
They are very inactive indoors but outdoors they will run for hours in play if
given the chance. They will do okay without a yard, but should be given plenty
of opportunities to run and play to keep it healthy and trim. |
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Exercise |
To keep the Basset Hound healthy, it should be
given plenty of exercise, including a
long daily walk to keep the dog mentally stable, but discourage it from jumping and stressing the front
legs. This breed will run and play by the hour when given the chance. Because of their keen noses they tend to roam when they pick up a scent. Take care when off lead that the dog is in a safe area. When they pick up a trail they may not even hear you calling them back as their complete focus will be on finding the critter at the other end. |
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Life Expectancy |
About 10-12 years |
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Litter Size |
Average of 8 puppies - large litters
are common, known to have 15 or more puppies in one litter |
Grooming |
The smooth, short-haired coat is easy to groom.
Comb and brush with a firm bristle brush, and shampoo only when necessary. Wipe
under the ears every week and trim toenails regularly. This breed is a constant
shedder. |
Origin |
The Basset Hound is an old breed which is a direct descended of the Bloodhound and has a nose that is almost as outstanding. Some sources suggest the Basset Hound may have
originated from genetic dwarf dogs which were born in litters of different types of hunting hounds. The name "Basset Hound" comes from the French word
"bas" meaning low. The Basset Hounds long ears have been poetically described by Shakespeare as: "Ears which sweep away the morning dew." The breed was first presented at a Paris dog show in 1863 which began the dog's popularity. Their popularity spread to England and feuds soon arose between those who wanted the dog to be more of a show dog, keeping them more as a companion dog and those who wanted to keep it as a hunting dog. The breed spread to America where breeders started developing a dog which they felt covered both hunting and companion / show traits. The breed was recognized by the American
Kennel Club in 1885. Able to hunt in both packs or alone, the dog is good at hunting in the den and in the
open. They are used to hunt fox, hare, opossum, and pheasant. While the dogs reflexes are slow, it has an excellent sense of smell. The fact that they are relatively slow on their feet means they can be more convenient for hunters who are on foot. They are also less likely to scare game out of reach. It is said that George Washington owned Basset Hounds
which were given to him by Lafayette after the American Revolution. |
| Group |
Hound, AKC Hound |
Recognition |
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC,
APRI, ACR, DRA, NAPR |
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CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
FCI = Federation
Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American
Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel
Club
KCGB = Kennel
Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian
Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian
National Kennel Club
NKC = National
Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand
Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry
DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
NAPR = North American Purebred Registry, Inc. |
Molly May the purebred Basset Hound at 2 years old. "True to her breed Molly May of Best Buddy Bassets is a sweet, affectionate, and loyal friend. She loves to go "bye-bye" and go on walks where her nose takes the lead."
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"My wife and I did a LOT of research before we decided to adopt a dog -- at least a year's worth. It seemed like every question we had was answered by your site -- housetraining & training in general, feeding, walking, etc. We learned a lot from your site alone, and narrowed our list of compatible breeds down to a select half dozen or so. About a year after we started planning, we went to the local humane society and met all the dogs there. We settled on a young adult (approximately one year old) basset hound that was skinny and had been walking the streets of the city for a while before he was turned into the humane society by a good Samaritan. He seemed to choose us, too -- he sort of seamlessly settled into our lives like he had been there all along. Now, Walter is as happy as ever, and spends his days acting like a big dork and stepping on his own ears. He's always happy to meet another person or dog, and loves sitting on his rug in the living room with us and chewing on a bully stick for hours. He tries to play fetch but doesn't quite get that it requires him to actually get up and move!"
"I urge everyone that reads your site to rescue & adopt dogs instead of buying puppies! The humane societies and shelters are all full of beautiful, loving dogs who want nothing more than to come into your home -- and for many of them, adoption is the only escape from death. Walter has become a loving part of our family and is basically "the perfect dog" (as perfect as any dog can be!) and we didn't have to pay some shoddy pet store or irresponsible breeder hundreds of dollars or thousands of dollars for him."
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"Sophiee is a purebred Basset Hound shown here at 9 months old. She lives on a farm with 150 acres. She loves to run around and explore. She is very sweet and loves to show affection. Her favorite hobby is burying her treats and bones. Sophiee is a total comedian when you are in need of a good laugh. She loves to play soccer and she has become quite the athlete! :)"
Sophiee the purebred Basset Hound puppy at 3 months old.
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Bella Boo Galloway, the female Basset
Hound at 9 months old. "I enjoy being in the sun,
walking in the neighborhood
with my mom, and playing with my brother Bruno. I also love checking out all
the cute dogs on my block (hubba hubba). Oh, and I
slobber a lot too - o.O"
"This is our new addition to our family. This is Daisey Mae, our full-blooded Basset Hound. Here she is 8 weeks old. Daisey Mae was born in June 2009. She loves the sun, long walks and will eat each meal like it's her last. :) We love her so much. We hope you do too. :)"
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Adonis (left) Tripper (right)
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Droopy, the black Basset Hound at about 1½ years old.
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Maggie - Born October 11, 1999.
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Three year old Basset named Ralph.
Basset Hound Pictures 1
Hunting Dogs
Understanding Dog Behavior
Basset Hound Dogs - Collectable Vintage Figurines
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